Published: Septemer 18, 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Author: A.S. King
Pages: 280
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Magical Realism
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Magical Realism
Buy this book at: Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Book Depository
Lucky Linderman didn't ask for his life. He didn't ask his grandfather not to come home from the Vietnam War. He didn't ask for a father who never got over it. He didn't ask for a mother who keeps pretending their dysfunctional family is fine. And he didn't ask to be the target of Nader McMillan's relentless bullying, which has finally gone too far.
But Lucky has a secret--one that helps him wade through the daily mundane torture of his life. In his dreams, Lucky escapes to the war-ridden jungles of Laos--the prison his grandfather couldn't escape--where Lucky can be a real man, an adventurer, and a hero. It's dangerous and wild, and it's a place where his life just might be worth living. But how long can Lucky keep hiding in his dreams before reality forces its way inside?
Michael L. Printz Honor recipient A.S. King's smart, funny and boldly original writing shines in this powerful novel about learning to cope with the shrapnel life throws at you and taking a stand against it.
But Lucky has a secret--one that helps him wade through the daily mundane torture of his life. In his dreams, Lucky escapes to the war-ridden jungles of Laos--the prison his grandfather couldn't escape--where Lucky can be a real man, an adventurer, and a hero. It's dangerous and wild, and it's a place where his life just might be worth living. But how long can Lucky keep hiding in his dreams before reality forces its way inside?
Michael L. Printz Honor recipient A.S. King's smart, funny and boldly original writing shines in this powerful novel about learning to cope with the shrapnel life throws at you and taking a stand against it.
Lately the combination male lead + a dose of realism seems to be working very well for me, I've discovered that I love this kind of books and this novel was a great choice.
Everything begins with the death of Lucky’s grandmother, stupid questionnaires about death (aka “If you were going to commit suicide, what method would you choose?”) and pissing on shoes (yes, I promise, I know it sounds weird but ... that’s how it is)
Bullying, most of the time appears in schools, but it can happen to
anyone at any stage of their life and can have extreme consequences such as
suicide. This book is about that and still does not feel too heavy or
depressing to read.
"Listen to me. They may control what you do, but no one
can pee on your soul without your permission."
A.S. King's
narrative has a very special sense of humour, often uses sarcasm and absurd
moments to add levity to an intense theme. And it is the only thing driving Lucky forward with his life.. A book narrated in first person opens up many
possibilities for the character to become tiresome, but Lucky Linderman has the best
internal monologues.
Speaking
of character, I loved him. Even if you have never been abused or know what
it is to live in fear of your abuser, the thought that s/he can find you at every corner, you can
not help but feel close to him. I speak not only of compassion, but of the thought: "I could really be friends with someone like him."
This book tells the story of Lucky, how he deals with the fear of being terrorised by the
same person since he was seven (another teenager like him, but the
"classic" school athlete that nobody wants to draw the attention of).This story
tells us how many times we do not want to admit how bad we are and how we
create barriers that not only do not let in others, but they keep us inside
ourselves.
The other
characters in the book are far from having perfect lives as well, everyone has some
kind of problem, evading reality in some way. The thing which makes them endearing to
everyone, including Lucky, is the familiarity that they evoke. That is precisely
what I liked, the author shows us that actually "we all see the
ants." They represent that voice in our subconscious telling us the things as they are, for better or worse and leaves us naked before our own
fears and insecurities.
I liked
how the story ends, but I am left with a huge question regarding Lucky's dreams
(which were to erase the imaginary line) and I want to know what actually
happened when he woke up.
Obviously I recommend this book, it's a pretty good and entertaining contemporary, despite the raw story that manages to get you crying out loud several times, it is really worth reading.
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