The Lucky Ones

I recently read The Lucky Ones by Liz Lawson (thank you Netgalley and Delacorte Press for offering me an Advanced Reader Copy). This book came out April 7th so you can read it now!

This book deals with two characters that were affected by a school shooting. May lost her twin brother Jordan during the shooting. She hid in the closet while the shooter killed everyone in her band class. Zach’s mother is the lawyer who decided to defend the killer–most of his friends decided to abandon him after that. When they meet at a band audition, you would think that this might be a match made in hell. Or… maybe not?

The Characters

I have to admit, I didn’t like May at first. She wasn’t very nice, even to her friends. Even before the shooting, we probably wouldn’t have been good friends had we gone to the same high school. After May went through this trauma, she became selfish and mean. However, she sees tremendous growth in this story and by the end, I’m rooting for her.

Zach seems likeable enough. Again, we probably wouldn’t have hung around with each other had we gone to high school together, but he makes a good match for May. But first, they both have some issues to work through.

The supporting characters make the world vibrant and lifelike. Both May and Zach have slightly dysfunctional families. May’s parents were so wrapped up in her brother’s life before he was shot, that they really don’t pay much attention to their daughter, even after their son died. Zach’s mother is always off at work, and his dad has been struggling with depression and isn’t present, even though he lives with them. Their friends seem like the kind of people that would make good friends with Zach and May.

The Story

The Lucky Ones has a great story to it. Both Zach and May have to deal with a lot of things, including how to deal with each other. They both have to deal with guilt resulting from things they couldn’t control. Eventually, with some help from their friends, they learn to begin living again. Even their parents take their heads out of the sand.

Although it took me a while to get into the story, I was definitely invested in the characters and the outcome by the end of the book.

Conclusion

The Lucky Ones is a fairly serious book that deals with a fairly serious issue. Although we don’t have to worry about school shootings while we’re all isolating ourselves in our homes due to coronavirus, it’s likely to be a problem that comes back once schools reopen. The people that have been affected by school shootings, or will be affected, can have their entire lives altered. It’s a book that deals with depression and guilt, and as a result, can be something that a lot of teens can relate to.

I did enjoy the book, and recommend it if your heart can tackle more weighty issues right now. If you’re already in a dark mood due to the coronavirus and are looking for a lighter book that deals with school shootings, I recommend That Night by Amy Giles (link is to my review). If your heart can’t take it right now, I do recommend coming to this book at some point, as it was good.