Why Book Talk?

I had a teacher in elementary school tell me that I consumed books. I’m not sure that she meant it as a compliment, but it was true. I would devour books in one sitting. As an adult I still love to read, but I don’t read as much as little me did. I’d like to be a reader again. So for pride I’ve been focusing on reading queer stories and queer authors. It’s been an absolute blast and I am so glad to see representation I never knew existed. The most recent book I read was “The Lucky List” by Rachael Lippincott and I want to share my “They Lucky List” Book Review with you.

The Lucky List Book Review

Did I start by googling “how to write a book review for your blog?” Yes. And the first thing it said to include was information about the book – including the blurb. But that seems really easily googable, so I’m going to start with reasons I loved “The Lucky List” and reasons I think you should read it. I’ll share a bit about the book, and the full blurb at the end.

 

Why You Should Read The Lucky List

I thought this book was everything it should be. Emily is feeling a lot of things. She’s trying to connect with her mom who passed from cancer. She’s trying to accept her sexuality. She’s trying to circumnavigate friendships and relationship. It’s a lot to feel, but I felt all the things right along with her.

The book promised to have some awkwardness because it’s YA set in high school. And it did, but in an adorable way. Plus the awkward is necessary when you’re finding yourself.  Even when it is hard or it feels like that’s not what you should be doing. Whether you’re a teenager yourself or you’re an adult reparenting I would highly recommend this book.

Queer Representation

I loved that “The Lucky List” had such a great character arc for Em. *tiny spoiler* I was worried that the book was going to be like “and now she’s a lesbian” which isn’t really typical for queer people. I shouldn’t have worried because the author is a member of the lgtbq community. I think she gets it. So instead Emily got to realize that she’d been aware of her sexuality for a long time ago and shoved it down. That’s something a lot of queer people can relate to.

Queer Joy

The thing I loved most about this book is that it acknowledged the reality of queer trauma, but gave Emily a really supportive community. No one disowned her or told her that what she had figured out was bad or wrong. That was so refreshing and I absolutely adored it.

The Love Story

I really enjoyed that the love story was about Emily realizing what felt right to her. And it wasn’t only in her romantic relationships, but also in her relationship with her father and with her best friend. The author did such a good job of capturing what it’s like to feel stuck and finally explode. Acknowledging that her behavior was harmful and still having the support of her friends and family all the same made me cry. Literal tears.

It’s a Quick Read

This was a book that I didn’t want to put down. There was one instance that dragged on a little too long (what happened at Junior Prom?) but other than that it was a book that never felt slow to read. I finished it in 2 sittings!

 

Overall

The final rating for “the lucky list” book review is I Liked It! My rating system is pretty simple – I liked it or I didn’t like it. And 9/10 if I didn’t like it I won’t finish it and there will never be a book review.

I want everyone to read this book. I want queer youth that are figuring things out to read this book. I want people who have experienced loss to read the book. I want people who are navigating high school relationships to read the book. If you’re a person who likes romance and YA then I would highly recommend this book for you.

 

In Case You’re Wondering – The Lucky List Blurb

Emily and her mum were always lucky.

But Emily’s mum’s luck ran out three years ago when she succumbed to cancer, and nothing has felt right since.

Now, the summer before her senior year, things are worse than ever – Emily has wrecked things with her boyfriend, Matt, and her dad is selling the house she grew up in and giving her mum’s belongings away. The only person she has to talk to is Blake, a girl she barely knows since she and her dad moved back to town five seconds ago.

But that’s when Emily finds the list – her mum’s senior year summer bucket list – buried in the back of her closet. When Blake suggests that Emily take it on as a challenge, the two set off on a journey to tick each box and help Emily face her fears over losing her connection to her mum. As she starts to feel closer to her mother, so too does Emily’s bond with Blake deepen into something she wasn’t expecting.

And suddenly Emily must face another fear: accepting the secret part of herself she never got a chance to share with the person who knew her best.