658 reviews for:

Lucky: A Memoir

Alice Sebold

3.73 AVERAGE


It does have a rather graphic rape "scene", but it is a great book

Gut-wrenching.

wvalice's review

4.0

Detailed account of the author’s own rape and the aftermath. Good writing, but the last chapters felt rushed, like her life had no meaning after the trial.

Every penny made from this is based on lies.

Since this was published, Anthony was found innocent. He served 16 years in prison and 22 years on the S offenders list.

This is an example of a black man being unjustly treated by the legal system.

The irony lies in the fact that had she not published this book, the inaccuracy would not have been picked up and the investigation that led to his innocence may never have happened.

This is a powerful memoir from Alice Sebold (also author of The Lovely Bones), chronicling her experience of a brutal rape in the 1980s and the path that she had to follow afterwards. The book is brutal, painful, honest. It is a must read, in my mind. As our society hears the voices of more women impacted by the violence of rape, molestation, sexual misconduct, and the misuse of power — Alice’s memoir stands strong amongst them. She also includes an updated Afterword which speaks to the election of Donald Trump, the women who came forward to share their stories about Trump, and more. I’m grateful for Alice’s courage in sharing her story.

What I liked most about this book, was Alice Sebold's realism. She was not your average [if there is such a thing] rape victim. It shattered her world, in ways that were not common.

It changed her relationships, her course of life, her thinking -- but not in any way you'd predict.

I enjoyed her candor, her bluntness, her strength.

Perhaps more thorough review in the morning..

TRIGGER WARNING to any people who may be somewhat affected by the topics discussed in this novel. That being said, "Lucky" is an incredibly strong and poised account by Alice Sebold. I would reread this any day. Perfection.
challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

So, I really wanted to love this book - it is all about a rape survivor telling her story and putting her rapist in jail. But, the book was all over the place and kept bouncing around that it made it really hard to follow. I just wasn't the biggest fan of the writing overall and this wasn't my favorite book!
dark emotional sad

To go from the absolute fluff that was Hooked by Sutton Foster, to this book by Alice Sebold, was not only a 180 as far as content, but also writing quality. Despite the horrific detail recounted of her rape, Alice was still able to sound as prolific as ever. Dare I say poetic, which makes sense considering her background in such writing. 

But what do I even say about a book like this other than it was well written? Of course it was heartbreaking; of course I couldn’t imagine going through something like this, especially in a time before allegations were taken more seriously. All of the intricacies of the law are ridiculously specific and can be used in evil ways (like defendants being able to call on someone that looks identical to them to throw victims off during a lineup). You can’t help but cheer that her rapist was convicted in the end, yet it’s devastating when you remember that so many people do not speak up about their trauma, do not pursue conviction, or don’t receive the same outcome. 

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