The Lucky Ones is about May and Zach and how a horrendous event transformed their lives. For May, she lost her twin brother Jordan. For Zach his mother decided to be the defense lawyer for the boy who committed the horrible crime. May is full of anger, anger towards everything and everyone. Towards people who mourn in public, who want to talk about it with her, and as the story progresses it escalates. One way she liberates that anger is by spray painting messages and leaving nasty notes on the defense lawyers house, who also happens to be, you got it Zach’s house. Thus, more conflict is introduced because sooner or later, it’s going to have to be confronted.

The writer did an excellent job of defining the characters. It’s told from dual POV and the reader at no point is wondering who is narrating because the voices are well developed. It’s a poignant story. Written towards current events, and the fallout from surviving through one. I especially appreciated that the author didn’t try to relive that whole scene. It’s all from May’s POV and the reader understands why she’s dealing with this guilt of being the only who survived that day.

That said, I did not particularly like May as a character. Like at all. She wasn’t likeable. You feel for her, absolutely. And the reader mourns with her to a degree but that was my biggest dislike. Zach too, his personality was just kind of meh. The way the teenagers interacted with one another and spoke felt forced, not natural at all. I work with teens, and they don’t speak like this.

Overall, I definitely think this story is one that needs to be told.

Liz Lawson does an incredible job of showing the messy after effects of what a school shooting does to the "lucky ones" left behind in this heartbreaking and poignant debut. Both May and Zach's lives are equally torn apart by the actions of the shooter, although both of them have distinctly different relationships to him. One of the things that struck me the most was how Lawson showed how most families are thrown into the chaos of the mass shooting's consequences even while already dealing with the issues previously facing the families. One thing is clear, when mass shootings happen, no one gets away untouched.

A gripping read from beginning to end.

It was difficult for me to read, and I mean that in the very best sense given that this is terrible and difficult subject matter. It's raw and unflinching -- a book that tears the scabs off of grief, anger, helplessness, guilt, in the wake of a horrific event.

In the subgenre of school shooting-based YA novels (which unfortunately are necessary in order to reflect the lives of today's readers), Liz Lawson makes some intriguing choices. She chooses to examine why a lawyer would choose to represent an obviously guilty party, and also chooses to show some of the ways that one person's choice affects so many others. May was not a likable character, and I resented this at first. However, it soon becomes clear that she does not like herself, and therefore, the reader needs to feel that. I think anyone struggling with guilt or regret could learn from her battles.

The Lucky Ones is told in the wake of a school shooting. The story is told in alternating viewpoints, starting with May, who survived by hiding in the music room closet. She lost her twin brother Jordan amongst the others and she carries so much guilt for not going out there to rescue him, to stop the shooter. Jordan was her parent's favorite, they pinned all their hopes and dreams for his future on him, while she got pushed into the background. In fact, she wasn't really getting along with Jordan the last year of her life, and she carries a lot of guilt over that.

The other point of view is Zack, whose mother is defending the shooter. Life has been miserable since his mother made that decision because teenagers are unable to separate Zack from his mother. Someone has destroyed their lawn and has repeatedly spraypainted their garage. His mother is gone all the time and his father has checked out, so it's up to him to take care of his sister, to hide the paint, and he's feeling desperately alone.

This isn't easy subject material at all. May has PTSD and even though she's in therapy, it isn't enough because it rules her every action and decision. I find myself really angry with her parents for being too lost in their own grief and problems to get her the proper help she needs because seeing a therapist once a month clearly isn't enough. It's because of the unlikeliest of heroes, Zack, that she even starts to make a turnaround in her recovery. He's a really good guy who is stuck in a bad situation that is out of his control.

This is well-written, there are many layers to the story, and it can be incredibly heartbreaking to read. The characters are complex, all going through their own version of grief. I could completely relate to a lot of what May said and her journey was so incredibly hard, even having a best friend like Lucy, who was incredible and a rare gem. I think Lawson took on a heavy subject and she did it very well.

I could hardly put this book down. The story had me engrossed the entire time and I had to keep reading to know what was happening between May and Zach. The subject matter was difficult but unfortunately that is our society now. Thank you netgalley for an ARC.

The Lucky Ones felt like it had a lot of potential to be a powerful read. The premise is it follows a girl named May, w ho survives a school shooting in which her twin brother is killed. I went into this book expecting it to cover some hard topics and content. Unfortunately it didn’t quite hit what I was looking for.
I wanted to feel more of the character’s emotions throughout the book. It just fell flat for me. I wanted to go through the stages of grief and feel May’s hurt and anger. Instead, I was left with self-pity grief that just felt wrong given the circumstances. There was an excessive use of expletive/provocative language that I could see turning some people off from this book.
Don’t get me wrong, though. This book is covering some hard topics that are definitely relevant to today’s society. I just wish that there was more emotion to it.
I received an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book focuses on the aftermath of a school shooting on the eve of its first anniversary through two alternating POVs. May is a survivor of the school shooting, the only one in her band class who made it out alive by hiding in a closet while her twin brother, classmates, and favorite teacher were murdered by another classmate. May is suffering from PTSD and has been kicked out of different schools for losing her temper and getting into fights. She is given a final chance to attend a different public high school where she meets Zach, the other narrator, whose mom happens to be the defense attorney for the school shooter.

I think Lawson did a good job writing a gripping and emotional story about resilience. May's grief and anger, as well as her friends'/classmates' reactions to the tragedy, were very believable. I liked Zach's narration to because he was dealing with the school shooting in a completely different way, with people vandalizing his house and his classmates ostracizing him. Even so, he was a compassionate and likable character. I don't think this had to be a romance--May and Zach could've just been friends--but I think the romance element might engage teens more.

I was admittedly worried that this book would be exploitative. The author/publishing house prefaced and ended the book with a letter/note from the author that explained the reasoning behind the book, with statistics and resources. Unfortunately, school shootings (and shootings in general) in the U.S. are all too common and we do tend to forget about the survivors of such horrific events. I do think that Lawson did deal with many of the issues in a nuanced way. I would have never guessed that this was a debut novel. The only issue I had with the book was that despite preaching asking for help and calling hotlines, the story ended really cleanly, when I though for sure--with the drama that ensued at the end--May would have had to turn to mental health services.

Still, the book overall was really moving. I'll be recommending it to my students.

School shootings should not be a daily part of our lives, yet it feels like everyday that there is another one. We live in a world where shooter lockdown drills are practiced by elementary school students and it seems like knowing how to shoot a gun should be a prerequisite for teachers. It’s terrifying. Sickening. We’ve settled into this new atrocity in a way where those of us who see it on the news aren’t even effected by the actual horror of the situation. Another day another school shooting. The names start to blend together and we start to forget. We. The people not effected. Those who live through it, the lucky ones, don’t have that luxury. I personally have never stopped to think about the aftermath that those who survive face. So thank you Liz Lawson for writing this story. It was important and needed to be told.

➼ May - A year after the school shooting that took her brother life but left her she’s still trying to come to terms with the fact that she’s a survivor; one of the lucky ones. Her parents barely acknowledge her existence and she’s still dealing with the PTSD from the experience. She’s full of anger and doesn’t really know how to direct or who to direct it at. To feel like she’s doing something, anything, she sneaks out and vandalized the house of the lawyer who is defending the shooter that tore her world apart. It never feels like enough though. Forced to go to a new high school after her old one is shut down, May runs into the last person she wants to see; the son of the lawyer defending the shooter.

➼ Zach - Each day is a slow torture for him thanks to his mom defending the shooter that took the lives of 7 students last year. No one will speak to him and even his friends have turned on him. Not to mention the random acts of vandalism he has to clean up since both his parents are absent in his and his sisters’ lives. Then he meets May, a cute new girl who acts like he exists. They hit it off immediately but then he finds out she is May McGintee, as in the twin to Jordan McGintee who died at the hands of the shooter his mom insists on defending.

The Lucky Ones is about the aftermath of those surrounding a school shooting. We get to see firsthand how May deals with being a survivor and it’s not well. There is so much guilt at being left alive and from her actions of hiding. This book is an emotional journey that had me crying at times because of May’s hurt and knowing that while she may not be real, there are others out there with similar stories to her. She was lucky to have the support system of her friends and meeting Zach might not be the worst thing to happen to her.

Zach and May instantly connect with their outcast status. While the shooter has effected their lives in different ways, he’s still upended them. It was a cute and healthy relationship but more so a friendship each needed in their lives. So while there is a bit of romance between the two it’s not the main focus of the story. May needs help and she finds it in Zach along with her friends Lucy and Chim.

The secondary characters were such amazing friends. Lucy is May’s shoulder to cry one, her ride or die and her moral compass at times. Their friendship was my favorite part of this book. Everyone needs a Lucy, who was so unabashedly herself and never apologize for being fierce and knowing what she wanted. Chim was another of May’s friends, pre-shooting her best friend, but whose relationship changes after. No matter how hard she has to try with May though, she keeps trying and being there for her. Conor was Zachs’ Lucy and while annoying like a brother he sticks with Zach through thick and thin. I’m secretly hoping for another book that follows Zach, Lucy and their band because I need more of them.

I’ve never stepped back and considered what life must be like for the survivors of school shootings or even those who have lost someone in one during the media storm after. Or even after all that dies down. I’ve considered their grief but Lawson explores the emotions and situations beyond that. It was eye opening and my heart bleed not only for May who lost half of herself, but also Zach who has to deal with his mother’s decision to do her job and make sure everyone gets the fair trial they deserve even if they are guilty. This is a heavy topic especially for those of us here in America and The Lucky Ones tackles it head on while still being sensitive and at times light-hearted.

What an incredibly moving and powerful book! Lawson does a phenomenal job portraying the aftermath of a school shooting and handles the topic with sensitivity and expertise. Readers will immediate connect with both May and Zach as they each present so many universal themes of adolescence. This book is essential reading for any classroom as it is timely and important.

This isn’t for the faint-hearted. The way the author depicts grieving in this novel is a true punch to the gut. May simply cannot get over the way her brother Jordan was shot and killed during a school shooting while she hid in the closet and did nothing. Feelings of guilt plague her, but she’s also consumed with anger and vengeance. She thinks that nobody can understand her pain until she meets Zach.

Zach has become a social pariah at his school the moment his lawyer mother took a case that left everyone speechless.

Zach and May become kindred spirits until they each realize who they really are. Zach’s mother is defending the shooter that killed May’s brother. And for months May has been rendering Zach’s family life hell by secretly vandalizing their property and leaving threatening letters in their mailbox.

If you’re hoping for a light YA read with romance speckled throughout, then this isn’t the book for you. Sure, this book has the hopes of a blossoming romance, but it isn’t the heart of the novel. The real purpose of this book is to show the reality of surviving a school shooting and how even when you’re the “lucky ones” to survive your new normal is just as terrible as being dead. A must-read for anyone at any age to see just how prominent and damaging active shooters have become in both schools and other locations.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

<b>An important book.</b>

Lawson exposes the effects of a school shooting in a painstakingly raw way—the PTSD, the guilt, the emotional detachment, and the arduous path survivors must take to return to society and fit in anew.

Zach was a wonderful character whom I felt attached to immediately.

Mat was more difficult to like, so broken and bitter.

Wow, what a heart wrenching, emotionally, and absolutely important book to read! While this is not my normal genre, it is one of my favorite reads this year. The heart put into this book, sweeps out of the pages and you can feel it enter your soul. I think it should be a mandatory read for parents, students, teachers, or all school faculty! It was so emotional, but also made sure to go through it all, to a point where you see some hope shining through! A book that will have an everlasting effect on me! Grab your copy today, read it, and you will weep, but it’s an important one!
Will make sure I buzz it up! Hope to see a television show or movie depicting it, because I think it is that important!!

The Lucky Ones can be described in one word: Breathtaking.

I was fortunate to read an Advanced Reader Copy and was absolutely taken in with the incredible writing of Liz Lawson and her main POV's Zach and May. Her crisp dialogue pulled emotional punches that jump you straight into the characters lives in this novel about the survivors of a school shooting: the luck ones. The story told isn't about how fortunate those that survived feel, but what was left behind to keep their memory. How May forces her way back to life after her twin was killed. This is a story about learning how to live again and move through grief and has a complex plot that weaves the lives of Zach and May. What adds to this page turner is the two very different lives the main characters live with great suspense elements taking the reader on a journey to find out how they are connected and the secret behind the party that hit before the tragic event.

This incredible novel is an important one. The author doesn't take the topic lightly, but I also appreciate that the violence and experience of the shooting wasn't told on the page. This was done very respectfully. Teens will love the voice, the growth, and put themselves into the story. A must read!

This was a very emotional book. This book is about the people left behind in the aftermath of a tragedy. Telling the story through two POVs allows the reader to really see the emotional trauma shared by people, even those who were not even at the school during the shooting.
This story is not for the lighthearted. It covers a lot of intense and difficult topics. It covers PTSD, bullying, anxiety, and many other emotional and physical aspects of being "the lucky ones" who made it out alive. But are they really living?

A very well done book. Despite the heavy subject matter it manages not to be bogged down in darkness. The depiction of the complicated aspects of fallout from an event like this is exceptionally good, avoiding a lot of easy pitfalls. I was a little disappointed in adding the shooter’s “reason,” it felt like an unneeded kick to May.

WOW... wow.. wow.. this book!

This book was heavy, intense, emotional, and rips to your core in the best way. This book is extremely important in every way. I feel like we have way to many school shootings today and give Liz extreme props for writing a book about such tough topic.

We follow two teens who are struggling with the aftermath of a school shooting. These two teens are forever connected to one another and struggle/grow in different ways. Trauma has impacted these two teens and they find one another with the power of connection. It's beautiful how truly resistant kids can be.... I see it every day in my line of work.

Liz, you are quite the talented writer and broke my heart! I fell in love with May and Zach's story and recommend to all readers to join this impeccable journey.

4 stars!!

Huge thank you to Random House/Delacorte Press for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Publication date: 4/7/20
Published to GR: 12/14/19

The Lucky Ones. Are they the survivors of the school shooting that rocked towns and families to their core? How can you <i>really</i> call them Lucky, though? Because survival is half the battle.

For Maya, who lost her twin brother in the shooting, her version of “coping” is destructive. Nothing can get close to her and panic seeps from every fiber of her being.

For Zach, who’s lawyer mother is defending the school shooter, his life has taken a drastic turn - no one will speak to him but his best friend Conor, his girlfriend dumped him and his family life is awful.

When Zach and Maya’s worlds collide, on a random night at a bad practices — before each knows the others truths, there’s an unspeakable connection, a bond that’s formed - a lucky break. And from that moment on, this novel becomes something so much more.

This one was such a tough read for me — tough because Lawson does such a fantastic job of describing and making you <b>feel</b> EVERYTHING— the pain, the heartache, the raw emotions, throughout this entire novel. I cried more than a few times. Because all of this, it’s all so real and it all hits so close to home. And it’s terrible that it does but we have to talk about it and the people that are left behind. Lawson’s prose is poignant and the words she chose matter.

Thank you, Liz Lawson, for writing a novel that matters.

I ended up DNFing this book around the 50% mark for a number of reasons. The first was the amount of language and the second was that it was slow. This book started out promising but my hopes were let down quickly. I understand that the characters were grieving, but they were still wallowing in self-pity and woe-is-me.
All and all, I'm a bit disappointed by this book because I was hoping for better.
Rating: 2 Stars
Content: No Rating
*I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.

I couldn’t really get into this book so I didn’t finish it. I found the characters kind of boring so it was difficult for me to get invested in the plot.