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mikaylay's review against another edition
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The cover is visually appealing and gorgeous. I appreciated how the author sought to produce a book in memory of the eight Chinese passengers on the Titanic while also offering information about their treatment both on and off the ship. Personally, after reading this book, I would read the author's notes first, then read the book to lower any high expectations one might have going into the book. I enjoyed portions of the banter between the siblings Valora and Jamie, but I didn't like how Valora spent 99.9 percent of the book urging Jamie to come to America with her to fulfill her dream rather than theirs. I enjoyed Jamie's friendships with his buddies and thought they had the most character growth. Valora, our female main character, appears to have poor development as she bounces around from trying to persuade her brother Jamie to accompany her to America, disguising herself as a widow, and attempting to have a romance with Jamie's friend Bo, making it difficult to connect with her and see if she made any true connections with any of the other characters. The location of the Titanic was exciting, but the author's information and writing style made it difficult to determine where the individuals were on the ship in each scene. The plot idea was intriguing, and it was one of the reasons I bought the book in addition to the lovely cover, but it did not measure up to my expectations. The plot was slow and dragged on at times, and it took approximately 280 pages out of 361 for the Titanic's sinking to begin and for the pace to pick up. I also found it fascinating that the Titanic had just 20 lifeboats despite having about 2,000 passengers on board.
I thought the author did a good job of describing the confusion, chaos, and poor decision-making by both the passengers and the crew aboard the ship. As we read, many of the lifeboats were only half full; many thought the call to the lifeboats was only a drill; some were told they weren't allowed on because of their race or gender; and we get a glimpse into why safety drills are so important, as well as trying to remain as calm as possible.
The book's ending, while devastating as we see Valora give up her life so that her brother Jamie might be saved, was frustrating to read and reminded me so much of the Titanic film's ending that I felt like I was rewatching the Jack and Rose sequence all over again.
However, if one looks closely at Valora's dreams in the novel, one can discover foreshadowing of her death in them.
Overall, the book was okay, but the plot and writing style did not appeal to me. The Titanic narrative is heartbreaking whether you read, watch, or listen to it, and many mysteries surrounding the legendary sinking ship and its passengers remain unsolved to this day.
However, if one looks closely at Valora's dreams in the novel, one can discover foreshadowing of her death in them.
Overall, the book was okay, but the plot and writing style did not appeal to me. The Titanic narrative is heartbreaking whether you read, watch, or listen to it, and many mysteries surrounding the legendary sinking ship and its passengers remain unsolved to this day.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Grief, Racism, and Classism
thepagelady's review against another edition
4.0
Book Review……..Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee
With the tickets in her hand Valora is excited to board the Titanic. It has been two years since she has seen her twin brother & she is looking forward to reuniting with him. But when Val is turned away & not allowed to board Valora hides as a stowaway & disguises herself as a widowed lady. In constant danger of being discovered she should keep her head down but she needs to find her brother & convince him to join the famous American circus as a sibling acrobat. But that's not the only hurdle Val has to face in the year of 1912, America issued the Chinese Exclusion Act which would mean they wouldn’t be allowed to enter the country upon arriving. But Valora already has a plan to impress the circus master, become one of his acrobat performers, enter America & hopefully a fresh start for a better life.
But the staff are becoming suspicious & there's the disaster that we all know is coming, time is not on their side.
We had a wonderful time with this book! There are so many topics to touch on with this book it created quite a lively chat! The storyline had a lightness to it that there were many times you forget your on the titanic. The writing is wonderful! The descriptions were so well-done that I almost felt like was actually on the Titanic with them. The memories from the past were added in perfectly! Stacey Lee did a wonderful job bringing these people to life for us! The bond between Val & Jamie was great! You can absolutely tell they are twins! As a group Valora was a large part of our discussion. She is fierce, strong & of course her determination was a force all in itself! The ending was heartbreaking but it was also perfect! The author's note at the end detailing her inspiration for the story based on the 6 Titanic survivors who are of Chinese descent was absolutely amazing!
Thank you The Book Club CookBook, Penguin Teen & Stacey Lee for sharing this lovely story with us!
With the tickets in her hand Valora is excited to board the Titanic. It has been two years since she has seen her twin brother & she is looking forward to reuniting with him. But when Val is turned away & not allowed to board Valora hides as a stowaway & disguises herself as a widowed lady. In constant danger of being discovered she should keep her head down but she needs to find her brother & convince him to join the famous American circus as a sibling acrobat. But that's not the only hurdle Val has to face in the year of 1912, America issued the Chinese Exclusion Act which would mean they wouldn’t be allowed to enter the country upon arriving. But Valora already has a plan to impress the circus master, become one of his acrobat performers, enter America & hopefully a fresh start for a better life.
But the staff are becoming suspicious & there's the disaster that we all know is coming, time is not on their side.
We had a wonderful time with this book! There are so many topics to touch on with this book it created quite a lively chat! The storyline had a lightness to it that there were many times you forget your on the titanic. The writing is wonderful! The descriptions were so well-done that I almost felt like was actually on the Titanic with them. The memories from the past were added in perfectly! Stacey Lee did a wonderful job bringing these people to life for us! The bond between Val & Jamie was great! You can absolutely tell they are twins! As a group Valora was a large part of our discussion. She is fierce, strong & of course her determination was a force all in itself! The ending was heartbreaking but it was also perfect! The author's note at the end detailing her inspiration for the story based on the 6 Titanic survivors who are of Chinese descent was absolutely amazing!
Thank you The Book Club CookBook, Penguin Teen & Stacey Lee for sharing this lovely story with us!
pumathepanther's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
sarahp85's review against another edition
3.0
I don't know, maybe the fact that I finished this but kept forgetting to review says it all.
I liked it, as I'm a sucker for anything Titanic related and this was a whole different story than anything I've read before.
But for some reason I found it quite slow at the start, couldn't really get into it for a while and found the leading lady a bit... annoying
I liked it, as I'm a sucker for anything Titanic related and this was a whole different story than anything I've read before.
But for some reason I found it quite slow at the start, couldn't really get into it for a while and found the leading lady a bit... annoying
kassidyreads's review against another edition
DNF - 10%
Picked this up because I love the cover but decided not to continue as there was very little happening plot-wise and I wasn't really sure what the point of this book was.
Picked this up because I love the cover but decided not to continue as there was very little happening plot-wise and I wasn't really sure what the point of this book was.
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
4/5
*takes tissues from Kleenex box*
THIS BOOK RUINED ME. I really enjoyed the story and loved how I got to read a story from the perspective of a passenger. One of my favorite movies to watch and my middle school historical event is the Titanic. I am a fool to have thought the book wouldn’t tear up my heart and leave it in the Atlantic ocean.
*takes tissues from Kleenex box*
THIS BOOK RUINED ME. I really enjoyed the story and loved how I got to read a story from the perspective of a passenger. One of my favorite movies to watch and my middle school historical event is the Titanic. I am a fool to have thought the book wouldn’t tear up my heart and leave it in the Atlantic ocean.
hannahkell's review against another edition
2.0
They say to never judge a book by its cover, and to me, this is a perfect example. The cover is stunning, the plot sounds amazing, getting a new point of view of how others were treated on the Titanic and in history. I wanted to like the book.
However, the characters were underdeveloped and subplots were completely unnecessary in the end. Overall a frustrating read.
However, the characters were underdeveloped and subplots were completely unnecessary in the end. Overall a frustrating read.
southern_belle_books_'s review against another edition
4.0
This book was beautiful and heartbreaking.
I loved the way that Stacey Lee told this story. The characters were lovely and I was incredibly invested in their stories.
And even though it's the Titanic, so I know what happens. I wasn't emotionally prepared for that ending.
I loved the way that Stacey Lee told this story. The characters were lovely and I was incredibly invested in their stories.
And even though it's the Titanic, so I know what happens. I wasn't emotionally prepared for that ending.
jamiejanae_6's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Classism
talkativetaylor11's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0