Reviews

Looking for Lucie by Amanda Addison

avoraciousreader68's review against another edition

medium-paced

4.5

4.5

Book source ~ TWR Tour

Lucie is the odd duck in her family. Her mom never really told her about her biological dad, always avoiding the subject. When she was a baby her mom married her stepdad and they had a daughter named Maisie. All are pale, blue-eyed, and blond haired while Lucie is darker with brown hair and eyes. When she turns 18 she secretly decides to do a DNA test and that one decision starts a chain of events that changes her life forever.

What a great book! I love the characters, the circumstances, the writing, and the pacing. Don’t worry. The chain of events that Lucie starts is a good thing though it’ll have you biting your nails at times. It’s heartwarming and positive even with the stupidity of people who ask such thoughtless and racist questions. I’m sure most don’t mean anything by it, just curious or nosy. But for fuck’s sake. Come on! This is a young adult’s journey of discovery with unexpected results that will warm your heart and soul.

 

inwonder's review

inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

holly_153's review

adventurous emotional inspiring medium-paced

3.5

thepennotthesword's review

3.0

In theory there are always infinite possibilities. It just might not be in the way you’re expecting.

Looking for Lucie follows 18 year old Lucie, who is struggling with who she is, and her place in society. Her mother, stepfather and sister all look different from herself and she has never known who her biological father was. She decides to get a DNA kit to finally gain some answers. Unfortunately Nav bumps into her and destroys her phone before she can read the results. Yet, Nav’s technical abilities allow her to access her result, and supports her navigation throughout this journey of discovery and identity with his knowledge of science. Their blossoming friendship was a highlight of this book.

Throughout the course of this book, real world issues are explored, including children’s rights, heritage, culture, family and most importantly, identity. At its core, this book explores the question, “Who am I?”

Throughout this thoughtful and interesting read, new relationships are formed, and the drama, mystery and intrigue make this a book to read. The multiple POVs, both from Lucie and Ravi, as well as their parents, allows a deeper understanding of each character’s place within this story, as well as an insight to every character’s journey of self-discovery.

Well-paced and well-written, this book delivers a true journey over the course of its pages, exploring the different definitions of self, providing a heartwarming vision of family, understanding where you come from and how your identity can have many different layers.

Thank you to The Write Reads and Neem Tree Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

piperkitty's review

inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective

4.0

Thanks to @TheWritesReads and @NeemTreePress for having me on this book tour. 

I recently finished reading a book that tells the story of Nav and Lucie, two young adults who meet each other while receiving their A-Level results. Lucie, who sees herself as caramel-skinned, had recently spent some money on a DNA test because she looks different from her white-skinned family.

I was captivated by Nav and Lucie's journey of self-discovery as they explored their inner thoughts and their families' differences. As the book progresses, we also read about the perspectives of Nav and Lucie's mothers, which was interesting as we saw how far they went to keep certain truths hidden from their children.

The book addresses real-world issues such as the rights of children, their heritage, and what information should or can be shared with them. It also raises the question of whether a non-biological parent has the right to decide what is best for their child. Overall, it was a thought-provoking and engaging read that left me reflecting on the importance of family and identity.



#lookingforlucie #booktour #selfdisovery #bookreview

f33lthesun's review

4.0

I really enjoyed this story. With themes of identity, family secrets, racism, blended family and cultural heritage, there is a lot to think about.

The impact of Lucie’s mum not telling her anything throughout her life about her biological father just leads to lots of questions for her and builds a long term barrier, leading to Lucie not feeling that she could talk to her mum and ask those questions. The longer she left it, mum also made it more difficult to start the conversation too. It also meant Lucie had no idea about her cultural heritage either, which is important to her. Believing she was conceived by artificial insemination, she is more concerned about discovering her heritage than who her father actually was.

One thing that struck me after reading was the number of people impacted by the initial relationship and what happened after. They all lived with their own truth, how they perceived what happened, which is different for each of them…Lucie, her mum, her father and his family. And all of them had questions that the others could answer had they known about each other back then. Lots of parts are needed to complete the jigsaw, and some of the parts each of them have are from the wrong box.

Lucie’s search for answers meant other people also having to look back and finally reveal family secrets to their loved ones.

I also loved that Lucie used her art work to explore who she is and to show the world.

Thanks to Neem Tree Press and @The_WriteReads for an advance copy for the purposes of this review for the blog tour.