Synopses & Reviews
For decades, Nicky and Russell have kept up the friendship they began in childhood, and for decades, Russell's annual birthday celebration has reminded Nicky of how much more successful Russell is, how astronomically rich he is, and how much further he has come since their suburban childhood. But on his fiftieth birthday, Russell drops dead in his San Francisco mansion, with Nicky as the only witness.
And now Nicky has come up with an uncharacteristically daring plan. If he were to become Russell and leave his old life lying dead on the bathroom floor, then he, his wife, Sarah, and their daughter, Scarlett, could start again. Only with better clothes, better hair, better stuff, and a better future: everything that money can buy. Especially happiness.
But when the foundations of their glittering new existence start to crack, the impact of Nicky's hasty decision is felt by all those around him: by his daughter; by his own distant, confused father; by a young English woman who has come to America in search of her father; and by the mysterious Catherine, an ex-soldier who seems to take an unhealthy interest in Nicky's activities.
Sharp, funny, warm, and acutely observed, Wake Up Happy Every Day is a novel about dreams and delusions, family and friendship, and what happens if you actually find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Review
“Stephen Mays second novel is likely the funniest that will ever start with the words ‘Mums funeral . . . The book has some of Martin Amiss pith . . . irreverent and charming.” —The New York Times, on Life! Death! Prizes!
“Sharp truths about the illusions and hypocrisies of modern life.” —The Boston Globe, on Life! Death! Prizes!
“Mays astonishing 2008 debut novel, Tag, distinguished him as a gifted portrayer of modern British life. In this follow-up, Mays skills are just as dazzling.” —Library Journal, on Life! Death! Prizes!
“A graphically up-to-date coming-of-age tale . . . Provocative! Bittersweet! Promising!” —Kirkus Reviews, on Life! Death! Prizes!
Review
"The sense of jeopardy leaps from the page, and so does the writing. Hooked." —Elle Magazine
"He riffs entertainingly on failure. Talk of misspent youth, assassins and obstreperous protagonists belies the emotional core which makes May's books moving." —Independent on Sunday
"Expect pithy observations on everything from ‘endearment inflation to the three most important words in any long-term relationship: ‘It doesn't matter." —Daily Mail
"A morality tale that explores the difference between material and real happiness . . . There are some great comic set pieces and fine writing from May, whose quips demonstrate a knack for the ridiculous." —Guardian
"Hilarious . . . A charmingly ill-fated adventure [told] with wit and sharp observation . . . A compelling holiday read for anyone who has ever believed that the grass might actually be greener." —Press Association
“Stephen Mays second novel is likely the funniest that will ever start with the words ‘Mums funeral . . . The book has some of Martin Amiss pith . . . irreverent and charming.” —The New York Times on Life! Death! Prizes!
“Sharp truths about the illusions and hypocrisies of modern life.” —The Boston Globe on Life! Death! Prizes!
“Mays astonishing 2008 debut novel, Tag, distinguished him as a gifted portrayer of modern British life. In this follow-up, Mays skills are just as dazzling.” —Library Journal on Life! Death! Prizes!
“A graphically up-to-date coming-of-age tale . . . Provocative! Bittersweet! Promising!” —Kirkus Reviews on Life! Death! Prizes!
Synopsis
From the Costa-shortlisted author of Life! Death! Prizes!, an exhilarating modern fairy tale of risk, reward, and happily-ever-afters.
About the Author
Stephen May's first novel Tag was published by a small Welsh press and won the Reader's Choice Award at the 2009 Welsh Book of the Year. May is not Welsh. His second, Life! Death! Prizes!, was published by Bloomsbury in 2012 and was shortlisted for the 2012 Costa Novel Award and the Guardian's "Not the Booker Prize." He lives and works in West Yorkshire, England.
www.sdmay.com
@RealStephenMay