Lucky Girl audiobook

I'm somewhat shocked this book isn't getting more publicity. It's got all the character work and depth of Courtney Summers, yet with a slightly less issue-novel tone and a less "cliche unpopular girl" protagonist. Our heroine, Rosie, is a popular girl. In fact, she's the “pretty” one in her friendship with Maddie. But after Maddie's new love interest tries to assault Rosie, she becomes the "school slut" and is abandoned by Maddie.I'm sure you'll have figured out by now that this is a book about slut-shaming and victim blaming. I particularly liked that this isn't a typical contemporary about a girl being assaulted and a boy making it better. Maciel doesn't base this book off a romance. It's all about the friendship here. I especially loved the ending, powerful and full of hope. Maciel touches on a ton sexual assault, shaming, and friendship and handles each theme with care. But that's not everything I loved about the book. Lucky Girl gets its real power from the incredible character work. Rosie is such a real character. There's her genuine depth of character, first of all. She's selfish but she's trying not to be. She's jealous but she's trying not to be. But there's also her character arc. I loved Rosie's internalized self-doubt, her feelings of guilt over betraying Maddie even though it wasn't her. Maciel does a good job of portraying her feelings without acting as if they're correct.I also appreciated that Lucky Girl accurately portrays the complexities of friendships between the “popular” girls. Maddie and Rosie are often somewhat unlikable, and yet it's hard not to feel sympathy and understanding for each of them. I'm seeing a lot of reviewers criticize Lucky Girl for aimlessness, and I'm somewhat inclined to agree. Yet I also feel that the novel gets its power from the lack of clear problem, clear solution. Maciel perfectly conveys the desperate, hopeless feeling of blaming yourself and having everyone else blame you, too. She's not in a situation with a clear beginning and a clear end. The aimless tone is appropriate for the novel, distinguishing it from a typical issues book.VERDICT: Highly recommended, along with Maciel's debut novel, Tease.

Release Date: April 25, 2017 Genre: Young Adult FictionLucky Girl is an important young adult novel that explores sexual assault. In addition to this, the author touches upon self esteem and how far one may go in order to be popular. Both of these themes and more make the story stand out and I hope many will consider reading it. With that, this is a well written and eye opening novel that will not only appeal to young adults, but older adults as well. The story is very relatable, although it may take some time to get used to the main character as she comes off as very shallow and jealous. However, if you look at the bigger picture as how her character progresses throughout the story her flaws do become bearable. In addition to the theme of assault, readers will be taken back to their high school days while reading this one. We all know how cruel teenagers can be and how many will do just about anything for a little bit of attention and this becomes apparent in this novel. Also, if you like a little bit of romance thrown in then you will get this too although, it is not the main focus of the story. Overall, I did like this one but not as much as I liked the authors debut, Tease. But, the overall message of the story is a very important one so I had to give it at least 4 stars. Readers who enjoy young adult fiction that deals with social issues (such as assault) would pair well with this one.

This book flew by. Important, but never preachy. Realistic, but hopeful. I love discussions of beauty in YA -- I think because so many girls don't feel beautiful at this age, and so many others won't admit they do like their looks for fear of being called arrogant or self-absorbed. So it felt fresh to read a character who knows she's beautiful, and maddening how others feel "entitled" to that beauty simply because that's what she puts into the world. A lot to unpack here. Eager to discuss it with someone!

I love Amanda Maciel. I love that she writes books with less than perfect protagonists that make me think. This was beautiful and tragic and so important for everyone to read.

***WARNING: BOOK MIGHT MAKE YOU STAY UP ALL NIGHT READING***What follows is not a review, but a fangirl-ish "episode". (I'm sorry, I'm just too excited!) I finished this book at 4am yesterday and had to forced myself to go to sleep, when all I wanted to write the review right then while things were fresh! So I went to bed and decided to sleep on it... First, you've got Rosie. She's gorgeous, outgoing, and a flirt. Her best friend had it hard last year, and Rosie's made it her goal to make sure she's happy. :) Then you've got Maddie: the best friend, book nerd, and at times overlooked sidekick. She's been away in Europe gettin' her soccer on, mingling with the guys. While over there she becomes "Britney." Do you understand? She returns home with toned legs, an exotic tan, and stunning blonde hair.... *FLIPS HAIR OVER SHOULDER* Which brings me to the next character: Cory. Aka, Rosie's boyfriend, and a star football player. Worth mentioning: He's also the guy who takes a special interest in Maddie after seeing her transformation. And finally....(I saved the best for last!) The new town celebrity: Alex Goode. A few years ago, Alex gained national attention after he stopped a school shooting. WHY I LOVED THIS BOOK 1) It is VERY relatable, and I don't say that lightly.2) It is diverse.3) The lead protagonist, though described as perfect, is nowhere near. You can't help but root for her as she undergoes this "evolution" throughout the book. There were times when I wanted her to step up and really stand her ground, but then I realized that her strength was her patience. 4) Alex. Oh Alex. I liked everything about him. The person that Maciel created was so heartfelt. I just wanted to give him a big hug and pet him...and tell him it was going to be okay! 5) Lucky Girl pushes boundaries, and in doing so makes you question your morals. 6) The writing was impeccable. 7) The storyline SOLID. 8) I loved the main characters, as well as minor characters. (Ryan!!!!) To me that is the true test of a book. I felt like I knew Cory, Stephanie, and Ryan just as well as Rosie. (Even Gabe.)IN CONCLUSION: 5 STARS***HIGHLY RECOMMEND***Lucky Girl will be available on April 25th! CLICK HERE to Preorder Special thanks to HarperCollins for sending me this glorious ARC

My favorite genre is ficion so of course I wanted to read it right off the bat. One of the things that hooked me on this book was that it was about a high school girl which I could relate to because I am in 10th Grade. I picked out this book during the Summer, but never got around to reading it. When my teacher mentioned that we would be reading a choice book each month, immediately I knew I wanted to read this one first. It covers the heavy and contraversial topics about sexual assault, social ostracization, slut-shaming, and victim blaming. The story is about a very beautiful girl named Rosie Fuller. Everybody gives her admiring looks whether they are from high school boys and other girls or older men. New problems arise when her best friend, Maddie, comes back from studying abroad in Spain. The jock that Rosie is currently dating, Cory, is an unknown long time crush of Maddie's. She believes that she could give him up to make Maddie happy since her friend is going through a hard time with her home life. Although it did not work out quite as she hopes. Maddie is getting closer and closer to her new football boyfriend and Rosie is getting jealous, but doesn't want to be. Cory assaults Rosie at a party during a storm, but Maddie does not listen to her side of the story and abandons her. A new "hero" moves to to town and becomes friends with Rosie. After the incident, he is the only person who is there for Rosie. Rosie is always feeling guilty about everything that had happened and thinking it is all her fault, but in reality nothing is her fault and she was never to blame. This is hard for her because of the the kids at school bullying and outcasting her. Though she eventually realizes it, she does not want to believe it. I liked how Maciel created all of the characters to be SO real. It made most of them extremely relatable and this is one of the major factors that made me like the book. Also, since the characters were so real, it made me feel almost part of the story, as if I knew the characters myself. Another factor that contributed to my liking of the book was how the story is very realistic like the characters. This is because these types of things happen so much everywhere and in a majority of schools. There was basically nothing about this book I didn't like. The only thing that I did not find enjoyable about it is how hard she was on herself and how mean other people were to her, but that isn't the author's fault. It's just upsetting to know that this is very common among teenagers and in schools. Overall, the story was much more thrilling than I thought it was going to be. This made it hard for me to stop reading after our in-class time was over. I could really feel all of Rosie's emotions and see how she develops as a person and how anybody could change perspectives and morals after finishing this book.

It started out boring and it was like a typical young girl but in the middle after the incident it started getting more interesting. It’s definitely not a book I would recommend since I didn’t really love it but it was alright. Definitely makes you think and open your eyes.

TRIGGER WARNING: dubbio consenso, aggressione, tentato stupro, stupro (nel passato di un personaggio secondario), slut-shaming.Rosie sa di essere una ragazza fortunata: ha una famiglia, un tetto sopra la testa, due migliori amici che adora e soprattutto è bella. Può avere tutti i ragazzi che vuole, sin da quando ha cominciato a svilupparsi e ad interessarsi all'altro sesso le è sempre piaciuto flirtare, essere notata, attirare l'attenzione, essere ammirata. Il fatto che lei fosse la più bella tra lei e Maddie non è stato fonte di conflitto: Maddie è sempre stata più timida con i ragazzi, a volte in cerca dei consigli di Rosie che ha cominciato prima a fare esperienza, ma comunque più interessata al calcio femminile, alla scienza e al comitato scolastico. Con l'estate agli sgoccioli e Maddie di ritorno da un campeggio di scienze/calcio in Spagna, Rosie è pronta ad essere un'amica migliore per Maddie: sa che non è stata all'altezza del compito quando i genitori di Maddie si sono separati, non riuscendo a trovare le parole o i modi adatti per confortare la sua migliore amica. E Maddie ritorna dalla Spagna bellissima, più bella e cresciuta di quanto non fosse mai stata e Rosie si trova improvvisamente a provare gelosia nei suoi confronti. Ma si dice che è normale, che passerà. Quando poi scopre che Maddie anni fa aveva una cotta - e ce l'ha ancora - per Cory, il ragazzo che Rosie ha cominciato a vedere durante l'estate, Rosie pensa bene di farsi da parte: in fondo non prova nulla di che per Cory, non si è mai innamorata né ha mai provato le farfalle nello stomaco per nessuno e sanno tutti che la sua soglia di attenzione è sempre molto bassa quando si tratta di ragazzi. Ad una festa cambia tutto però: complice una tempesta e un blackout, complice l'alcol, complice il continuare a flirtare come una seconda natura, complice la gelosia e la paura di perdere i riflettori, Rosie si trova in una situazione in cui nessuna ragazza vorrebbe mai trovarsi. E la cosa peggiore accade quando non riesce a spiegare a Maddie come sono andate veramente le cose, specialmente quando la sua migliore amica la accusa di essere la "tipica" Rosie, che pensa solo a se stessa e ai ragazzi e vuole tutto e tutti per sé. Mai Rosie aveva pensato che un giorno avrebbe desiderato passare inosservata. Immagino cosa stiate pensando: Rosie è una protagonista estremamente antipatica, con cui è difficile entrare in sintonia e in empatia - sbagliato. O meglio, inizialmente lo è un po': si lamenta, è critica nei confronti degli altri ma senza quella malizia che di solito contraddistingue le classiche antagoniste dell'eroina di un libro - poi cresce e diventa più consapevole di molte cose. È innegabile che sia un po'... unlikeable, ma se vi devo dire la verità mi sono trovata quasi più coinvolta da lei che da Sara, la protagonista di Tease - e con lei sì che avevo cose in comune.Perché sì, Rosie è bella e popolare, ma neanche troppo e soprattutto non è una mean girl. È semplicemente una ragazza a cui piace flirtare, a cui piacciono i ragazzi e scherzare e uscire con loro - non è cattiva, non sminuisce le altre ragazze con il proposito di buttarle giù alla "io sono meglio di te". Ora, io non sono bella e sotto questo punto di vista non sono riuscita a mettermi completamente nei panni di Rosie - non sono mai stata io quella che attirava l'attenzione dei ragazzi nel mio gruppo di amiche. Ma come ragazza so cosa vuol dire la gelosia, il volere le attenzioni per sé, il volere essere notata a discapito delle altre.Rosie ci chiarisce subito che si sente a suo agio nel suo corpo, che non ha vergogna di mostrare un po' di pelle - le piace mettersi in tiro e mostrarsi al meglio. Ma ci dice anche che sono le occhiate dei suoi coetanei che cerca e che quelle degli uomini adulti che frequentano la gelateria dove lavora le danno fastidio. Però dopo quella festa a casa di un suo compagno di scuola, Rosie sente il bisogno di nascondersi - di nascondere la pelle, di nascondere la vergogna, di nascondere quello che NON può essere accaduto, di nascondere se stessa e passare inosservata almeno per un po'. E con Alex, il ragazzo nuovo, sembra funzionare perché lui non sembra notare affatto quanto lei sia bella. La trama è fuorviante: non aspettatevi bullismo grafico o scontri fisici e verbali tra Rosie e Maddie - per quanto la loro amicizia sia un pilastro fondamentale di questa storia, è Rosie che la analizza nella sua mente e la rielabora quando vede Maddie a scuola. Il confronto tra loro arriva molto avanti e devo dire che, per quanto io sia sempre alla ricerca di storie di amicizie (tossiche) che vanno in frantumi o esplodono, non è questo il caso: ho apprezzato molto il modo in cui è stata sviluppata e sviscerata la loro amicizia, in relazione non solo all'aspetto estetico ma anche ai loro interessi personali e il modo in cui si sono sempre accettate così come sono. Anche la parte di Alex non prende molto spazio: non aspettatevi che il romance sia la parte principale di questo libro, non aspettatevi il ragazzo che arriva a salvare la protagonista. Anzi, Alex mi è rimasto anche alquanto indifferente e, se devo dire la verità, quello che comunque nasce tra loro mi è sembrato un po' campato sul nulla. Alex resta sempre marginale pur avendo un grosso trauma alle spalle che confida a Rosie in dettagli che in pochi sanno, ma resta poco sviluppato.Alex è però uno dei catalizzatori (tra gli altri) che spingono Rosie a riflettere. A riflettere su stessa, su come si sente e vede e su come in realtà possono vederla e percepirla gli altri - ovvero come una ragazza a cui piace fare festa e che nessuno prende sul serio. Riflette sul modo in cui sua madre le sta sempre addosso per via dei ragazzi e sull'esempio che sta dando alla sua sorellina minore Ayla - che non si sente bella come Rosie o la loro madre e che per questo ogni tanto va in crisi. Rosie ha soprattutto a che fare con la colpa che si addossa per ciò che è successo avendo bevuto e flirtato con il suo aggressore, con lo slut-shaming di cui lei stessa si fa vittima, con il sentire di meritarselo per via dei sentimenti di gelosia e insicurezza che provava per Maddie e il modo in cui si sente indegna della loro amicizia, con l'improvviso senso di abbandono, con i dubbi su se stessa e il proprio valore, con la sensazione di panico e vergogna quando ora un ragazzo le si avvicina o anche solo la guarda. Quello di Rosie è un percorso di crescita e scoperta: un percorso che la porta a scoprire che è una ragazza fortunata anche in altri sensi perché non si è arrivato a quel peggio che invece è toccato ad altre ragazze - ma è stata comunque vittima di un'aggressione che ancora fatica ad accettare come tale e a pensare in quei termini. Lucky Girl è un romanzo sullo slut-shaming, sulla cultura dello stupro, su Rosie che prende coscienza che va bene volere le attenzioni e volere essere notate e guardate, ma che non va bene quando ciò oltrepassa i limiti che imponiamo - quando smettiamo di essere persone agli occhi di chi aggredisce, che ci vede solo alla stregua di parti da afferrare senza alcun riguardo.Mi ha coinvolta parecchio, anche se non in maniera "intensa" e ammetto che ci sono stati romanzi sullo stesso tema che mi hanno fatta "arrabbiare" di più. E se in un primo momento un discorso della madre di Rosie può dare fastidio - le belle ragazze devono stare sempre più attente delle altre, sono le prime che possono finire in brutte situazioni, le prime a ricevere attenzioni sgradite - è anche vero, come dice dopo, che la bellezza non c'entra nulla quando qualcuno vuole prendersi qualcosa che non sei disposta a dargli perché è un problema universale che riguarda il potere che gli aggressori decidono di arrogarsi e imporre sugli altri. Tease era stato un romanzo che mi aveva fatta sentire molto in conflitto, pur avendo io tante cose in comune con la protagonista; la Rosie di Lucky Girl è quanto di più lontano possa esserci da me, eppure l'ho sentita vicina ed è stato molto facile empatizzare con lei - perciò direi che questo libro è consigliato.

3.5/4 starsThis was my first book by Amada Maciel, I was a bit sad that I never got to read Tease because many of my friends loved it. Just like Tease was an important book, Lucky Girl is, too. I wish I read a book like this when I was younger and I hope young readers have the chance to read it, too.TW: Lucky Girl is a book about rape culture. If you have any triggers about rape, I’d suggest you keep this in mind. I had a hard time connecting with Rose in the first pages of the book, because she was a little whiny and selfish. The first thing you know about her is that she’s jealous of her best friend because she returned home looking hot and finally learned how to flirt with guys. I didn’t read the synopsis when I started it, so I was afraid she was going to be an unlikable and shallow main character until I started to understand. Rosie is an honest and real character. She knows her own flaws and she’s trying to change, to be a better friend for Maddie. And later on, a better sister and a better person. I think the most important thing in Lucky Girl is the message of self-worth and real friendships. This book tackles hard topics such as near-rape experiences and slut shaming. It’s something you see in real life and it made me think of how we judge people when we don’t know them.Personally, I don’t think I loved any character. I liked them all, yeah, but I don’t think the author put enough attention to their characters arcs. I really liked Rosie’s sister and Ryan, though. I wish there were more scenes with them, but I’m content with what I got. The writing was okay, too. Just not as good as I heard it’s Tease’s. For me, the importance of Lucky Girl is the message it sends. It’s really empowering to read something that made me remember of my self-worth and how important is to overcome prejudice. Overall, Lucky Girl is a good book with a deep message, but it didn’t shine among the other with similar topics.

This book was hard to read in parts but I was really impressed with the story and the way that the author was able to handle some of the topics with such grace. (Don't read this book if sexual assault is a trigger for you..quick heads up.) Rosie has always been the pretty girl, she is used to men of all ages looking a little bit too long at her and most of the time she kinda enjoys the attention. When something happens one night, Rosie will begin to learn that being the pretty girl isn't what she thought....and she will learn that sometimes the only person to protect her is herself.Amanda Machiel has written a lovely story...even though it was hard to read in parts I think that the subject matter is something that needs to be talked about more, sadly I might add. Thanks to HarperCollins for the ARC!

It is very rare for me to give out five star ratings but this book deserved it. I wasn't sure what to expect going into it as the synopsis wasn't giving a whole lot away, but it did intrigue me enough to want to know more. This book follows a not particularly likeable character and deals with some pretty hard-hitting topics, so really my opinion could have gone either way. However, I feel this is one of the best books I have read in a while.I was so invested in this story and the characters in the book. I didn't want to put the book down while reading it, and in those times when I had to go and do other things, I couldn't stop thinking about this book and these characters. I wanted to stay in the story, I had to know what was going to happen and how Rosie, our main character, was going to deal with her situation. I felt like part of the story, I was living these horrible events right there alongside the characters.I think the reason I loved this book so much, and why I found it such a powerful read, was due to the content covered. This book deals with the sexual assault of a girl with a bit of a reputation and focuses a lot on the slut-shaming we see within society. It was very difficult to read about how slut-shaming can be so detrimental in a situation like this, particularly in that victim blaming can become a real issue. It was very relevant to today's society, which made it even harder to read, and encouraged important conversations about the likes of slut-shaming and victim blaming. I am very impressed that such difficult topics were written about and handled so well.Rosie herself was another reason I loved this book so much. Rosie is not a likeable character, she can be selfish and disregard the feelings of others. She is flawed in many ways, but she is very real. She felt like a genuine teenage girl, which made her easy to relate to and connect with. I actually saw much of myself in her, though I'm not sure that is something to really admit. Despite everything she faced throughout the book, she was incredibly strong and brave, and only grew as the book went on. Her strength and the way she faced the situation she found herself in, though heartbreaking, I found to be very empowering.While there was, obviously, a fair bit of plot to this book, the characters are what really kept it going. As well as out main character, Rosie, there were many side characters who really added to the story. There is a very strong friendship theme running through the book, with tensions rising between Rosie and her best friend Maddie. Maddie was a character I had very mixed feelings about, however the friendship group was another aspect of the book I loved. The friendships felt very authentic and real, as did the tensions arising throughout the story. I particularly loved Rosie's friendship with her work colleague as not only was she a really lovely, genuine character, this illustrated that you can find friendships in places you least expected. I also really loved the family aspect of the book, particularly Rosie's strained yet sweet relationship with her younger sister.Among all the drama taking place in Rosie's life, Amanda Maciel decided to throw a love interest into the mix. I found this a little strange at first and I wasn't sure how this would work with the story. I was worried this book might follow the 'love interest comes along and fixes all problems' trend, but was very glad to see this didn't happen. I really loved that what Rosie needed most was a friendship and that is what she got. Alex did not take away all of her problems, but rather helped her to see herself differently and really aided her character development. While I still don't really understand the relevance of his odd back story, I think Alex, and the romance element, ended up adding to the story rather than ruining it, as I had feared.Overall, this was a very hard-hitting book, dealing with some very serious topics, particularly relevant to today's society. I found it both heart-breaking and empowering, particularly as the main character felt so real and easy to connect with. It was all too easy to put myself in her shoes and feel her emotional turmoil. I would highly recommend this book if you are looking for something to not only break your heart but make you think.

This was a 3.5 stars read.The beginning was kind of bland but then it became really interesting and exciting but the story kind of reached its culmination about 100 pages before the end and after that it became bland again. I would have liked it so much better if it ended with a BANG. I was expecting something more to happen, something big but I was disappointed. Also, quite a few questions were left unanswered. The book was good and it dealt with PTSD and dealing with sexual assault but the execution of the ending could have been done better.Don't mind how annoying and whiny the main character is, in the beginning, she changes a lot and you can see her develop as a character so much throughout the story.

Rosie is a beautiful girl—and it’s always been enough. Boys crush on her, men stare at her, girls (begrudgingly) admire her. She’s lucky and she knows it.She’s determined to be better to her best friend, Maddie, just back from a summer program abroad having totally blossomed into her own looks. Alex, who became semi-famous after he stopped a classmate from carrying out a shooting rampage at his old high school. Rosie is drawn to Alex.Then at a party one night, something happens that tears apart Rosie’s life -forces her to face uncomfortable truths about reputation, identity, and what it means to be a true friend.

quick readstory revolves around a few high school friends and their relationships.football players, parties, working at DQ, homecoming, etc. ending sweet but almost too sweet like the real frosting on birthday cake- my favorite kind.

*4/5*I’m really surprised that this book doesn’t have more buzz around it. It handles very hard and important topics from a viewpoint that is realistic and soul crushing. I definitely think that more people should read this (but look up content warnings before doing so!)