Lucky by Rachel Vail

 
Title: Lucky
Author: Rachel Vail
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 233
Source: Colorado's Teen Literature Conference Book Store


Back of Book Summary:
     Phoebe Avery has always been a lucky girl.  Popular, smart, and beautiful, Phoebe has it all. She's even planning the hottest party ever with her four best friends to celebrate their middle school graduation. With the perfect green dress picked out at Neiman Marcus and half her class clamoring for invites, plus a new guy to crush on, Phoebe could not be in a better mood--until it looks like the party might be over before it can even start.
     When Phoebe's family is suddenly faced with losing it all, she discovers that there is more at risk than just her designer jeans. In a town where gossip rules, Phoebe needs to keep everything a secret, or she may lose her friends too. Can lucky Phoebe really be out of luck?

Review:

    Characters: 
                       Initially, I was turned off by the book's characters. Phoebe seemed to be very shallow, I didn't empathize with her situation. Then toward the middle of the book I began to like her and root for her. In the end, Vail succeeded in drawing her reader into the main character. Phoebe became likable and thought provoking as she grew in understanding of her own situation.
                        Phoebe's best friend, Kaitlyn, on the other hand wasn't a character I thought fit with the story. Her character's description and actions didn't reflect the catalyst necessary to cause Phoebe's own change.

     Plot/Conflict/Theme:
                        The plot wasn't what kept me reading, though entertaining, it was slightly predictable. I would have liked a few more twists and/or a conflict that was less shallow and more substantial. Granted there was a underlying theme here that had the potential to take this book to the next level, but didn't quite make it. 

     Quality of Writing: 
                         I loved the quality of writing that Rachel Vail produced. She has a way with words that made the novel play out like music on a piano. The character's dialogue was realistic, and the descriptions brought vivid images to the reader's imagination.

    Favorite Line: Phoebe is speaking at her 8th Grade Continuation.
           "People think fourteen-year-olds are awful, and maybe we are. We're moody and nasty and maybe we sometimes have way too much...you know, personality. Maybe we drive you crazy, but trust me, it doesn't even come close to how crazy we drive one another. Or ourselves. But we don't completely suck" (Vail 222).

My Rating: 
        Book: A for Average
        Cover: B for Brilliant- Book cover was simple and elegant.