This book felt like it could be really powerful. The premise of the book suggests that there is going to be some hard material within the book, so I was expecting that going into it. What I wasn't expecting was the amount of swearing that would be within this book. As someone looking for books to include in spaces for young people, it was just too much for me to be able to feel good about recommending to middle schoolers/younger high schoolers (I.e. swearing every other page, or 10+ times in one chapter). I really wanted to read this book, but knowing what I am looking for, I had to put it down. If you are a person just looking for a great read for yourself or an older teen reader, then this might be a great book to recommend, particularly if you are trying to find a way for students to talk about grief or tragedy or for someone who just wants a book relevant to things happening today.

This is a very poignant and heartbreaking book about the aftermath of a school shooting. There are real people who are still dealing with the effects long after the news crews leave and the public moves on to the next tragedy. In this book, two young people ,in pain for different reasons resulting from the shooting, are drawn together in healing.

This is an important book that begs the question: how are we going to help this generation of kids who have to deal with a world in which they are targeted at their most vulnerable safe space?

This is a must-buy for high school and middle school libraries. I have not read anything like it before.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

This was a heartbreaker of a novel. May is angry. In fact, she is downright furious at everyone. Most especially with the lawyer that has taken the case of the student that walked into the band room and shot everyone in it...except her. May doesn't know how to deal with the guilt and pain of being the "lucky one", the one that walked away. All her feelings channel into rage.

Zach's life is forever changed when his mother takes the school shooter's case, representing him. He loses his girlfriend, his friends, his social standing. Only Collin stands by him. He wreaths himself in guilt for his mother's actions, his father's inaction, and in feeling like his world is crashing down.

So what happens when a raging girl and a guilty boy meet at a band rehearsal? Can May overcome her anger, and learn to trust others? Can she let go of the guilt and remember that it's okay to live? Will Zach realize that he is his own person, and that he sets his own path? Can he see that his parents are far from perfect, but so is he? Most of all, can the two of them come to terms with the ghosts that stand between them?

i ached for the characters of this book. I shed tears. I felt their grief and anger. It's not an easy read, but I feel it's necessary. Sometimes being the lucky one doesn't feel so lucky, and as a society, we need to see that.

Nothing short of amazing. Lawson captures grief and all the outcomes of tragedy very well. It was written well in two separate point of views. You don’t really think about how many victims there are in a tragedy like this. Lawson told the story well.

Great book. Well paced. Good read overall!! .

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of THE LUCKY ONES by Liz Lawson in exchange for my honest review.***

The moment I read the blurb for THE LUCKY ONES I preordered the book from Amazon. As soon as Liz Lawson’s debut showed up on NetGalley, I requested a copy. Today I won the ARC lottery, reshuffled my plans, cuddled up with my cat and my kindle and got started.

My heart when out to May, who lost her twin in a school shooting and while I couldn’t see myself reacting with her anger, I understood and empathized. I have read articles and a book about Twinless Twins, twins whose womb-mates have died, a rare loss unlike other sibling losses. May’s mixed feelings about Jordan, the more perfect twin she both admired and resented, complicate her grief. Adding to the trauma, May and the shooter are the only survivors from the band room shooting nearly a year ago.

Zach is persona non grata since his mother decided to defend the shooter. No longer popular, he’s bullied by his former friends and classmates. Zach made me melt into a bowl of mush. I rooted for him as much as May.

Both narrators were sympathetic, multidimensional and imperfect. May’s wounds showed more acutely in her behaviors and attitude; Zach stewed quietly, letting his emotions sleep out more passive-aggressively. When they met, their connection could heal or further break them, or maybe both.

Lawson’s writing captivated me. I sobbed out loud for the last twenty percent of the story. THE LUCKY ONES is the kind of book I love most, a realistic story that takes me away with characters who feel like people, not a writer’s creation. I know I’ll reread THE LUCKY ONES, because once wasn’t enough.

I can’t wait to see what Lawson writes next, she’s an automatic preorder.

This book was incredible.
I cried, more times than I can tell you. I FELT for each of those involved in this story, as well as each an every person involved ever in a school shooting. It's not just the tragedy that occurs, but all the moments before and after.
Read this book, definitely.

I have mixed feelings about this book.

I was drawn into the story, and I loved the characters. I love that this adresses a really important topic: school shootings. I thought it was well written and I could visualize the whole story.

So why the mixed feelings? I didn't quite see why May was having such a difficult time, yet it seemed everyone else has moved on for the most part. Did they move on too easily? I had a disconnect with this. Otherwise, it was an excellent book.

Thank you to the publisher and net galley for the ARC which did not impact my review.

While it was refreshing to read a book where the teenagers actually speak like teenagers, that was really the best part of this-I see why it should have been impactful but kind of meh-book.

when you talk about heavy books, this is one of them! I loved this book more than any book I have read this year! All the feels the emotion and the realism had got to me as no other book had. I think one of the things I loved about this book was that it was VERY REAL!

Stories of school shootings always pull at my heart strings. Such a sad thing that’s happening these days in our society. Was interesting to see the perspective of the boy whose mother is the shooters defense attorney and how that changes his life.

I really am so happy that I was able to read this book, in 1999 I was a high school senior, after columbine, it was the first time I looked at classmates with fear that something similar could happen, and in the 20 years since, with all of the shootings that have happened, and now watching my son who adores everything Army who wears camouflage regularly go through being taunted that he's going to grow up to be a school shooter, it's always been on the back of my mind.

I liked that the author took the time to "go there" and not so much as focus on the shooting, but the after, what happens afterwards to the people that are involved? I do wish we could have seen the trial, and some of the after of the after, an epilogue of sorts, but I loved how the subject matter was written, tastefully. It was so easy to get absorbed in the alternating points of views. Some authors have trouble separating two separate views, especially of different sexes, but she did it well, and it was easy to separate them. The only problem I had was that from the start, names were dropped, the first chapter started talking about characters that hadn't been introduced yet, and I got a little lost, but once I learned who everyone was, and they were introduced in the book as an actual character vs a name, I was okay with all of it.

great book, well written, thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this!

Initial Impressions: I had never heard of Liz Lawson until I saw all of the hype for The Lucky Ones on Twitter. After reading the summary and a few ARC reviews, I knew I was going to love it. I'm not a huge fan of feel-good stories, but I am always ready to read empowering, passionate, inclusive stories that truly teach teenagers a valuable lesson. Just a few pages in and I can see its potential: Lawson has a true passion for standing up against gun violence, making her writing valuable, concise, and touching. I already feel sympathy for the characters and all of the victims in the world we live in. I look forward to reading the rest of The Lucky Ones!

Opinions: The Lucky Ones touched my heart far more than I would've expected. As an American expat, I didn't expect to be affected by this, but it was all too real. The whole point of Young/New Adult is to express and prepare readers for the 'teenage experience' (first love, sexuality/gender identity, school pressures, family drama, etc), and unfortunately, The Lucky Ones is the teenage experience for far too many young adults. As a young reader, writer, and citizen, The Lucky Ones spoke to me about ethics, emotions, and lively morals. This book calls for a lot of thinking and consideration of said elements, but that does not take away from its significance and allusiveness. I strongly suggest you read The Lucky Ones no matter your lifestyle, nationality, or experiences.

My Favourite Thing: The Lucky Ones was a slap in the face. Liz Lawson wrote a masterpiece regarding all elements of the book: plot/conflict, characters, themes, even the writing itself. This was an enjoyable, thought-provoking, and memorable read as a whole, but since I must pick out a preferred element, I'd say the characters. Lawson created an epic scenario full of angst, guilt, fear, and pride with her characters and their dreadful situation. It was very easy to connect to the two protagonists, May and Zach, as they were young, naïve, and suffering. The character's realistic traits made the story richer and more personal.
My Least Favourite Thing: There isn't much I would change about The Lucky Ones except its pace. I understand that the flow contributes to the angst and fear, but as a reader, it was not an attractive quality. The middle of the story, where the plot is calming down and it is more about the character's inner struggles, is especially banal. Otherwise, 5/5 stars!

Recommended For and Similar Reads: The Lucky Ones is an active, emotional, inspiring read for mature teenagers. While I believe everybody should read it for its empowering themes, I understand that activism isn't everybody's cup of tea. If you read and enjoyed The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell, you should read The Lucky Ones!

This YA book is intense and heart-wrenching. It starts one year after a school shooting and follows two characters: May, who lost her twin brother in the attack, and Zach, who’s life has been hell since his mom took on being the Defense Attorney of the shooter. May has just started going back to school after struggling with her intense grief and guilt. When she meets Zach, she starts to feel things for the first time again. It follows both of their healing journeys. This was an amazing book that was compulsively readable.

A beautifully written, poignant coming of age after tragedy story. The characters are believable and nuanced, the prose is lovely, and the plot is compelling. Teens are going to love this novel!