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protoman21's review against another edition
3.0
I found myself not liking Lucky very much in this novel. I know that was kind of the point with her doing some ugly things and fighting some ugly emotions, but it just wasn't that pleasant to be inside her head. It's important that she realized at the end that she was being a jerk, but somehow I wasn't satisfied enough with that. I'm not sure we really needed to return to this world, though I understand the author's desire to do so.
mbrandmaier's review against another edition
5.0
Such a charming book. I loved the frequent use of the word "corpuscles" and all the awesome vocabulary, and all the characters of Hard Pan, and the whole side plot with Short Sammy is awesome.
amyinthewind's review against another edition
5.0
Another beautiful "Lucky" book by Susan Patron! This book captures so much of how it felt to be an almost-11-yr-old girl, the sweeping confusion and jumble of emotions - desperate for good friends, always trying to impress, insecure, and moody. Lucky is all of these things, but she's also smart, tender-hearted, and able to see her own mistakes and be humble enough to make ammends.
fossen's review against another edition
4.0
While not the delight the first one is, Patron still manages to really see inside the heart and mind of an 11 year old girl. The way that small gestures and acts become epic feels just right, and all her characters are drawn expertly.
tueller42's review against another edition
4.0
The other reviews say that Lucky doesn't sound like an eleven year old, but I think her thought process and emotions feel a lot like how I thought as an eleven year old.
crystal_reading's review against another edition
3.0
Lucky is hard to like in this one. She kind of redeems herself in the end, but it almost felt like it wasn't quite enough.
blakehalsey's review against another edition
3.0
Not as good as the first Lucky book, but still worth a read. It gets better in the middle and end!
bak8382's review against another edition
4.0
Lucky is back with a whole new set of problems. Her friendship with Lincoln is not enough, Brigitte just isn't American enough, and Short Sammy may be dying! Meanwhile she meets Paloma who she's sure is destined to be her best friend, plans are made for a birthday party, and disaster almost strikes.
I love the way Lucky's mind works, and recognize myself in some of her actions. It breaks my heart that her father doesn't want to be a part of her life.
The eccentric characters and desert backdrop round out a fitting sequel while leaving room for the final book. For those who are wondering a certain word from the first book is mentioned again, within the same context as the first book.
I love the way Lucky's mind works, and recognize myself in some of her actions. It breaks my heart that her father doesn't want to be a part of her life.
The eccentric characters and desert backdrop round out a fitting sequel while leaving room for the final book. For those who are wondering a certain word from the first book is mentioned again, within the same context as the first book.
ashleylm's review against another edition
3.0
S'alright. Didn't love it nearly as much as the first one. (I can't remember much about the first one, which is no reflection on quality—I like it when books go hazy, then I can reread them, but I do remember I loved it!)
I couldn't really relate to the main character as much this time. When she was giggling with her new friend, instead of thinking "Isn't it lovely when people get you," I was thinking "Gosh, aren't pre-teen girls annoying sometimes."
I was so horrified when Lucky did a certain mean thing (no spoilers!) that I assumed it was the crux of the entire book, the plot point that would bring things to a head, but it was ... nothing. She didn't suffer pangs of guilt, and she was let off the hook quietly and quickly. The actual climax seemed to come out of nowhere, didn't last long, and didn't feel particularly integral. (Compare to Holes, which absolutely kills this.)
The sentences themselves were nifty (there are some horrendous writers out there—even some who aren't self-published, shockingly—so I always want to point out if the actual writing is good!) It's just the overall arc of the plot and the use of characters within it that somewhat bored me. So it was always pleasant to read, unless you paused to think "where is this going" or "how did they get here?"
(Note: I'm a writer, so I suffer when I offer fewer than five stars. But these aren't ratings of quality, they're a subjective account of how much I liked the book: 5* = an unalloyed pleasure from start to finish, 4* = enjoyed it, 3* = readable but not thrilling, 2* = disappointing, and 1* = hated it.)
I couldn't really relate to the main character as much this time. When she was giggling with her new friend, instead of thinking "Isn't it lovely when people get you," I was thinking "Gosh, aren't pre-teen girls annoying sometimes."
I was so horrified when Lucky did a certain mean thing (no spoilers!) that I assumed it was the crux of the entire book, the plot point that would bring things to a head, but it was ... nothing. She didn't suffer pangs of guilt, and she was let off the hook quietly and quickly. The actual climax seemed to come out of nowhere, didn't last long, and didn't feel particularly integral. (Compare to Holes, which absolutely kills this.)
The sentences themselves were nifty (there are some horrendous writers out there—even some who aren't self-published, shockingly—so I always want to point out if the actual writing is good!) It's just the overall arc of the plot and the use of characters within it that somewhat bored me. So it was always pleasant to read, unless you paused to think "where is this going" or "how did they get here?"
(Note: I'm a writer, so I suffer when I offer fewer than five stars. But these aren't ratings of quality, they're a subjective account of how much I liked the book: 5* = an unalloyed pleasure from start to finish, 4* = enjoyed it, 3* = readable but not thrilling, 2* = disappointing, and 1* = hated it.)