by Annika Galloway (Author)
In this dystopian, coming of age story, 16 year old Cindy Reeves lives in a world where mental illness has become a business and happiness is an advertisement. The heavily increased expenses of medications and psychiatric appointments leave people struggling to the point of even falling into debt. The world is struggling, both financially and mentally, and Cindy, like everyone else, is desperately searching for happiness in all of the chaos. Luckily, there's an answer: The Happy Treatment. It's only a simple procedure, and afterwards, there will be no need for expensive medication or appointments anymore. In fact, it not only cures your mental disorder such as depression, but also any negative emotions you may feel ever again. You'll never feel sad again, never feel afraid, depressed, lonely, angry. You'll feel nothing but happiness. Cindy longs for this perfect treatment. She longs to have the emotional pain in her mind stop, but after noticing the strange events that have started happening in her life around this treatment, something starts to feel off. With her best friend, Eva Straus, Cindy is sent through a challenging journey of chaos, pain, love, and loss. Through her search for happiness, she finds herself more depressed than ever, and she can't help but wonder, is the Happy Treatment really the solution to finding happiness in this depressing, hopeless world?