The Lucky Ones by Liz Lawson | Book Review
I was pre-approved of an eARC on NetGalley by the publisher, so thank you Delacorte Press!
My Rating: 3.75 / 5 🌟
When it comes to YA Contemporary, hard-hitting stories aren't usually my cup of tea, but when I was given the opportunity to read this book, I decided to give it a shot.
Reviewing hard-hitting contemporaries is a new territory for me, especially for this one where it deals with a real and current issue that is happening in the world, but I'll try my best to convey all my thoughts into words.
The Lucky Ones is a story that focuses on the aftermath of a school shooting, specifically the aftereffects on those who survived the shooting. The book was told in the perspectives of the two main characters. May, a survivor from the shooting, and Zach, the son of the lawyer hired to defend the shooter in trial.
When it comes to the main characters, the book does not shy away from their imperfections. Both May and Zach weren't likable, and they shouldn't have to be likable. I think it was important to have that portrayal of characters in this book, especially with the amount of baggage they carry, which one way or another, was an aftereffect from the shooting. Reading about their characters wasn't easy, and understanding them was more difficult, but I think that was exactly how Liz wanted the characters to be, and she did a good job writing them.
It was interesting to see how the main characters, May and Zach – two people who are affected by the shooting in different ways – meet, as well as seeing how their path ended up entwining with one another. Although these two characters had to meet for the sake of the plot, it did not feel as if it was forced, instead if felt natural and I liked seeing how their friendship develop throughout the book.
The side characters, specifically May's best friend, Lucy, and Zach’s best friend, Conor, are also one of the best side characters I've read lately when it comes to the YA Contemporary genre. Throughout the book, Lucy and Conor each became an anchor for May and Zach to hold on to, and it was nice to see May and Zach have a best friend who are there for them while they're navigating through a very difficult period of their lives.
Although the focus of the story was on the psychological effects of a school shooting on those who survived, it also talked about the outcome of the shooting in general. For example, what happened to the school where the shooting occurred and what happened to the shooter. I think it was nice how these few bits of information were included in the story, which I think can be serve as additional knowledge for the readers on the issue.
The minor problems I did have with the book were all quite permissible except for one. The book told a heavy story with a very important message, and it did a good job of doing so, but I feel like the message that the story wants to put out was not as impactful as I hoped it would be. As May is a hard character to understand, it makes it more difficult for me to connect with her, thus lessening the impact of the issue on me. Nevertheless, the core message remains prominent throughout the book and serves as a very distinct theme throughout the story.
All in all, The Lucky Ones is a letter for the survivors. At its core, it's a story about carrying the guilt for surviving and mourning the grief for those who didn't, but it's also a story about letting go and forgiveness, not only to those around you but also forgiveness to yourself. I do want to give Liz a big round of applause to publish a story that holds a very real and important issue as her debut novel, which I think she did a very remarkable job with. Even though I don't see myself rereading this book anytime soon, as it is quite a heavy read, I do see the significance of why everyone should read it at least once in their life. So, if you do want to pick up The Lucky Ones, please do give it a go as I hope the story will impact you like I did or probably even more.
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