This was well written, I liked how much we got to know all of the characters and especially Lucy's thoughts. I have never seen Dance Moms and while you definitely don't need to have any prior knowledge of that life, it would probably help you enjoy this book more.

Lucky Girl follows the journey of a young aspiring dancer and how her formative years are shaped by the instability around her. An instability that begins to burrow inside her itself.

To me this is not just a story of someone growing up too soon, it is also one of neglect. How those who were responsible for her haven't healed themselves and so they can't take care of anyone else. They let her leave, go off into the arms of other damaged souls who couldn't tell right from wrong if it slapped them in the face.

The path the story takes didn't fully work for me. I wanted more of the beginning intrigue surrounding her family and passion for dancing. I think if that would've continued throughout the entire book, this could have been something I really enjoyed.

I can see this being a favorite for others. Especially those who are interested in Hollywood and fame. Even just those who enjoy reading about coming of age stories that may not be the most picture perfect and involve overcoming a lot of obstacles.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tin House for providing an eARC of Lucky Girl in exchange for my honest opinions.

Publishing November 10th 2025

🩰 𝓁𝓊𝒸𝓀𝓎 𝑔𝒾𝓇𝓁 🩰

fiction | releasing Nov. 11, 2025 | by Allie Tagle-Dokus

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

publisher: Tin House Books

firstly, thank you to Netgalley for my advanced reader copy of this book!! we follow Lucy Gardiner from age 11 up until her adulthood: she’s a young girl who dreams of a career as a dancer, so when she and her mother are approached and invited to join a reality show with a cast of young dancers, it’s a no-brainer. but: as her fame grows, and so does her connection to Bruise, one of the show’s judges and a singer with a tumultuous past, she finds herself swept into the LA scene, at parties with Bruise and her circle, venturing into acting, and navigating (from afar) the complex family dynamics that make up her personal life.

this one was somehow scary, realistic, UNrealistic, creepy, and funny at the same time; some themes are certainly darker, and I'd recommend looking into content warnings if topics such as medical scares within a family are difficult for you. but on to the review: I could NOT put this down! it was incredibly thought provoking, and reading what Lucy’s childhood was like from an adult perspective is horrifying. it’s about the trials of adolescence: friendship problems, first loves, clique dynamics, but in the eyes of a girl who is VERY out of touch with others her age. it’s definitely darker in terms of themes, and Bruise’s own trauma and her manipulative tendencies are definitely overlays of Lucy’s experiences, as are the twisted relationships with people, substances, social media, and herself. if you’re looking for a lens into the whirlwind of fame and its effects on a regular, small-town girl, look no further. I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy for my shelves when this releases!

I'm not sure what other readers will make of this, but as someone who used to watch a lot of Dance Moms (and now firmly believes that every adult involved in the making of that show belongs in JAIL, except maybe Dr. Holly), this was a fascinating take on some of the more troubling questions that have arisen in the fallout of that show: specifically, the all-consuming beast that is capital-F Fame, childhood, and the disaster that often arises when the two collide. Tagle-Dokus's story is inspired almost beat for beat (as keen-eyed lovers of trashy Hollywood drama, myself included, will note) by the controversial relationship between preteen Dance Moms starlet Maddie Ziegler and pop musician Sia; however, the relationship between our Maddie and Sia stand-ins, tween dancer Lucy and pop musician Bruise, was its own unique spin, heartbreaking to read about as we see Lucy's talent and childhood commodified by adults who just want to use her. Lucy's struggle back to herself on the heels of a turbulent young adulthood in Hollywood was satisfyingly and realistically portrayed, and Tagle-Dokus's prose is lovely and unsentimental. A binge-able debut (from a fellow Emersonian, no less!).

This captivating coming-of-age novel sweeps you into the bright, dizzying highs — and the shadowy costs — of chasing a dream. Lucy Gardiner is born to dance, and her raw talent propels her from a chaotic Massachusetts childhood into the blinding spotlight of a reality show and the intoxicating world of Hollywood. At its heart, though, this is not just a story about fame; it’s about identity, belonging, and the cost of losing touch with the people who ground you.

Through Lucy’s journey — from her early wonder at the stage to the isolating weight of success — the novel captures the ache of growing up too fast and the complicated pull of home. The character of Bruise, both magnetic and menacing, is a powerful reminder of how easily ambition can be manipulated.

Beautifully written and emotionally layered, this story lingers, asking important questions about what we’re willing to give up for our dreams and what’s worth holding onto no matter how far we go.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lucky Girl by Allie Tagle-Dokus
Pub Date: 11/11/25
Tin House Books
General adults, literary fiction, new adult
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Lucky Girl is the story of a young, ambitious dancer named Lucy, that Tagle-Doris says was inspired by the show Dance Moms and seems to be loosely based on Maddie Ziegler’s journey on both dance moms and also working with Sia.

Lucy starts out as a child on a reality TV dance contest and is quickly taken under the wing of one the shows judges- Bruise, who is herself a world-famous singer/songwriter. She convinces Lucy to come work with her and this book follows the journey of their collaboration— from controversial music videos to an even more controversial movie.

I love how the author made this book and this character so approachable and made it clear that Lucy ended up on this situation in part due to the stress of fame on her young self. As a former avid Dance Moms watcher I loved rhis book and would recommend it to fellow fans or anyone looking for a story about childhood fame and the aftermath! Thanks to the author, Tin House Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I absolutely loved the first 25%, the writing, the story, then it just suddenly fell flat and rushed and tbh, boring.

If I had a nickel for every parasocial RPF novel with medical inaccuracies I read this year I'd have two nickels but it's weird that it happens twice? This debut novel is an enthralling character study hampered by patchy research: clearly the author has done a deep dive in some places (the relationship between Sia and Maddie Zeigler) and complexity eschewed a google search in others (basically all mentions of medicine and behavior of medical professionals). The industry knowledge is hypnotically specific and occasionally had me wondering which celebrity wrote this? All in all, a book I probably won't remember but a compelling read nonetheless.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book! This book was definitely written for me as a dance mom’s superfan. I found Lucy’s story complex and fascinating and I was wanting to keep reading the whole time. My kind of book!

As an avid watcher of Dance Moms, I was intrigued by the premise of this book. It was good, nothing crazy, clearly a Maddie-Sia fanfic. Quick and easy to get through and I enjoyed the beginning in particular with the emphasis on dance/the competition world.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book!

Reality shows like Dance Moms wasn't always something that I had a whole lot of interest in, but this book immediately caught my attention due to the description being about essentially the rise of a young dancer to fame. I've read a few of them over the years, and I understand how these type of books are becoming more and more popular especially when it comes down to former child stars themselves writing memoirs. This one definitely had the same heart and feel of those, that is for sure!

There were so many high points of this book, so many things that I liked about it. The author first of all did a fantastic job just wholly encompassing what it feels like to be a 12 year old with a dream--how desperate and obsessive it can feel to have that. I saw alot of myself in Lucy, and while I wasn't exactly obsessed with dance for me it was cheerleading, but it was fun to read something that I was a bit familiar with. What more, each of the supporting cast felt so real as well. It wasn't just a story about Lucy, but her relationships with her family and especially her brother Joel, who I thought was one of the absolute best secondary characters. They all have their nuances and they weren't all flat characters written to compliment Lucy, so I have to commend the author on that!

The premise and the gorgeous cover of this book both immediately grabbed my attention, However, I agree with other reviewers who noted that the feels very parallel to real-life circumstances, and it didn't feel right to keep reading.

I felt like I was reading a novelization of Dance Moms. I DNF'd at 42% because I just couldn't anymore.

➵ If the world was ending, where would you go? Lucky Girl’s story follows a young and driven Lucy, taking inspiration from Dance Moms, Sia, the Hype House, and everywhere in between. Watching her childhood end on the Hollywood Hills, Lucy learns about her craft and herself all while under the thumb of a bigger star who refuses to burn. What is luck? Fame? A mother’s love? Sometimes you just have to continue life like there’s a tomorrow.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
Rating: 5/5

This novel was received for review as part of a Library Journal assignment. The review will appear in an upcoming print or web issue.

This is Dance Moms fanfiction, right? The second eleven-year-old Lucy said, "I'd kill myself if I couldn't dance," I knew what I was in for. All I have to say about that is, if Maddie Ziegler ever wants to write about her experience on Dance Moms, or her relationship with Sia, then that should be her choice. I don't like the idea of a real girl's life being used as the basis for a book without her consent. This just wasn't the author's story to tell.

This is a story of a young girl’s journey through childhood dance fame, celebrity grooming, cancellation, and escape. I’m a pop culture junkie, so this was right up my alley. I enjoyed how zany the characters got and their real life inspirations. I just wish I connected with it more, maybe if it had a little more focus and pushed the ideas harder— I particularly wondered about the mom-daughter dynamic and the subtle ways parents can treat their kids as cash cows. I would’ve liked that explored a little bit and the dynamic with Bruise, but still a good time.

3.5 stars

Lucy Gardiner started dancing as a young girl and excelled, winning a major juniors competition at age 12. Soon after she was cast on a dance reality show opposite judge Bruise, a famous pop singer.

Bruise becomes enthralled with Lucy and convinces her to leave the show to become Bruise’s full time muse (a rhyme.). Lucy grows up fast in Hollywood and becomes generally estranged from her decidedly odd family. She also learns that most shiny things don’t last.

So, the plot is basically ripped from “Dance Moms,” up to and including star Maddie becoming Sia’s muse. I really enjoy the trashy drama of it all, though, so I was fine with that, plus there’s some nice stuff with her oldest brother. A lot of the supports characters are strong, and it’s nice to see Lucy acting just like a young girl would…she’s left to her own devices and doesn’t know anything about anything, so of course she’s not going to make the best choices. Who would, in her situation?

This is a debut, so I’m interested to see where this author goes next, when she has to plot the whole thing herself. I would definitely read her again.

2 ⭐️

The start of this book was so incredibly engaging and gave me so much nostalgia of the early 2010s dance world! If the story could have kept on the same path I genuinely think I would have loved it!!

Unfortunately I just feel the author decided to write a story that wasn’t hers to tell. There were way too many parallels between this “fiction story” and a real life experience many dance moms fans saw play out in real life. The book felt like speculation at some points and just left me feeling like I was hearing gossip that wasn’t my business. Read very much like a memoir which didn’t help.

Overall I could have seen myself loving this book. The first 25% or so I was completely enthralled but from there it turned into a political mess, unfinished and rushed character development (other than facts we saw copied from real life), and just had me questioning the authors authenticity and validity. The parts that felt like genuine fiction that the author could have come up with herself were actually incredibly interesting. The parrot plot line and video game plot line to name a few. That’s why I am giving two stars still. But all credibility was lost with this odd plot almost reading as fanfiction about a story we have been told doesn’t want to be shared by the people who actually lived it. Pretty disappointed!

Thank you to NetGalley for the early copy of Luck Girl in exchange for an honest review.

This was an incredible read that I couldn’t put down- darkly funny and the characters had so much dimension to them.