The Lucky List by Rachel Lippincott
CW: Past Death Parents, Grief, Described Panic Attack, Moving Houses, Money Problems, Cancer, Internalized Homophobia, Dangerous Activities, Overworking, Past Toxic Relationships, Cheating, Underage Nudity, Medical Content, Underage Drinking, Swearing
5/5
Looking forward to meeting Rachel Lippincott later (today!), I decided it was time to read another one of her books! I jumped on my chance to read The Lucky List when my library added it to Libby. The premise sounded sweet and the cover was very cute. Plus, from She Gets The Girl and Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh, I already knew that I like Lippincott's writing. I had a great time reading this book!
Emily has felt very lost in the last three years since her mother died. Her mother had taught her to believe in luck and embrace adventure. Now Emily can't take a single risk except for when it comes to blowing up her on-again-off-again relationship with Matt. It doesn't help that her father won't talk about her mother and is trying to create a fresh start for them. When Blake, the daughter of Emily's father's best friend, moves to town, Emily is pulled out of her funk. They start to recreate a list of activities that Emily's mother once did. The last item is to kiss someone, but does Emily really want that someone to be Matt? What would happen if she wanted it to be Blake?
Emily is a very different character from Alex (She Gets The Girl) and Audrey (Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh), and it's not just the lack of "A" name. She's softer and more popular, close to fulfilling the girl-next-door archetype. There were times I forgot who had written the novel until Pennsylvania would be mentioned. Despite Emily having made mistakes before the book started, I liked her a lot and rooted for her. I don't see a lot of her kind of character in my queer novels, so it was refreshing. It was also interesting to see how her Sapphic identity tied into her grief for her mom. Emily was so afraid of being someone her mom didn't know that she kept her identity a secret from herself. The most realistic part of the queer rep in The Lucky List was that the queer kids naturally flocked together!
This novel was really well written. It was paced perfectly, kept up with its cast of characters, felt natural, didn't go too far into toxicity when characters made mistakes, tied up every loose end, and used one of my favorite plot structures. I love a novel that revolves around a list. It gives the audience an outline, but doesn't give away all of its secrets. I was skeptical about the meaning behind one list item and felt so validated when it turned out I was right. The list style works out nicely for those who want mini-adventures within their overarching story. The times Blake and Emily went book hunting, or cliff jumping, or tattoo-getting were each fun to read on their own.
If summer teen romance and trying to process the grief of losing one's mother seems like a worthwhile pairing for you, you should make some space in your TBR to read Rachel Lippincott's The Lucky List. You'll be gifted with small-town humor about bingo, descriptions of baking, and a new appreciation for the number 5. Maybe you'll find your own luck in this book!
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