Lucky

Lucky is the story about a young grifter who was taught by her father at a young age how to deceive people to make a living. As an adult, Lucky buys a winning lottery ticket but, due to her nefarious past, she cannot claim the massive winnings. 

Told using two alternating timelines - Lucky as a ten-year-old and Lucky as an adult - the plot moves quickly, and I enjoyed getting a peek into the fascinating world of grifting. I didn't expect to be sympathetic to a grifter, but ten-year-old Lucky had a vulnerability and a complicated sense of morality about her that endeared her to me. Her dear 'ol dad? Not s'much. The pacing was good, and I liked the bit of mystery surrounding Lucky's early life, but things started to waver for me in the last third when the plot took on a far-fetched feel and concluded with a neat, if a bit rushed, ending.

This was a fun, quick, escapist kind of read with short chapters that kept the story moving. Lucky is an interesting character-driven story with a bit of mystery and a look into the life of a grifter. Look for this book in stores April 6, 2021!

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada for my advanced copy of this title in exchange for my honest review. 

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Author: Marissa Stapley

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Canadian

Type and Source: eBook from publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada

First Published: April 6, 2021

Opening Line: Someone had left a baby outside the nunnery.

Book Description from GoodReads: What if you had the winning ticket that would change your life forever, but you couldn’t cash it in?

Lucky Armstrong is a tough, talented grifter who has just pulled off a million-dollar heist with her boyfriend, Cary. She’s ready to start a brand-new life, with a new identity—when things go sideways. Lucky finds herself alone for the first time, navigating the world without the help of either her father or her boyfriend, the two figures from whom she’s learned the art of the scam.

When she discovers that a lottery ticket she bought on a whim is worth millions, her elation is tempered by one big problem: cashing in the winning ticket means the police will arrest her for her crimes. She’ll go to prison, with no chance to redeem her fortune.

As Lucky tries to avoid arrest and make a future for herself, she must confront her past by reconciling with her father; finding her mother, who abandoned her when she just a baby; and coming to terms with the man she thought she loved—whose complicated past is catching up to her, too.

This is a novel about truth, personal redemption, and the complexity of being good. It introduces a singularly gifted, complicated character who must learn what it means to be independent and honest…before her luck runs out.