Then We'll Be Happy

By Author / Illustrator

Alan Carrigan

Genre

Personal Growth

Age range(s)

14+

Publisher

Chicken House

ISBN

9781917171212

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

30-07-2026

Synopsis

If you're always thinking that the next thing will make you happy ... what about right now? '

17-year-old Sam, who has cerebral palsy, wants some control over his life. When he is excluded from yet another school trip and has to spend the day with his bully, it's the tipping point. But in his campaign for change, Sam gets more than he bargained for ...

A debut own-voices coming-of-age YA novel by young Irish screenwriter and author, Alan Carrigan, who has quadriplegic cerebral palsy. An authentic, witty and nuanced story with a powerful, universal message, about unlikely friendships and the realities of living with disability. Simultaneously hard-hitting and heartwarming, with shades of Out of My Mind and Elle McNicoll.

'A story of resilience, hope and realising that happiness is not an endpoint that must be reached, but the people we are surrounded by and the activities we fill our days with.' CHILDREN'S BOOKS IRELAND

Reviews

Clare

Sports fan and dedicated gamer Sam Greenway has finally reached TY - transition year - at school; an opportunity for the soon-to-be adults of Dunebenvin Secondary try on their various futures for size. All except Sam, that is. With no accessible transport, there's no way Sam can be part of class excursions like the longed-for trip to Croke Park. Sam has cerebral palsy and with it, an increasing sense that he has no control over his life. Reliant on his dedicated carer Mum at home and his Special Needs Assistant, Jim, at school, Sam is at breaking point as people talk over his head or around him.

Desperate for some agency in his own life, Sam takes matters into his own hands and begins a 'Fun-draising' campaign for an accessible school bus. Aided admirably by friends Aimee, Trevor and Patrick, a plan emerges for a spectacular concert but Sam’s precarious health and malign school bureaucracy contrive to threaten all the team’s good work.

Then We'll Be Happy manages to be warm and uncompromising in equal measure. The daily realities of living with disability are detailed in an entirely unflinching way, although even then, it is still almost impossible to fathom how difficult it is to manage some of the basic necessities of life. Sam's wit and warmth and that of his friends feels inspirational to readers and yet is probably an absolute necessity for the characters, as they try to navigate life and all its pitfalls.

This is far more than a book about disability though; it’s essentially an endearing coming-of-age story with universal themes - evolving families and friendships, careers, relationships and the everyday challenges of emerging adulthood. Then We’ll be happy is a powerful, empathetic read about living the best life you can, every day that you can.

Pages: 259 / Reviewed by Clare Wilkins, school librarian