Scan barcode
lbarsk's review against another edition
3.0
Honestly the only reason this is a 3 instead of a 4 is because some of the parts of this are just so SAD that it made me UPSET READING IT, hence the 3. BUT THAT BEING SAID, Amy Bloom is a fucking remarkable writer. She's a national treasure and her characters are so damn HUMAN. The storytelling via "different media and character perspectives" was very clever and solidly executed; the settings felt as real as the characters themselves.
protoman21's review against another edition
3.0
I was actually rather interested in this book in the beginning. The story starts off well with Eva's mom ditching her with her father who has another family. She doesn't fit in, but surprisingly, her older half-sister takes her under her wing and shows her what a selfish man their father is. They end up leaving him behind and moving to Hollywood so Iris can become an actor. All of this had me intrigued and eager for more, but then the story fractured with scenes from the future mixed in with scenes from the past and Iris and Eva split up and they grow up in odd spurts with characters randomly coming and going. I think the author would have been much better served telling a linear story and not trying to get too fancy. Even so, the whole thing ended up being very random and pointless, so that might not have even been able to save it.
lizbeth5's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book! Maybe I'm fascinated with the lives people made in that peculiar time - when everybody was poor and yet you could cobble a life together on small jobs and sometimes small scams. The story seems at first to be about Iris, the older sister, but becomes a long coming of age story about Eva, the younger. Highly recommended!
candacesiegle_greedyreader's review against another edition
5.0
What a treat! From its snappy first lines through to the very end, “Lucky Us” is a quirky exploration of what makes a family. Full of surprises, it does not go where you think it will, or even ought to, and in that lies its wit and delight. I would recommend it to anyone who likes to be intelligent fiction that can nonetheless delight.
gbabmb's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kelsimitchell's review against another edition
Hard to follow, kind of uncomfortable to read, not a storyline I was interested in hearing the rest of, jumped around too much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
geekwayne's review against another edition
3.0
'Lucky Us' by Amy Bloom is the story of two sisters and the various people that make up there lives during the course of the 1940s. Rather than luck, it's a series of misfortunes which comprise these lives.
When Eva's mother dumps her off with her real father and his family, Eva meets her stepsister Iris. Iris has ambitions to become a star in Hollywood, and before long, the girls set out to make Iris famous. When an event changes Iris' path, the girls, now with their father Edgar find themselves on the way to New York to start over working for a wealthy family. We meet the people that take Eva in: a family she works for, the owners of a beauty parlor where she sweeps and tells fortunes, and a kindly hairdresser from Hollywood who changes his life (for an unexplained reason) to help out Eva and Iris. We meet Danny, the boy who is adopted in an unconventional way, and Gus, who finds himself shipped all over the world during these dangerous times.
There was a point towards the beginning where I almost gave up. It really felt like the kind of story that wasn't for me and I had a hard time feeling much sympathy for Iris, but I think that's the point. Poor Eva gets put upon by her on way too many occasions. I actually ended up liking some of the supporting characters more than the foreground characters. I also liked the ending, so I'm glad I finished it. Overall, not a great read, but not a bad one either.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
When Eva's mother dumps her off with her real father and his family, Eva meets her stepsister Iris. Iris has ambitions to become a star in Hollywood, and before long, the girls set out to make Iris famous. When an event changes Iris' path, the girls, now with their father Edgar find themselves on the way to New York to start over working for a wealthy family. We meet the people that take Eva in: a family she works for, the owners of a beauty parlor where she sweeps and tells fortunes, and a kindly hairdresser from Hollywood who changes his life (for an unexplained reason) to help out Eva and Iris. We meet Danny, the boy who is adopted in an unconventional way, and Gus, who finds himself shipped all over the world during these dangerous times.
There was a point towards the beginning where I almost gave up. It really felt like the kind of story that wasn't for me and I had a hard time feeling much sympathy for Iris, but I think that's the point. Poor Eva gets put upon by her on way too many occasions. I actually ended up liking some of the supporting characters more than the foreground characters. I also liked the ending, so I'm glad I finished it. Overall, not a great read, but not a bad one either.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
megangraff's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. Recommended by the Oakland Public Library (I assume based on books I borrowed and books on my wish list).
babyruth510's review against another edition
2.0
This was an ok read. Although it started strong, it jumped around too much and was confusing to follow and didn't hold my interest.
stareye77's review against another edition
1.0
Jag ger sällan upp en bok, men som jag försökt med denna och blir bara mer förvirrad. Inte alls i min smak.