Lucky Few

by Kathryn Ormsbee

[shannonmiz]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
4.5*

This was a fun book. I didn't really think it was going to be as fun as it was, actually. Of course I thought it would be good or I wouldn't have wanted to read it, but I was not expecting laugh-out-loud funny either. Stevie and Sanger are just delightfully weird, and when Max comes into the picture, well, he and his wacky fake-deaths fit right in somehow. I think I assumed it would be extra tragic? Frankly, I thought that we were going to find out that Max really DID have some terminal illness, or that Stevie's diabetes was going to do her in. I was basically scared of some kind of TFIOS moment.

And sure, faking one's death 23 times is kind of silly (and in hindsight, disrespectful) but... they're kids. And they learn a lot throughout their adventures, which I think makes it worth it. Because look, who among us hasn't done something when we were younger (or even now) that in retrospect was a little flippant? That's how we learn, right?

I really loved all the characters. They were very well done, and I found myself caring for each of them- even some of the more minor ones. I felt like they were the kind of quirky people I'd know in real life. They weren't perfect, either, which I liked. Sanger tried to be tough all the time, even to the point of hurting her friend, Stevie could be judgmental, and she was quite sheltered. And Max... well, he was faking his death 23 times, so there's that. But they were just decent kids trying to navigate their way through changing relationships and growing up.

I think the best part was that each of them learned so much about themselves- and each other- along the way. And the reader was endlessly entertained by their shenanigans, and yes, by some of the more poignant moments as well. Because while it was a fun book, it did tackle a bit of the tougher stuff too, which is kind of my favorite thing in a contemporary novel.

Bottom Line: The writing was fabulous and funny, the story flowed perfectly, and the characters were so much fun to read. A definite win!

**Copy provided by publisher for review