Book Review: I Am Lucky Bird

by: Fleur Philips

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
When her mother mysteriously vanishes from the small town of Plains, Montana, 12-year-old Lucky Bird’s childhood comes to an abrupt end. Left to defend herself against her suddenly abusive grandmother, Marian, and forced to endure the twisted predatory games played out by Marian’s lover, Lucky soon finds herself trapped in a nightmare.

Even when she manages to escape, the outside world can’t take away the brutal images of her past. Still haunted by her mother’s disappearance and the trauma that followed, Lucky is easily led down a path of self-destruction—a path that only the intervention of a young stranger and his family can guide her away from. But first, Lucky will have to confront her demons, and the dark truths kept hidden.

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I'm trying to think of a way to describe this novel. It's not a happy story, where everyone gets along and there's a separate bad guy or thing that they must unite to find themselves victorious. No, Lucky is a girl very much left to her own devices. And often, that's not a pretty sight.

I think I love these kinds of stories because I can honestly relate to the character. Even if she doesn't have anyone else in her corner, I'm there cheering for her to find her way out of the darkness.

Fleur (lovely name, isn't it?) has a sweet writing style that just grabs you and won't let go. And she uses the most unique font! I don't know what it is, but it's different. The paragraphs are separated and it's a font you won't see in any other book. It makes it feel like you are reading a diary or something other than a mass marketed paperback.

This isn't a pretty coming-of-age story, but it was fully worth my time. This is going in my library for keeps.