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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Light, Eady read. Perfect for a vacation.
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Hiaasen has an insane set of characters who make an even more insane set of choices. Although some of the folk in the novel are troubled racists, I still found the language a little off-putting at times, which was probably the point. There is some spot on religious satire here as well that was fun but didn't add much to the plot beyond characterization of a small broken town. Easy read with some fun adventures.
A pretty hilarious read about 2 winning lottery tickets and the characters that are involved in trying to claim them. JoLayne is the true winner and her ticket gets stolen by Body and Chub. The story unfolds from there. I quite enjoyed it and would give this read a 3.5.
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This has probably been the best out of all the Hiaasen books I've read so far. There are still the same type of characters, but this story was a bit more entertaining and believable.
Once again I'm disappointed by Carl Hiassen. While many novels require a suspension of belief, his story lines are absurd. While there are portions of the book that are entertaining, on the whole I'm thankful when I'm done reading.
If you’ve ever wondered what it would look like if a hurricane, a political scandal, and a cocky lottery winner all collided in the most absurd, hilarious way possible, then Lucky You by Carl Hiaasen is your ticket to that chaotic, sun-soaked train wreck. If you’ve read Hiaasen before, you know to expect a darkly comedic ride through the swampy underbelly of Florida, but Lucky You takes that ride to a whole new level of ridiculousness, proving that Hiaasen’s brand of humor is the perfect antidote for when life’s plot twists get too predictable.
The novel kicks off with the kind of premise that could only exist in Hiaasen’s zany world: a woman named Jo Layton, a lottery-winner-turned-wannabe-conspiracist, and her new-found life purpose: to stop the ‘wrong’ people from claiming their fortunes. It’s as convoluted and outlandish as it sounds, and somehow, that’s the beauty of it. Hiaasen’s characters are always a little bit off the rails, but this cast feels like a collection of lovable misfits who have clearly lost the map to any form of rationality.
Jo’s obsession with a lottery win (which she suspects is rigged, because of course) sets the stage for a plot that zips through Florida like a runaway airboat. It wouldn’t be a Hiaasen novel without a bunch of morally questionable characters, and here we get them in spades: a father-son duo who make the most bizarre road-trip partners, a group of militant survivalists, and a host of others who stumble through the plot like they’re in some kind of competition for who can do the dumbest thing possible. And if that weren’t enough, throw in a couple of politicians who are about as trustworthy as a used car salesman in a bad suit.
Hiaasen’s wit is sharp, and he nails the absurdity of life in Florida, poking fun at the state’s never-ending parade of strange headlines with the kind of deadpan humor that makes you laugh so hard you might just spill your drink. His talent for turning the mundane into the bizarre is unmatched. Who else could make a Florida traffic jam seem like the backdrop to a political heist? It’s a testament to Hiaasen’s genius that he can make even the wildest scenarios feel plausible in his world. This is a novel where one minute you’re laughing at a character getting stuck in a golf cart, and the next, you’re somehow invested in their (extremely ill-advised) decision to take on the state’s corrupt lottery system.
But don’t let all the slapstick fool you—Lucky You also tackles some timely, if deeply cynical, social commentary. In true Hiaasen fashion, the story drips with satire on greed, corruption, and the kind of political nonsense that makes you want to scream, “What are you doing?! You’ve got to be kidding me!”—and then you’ll laugh because, well, it’s still 2025. Through his exaggerated characters and outlandish plot, Hiaasen shines a light on the absurdities of the American Dream, particularly when it's corrupted by money, power, and, yes, lottery winnings.
At the center of it all, though, is the quintessential Hiaasen character: the one who seems hopelessly out of place but somehow, against all odds, is oddly relatable. Whether you’re rooting for Jo to get her “fair share” or just hoping someone finally figures out how to navigate the chaos they’ve created, Hiaasen’s writing ensures that you’ll be hooked from the first page to the last.
Lucky You is a wild, whirlwind ride that delivers exactly what Hiaasen fans love: quirky characters, fast-paced absurdity, and an unflinching look at the weird and wacky side of Florida. And even if you’ve never been to the state (or even if you’ve never planned to), after reading this book, you’ll definitely want to know what kind of bizarre circus it really is. In short, Lucky You is a triumph of comedic chaos—a hilarious, ridiculous, and surprisingly poignant exploration of greed, luck, and the American spirit, all wrapped up in one brilliant mess of a story. You’ll laugh, you’ll cringe, and you’ll likely question your own luck—but you won’t be able to put it down.
The novel kicks off with the kind of premise that could only exist in Hiaasen’s zany world: a woman named Jo Layton, a lottery-winner-turned-wannabe-conspiracist, and her new-found life purpose: to stop the ‘wrong’ people from claiming their fortunes. It’s as convoluted and outlandish as it sounds, and somehow, that’s the beauty of it. Hiaasen’s characters are always a little bit off the rails, but this cast feels like a collection of lovable misfits who have clearly lost the map to any form of rationality.
Jo’s obsession with a lottery win (which she suspects is rigged, because of course) sets the stage for a plot that zips through Florida like a runaway airboat. It wouldn’t be a Hiaasen novel without a bunch of morally questionable characters, and here we get them in spades: a father-son duo who make the most bizarre road-trip partners, a group of militant survivalists, and a host of others who stumble through the plot like they’re in some kind of competition for who can do the dumbest thing possible. And if that weren’t enough, throw in a couple of politicians who are about as trustworthy as a used car salesman in a bad suit.
Hiaasen’s wit is sharp, and he nails the absurdity of life in Florida, poking fun at the state’s never-ending parade of strange headlines with the kind of deadpan humor that makes you laugh so hard you might just spill your drink. His talent for turning the mundane into the bizarre is unmatched. Who else could make a Florida traffic jam seem like the backdrop to a political heist? It’s a testament to Hiaasen’s genius that he can make even the wildest scenarios feel plausible in his world. This is a novel where one minute you’re laughing at a character getting stuck in a golf cart, and the next, you’re somehow invested in their (extremely ill-advised) decision to take on the state’s corrupt lottery system.
But don’t let all the slapstick fool you—Lucky You also tackles some timely, if deeply cynical, social commentary. In true Hiaasen fashion, the story drips with satire on greed, corruption, and the kind of political nonsense that makes you want to scream, “What are you doing?! You’ve got to be kidding me!”—and then you’ll laugh because, well, it’s still 2025. Through his exaggerated characters and outlandish plot, Hiaasen shines a light on the absurdities of the American Dream, particularly when it's corrupted by money, power, and, yes, lottery winnings.
At the center of it all, though, is the quintessential Hiaasen character: the one who seems hopelessly out of place but somehow, against all odds, is oddly relatable. Whether you’re rooting for Jo to get her “fair share” or just hoping someone finally figures out how to navigate the chaos they’ve created, Hiaasen’s writing ensures that you’ll be hooked from the first page to the last.
Lucky You is a wild, whirlwind ride that delivers exactly what Hiaasen fans love: quirky characters, fast-paced absurdity, and an unflinching look at the weird and wacky side of Florida. And even if you’ve never been to the state (or even if you’ve never planned to), after reading this book, you’ll definitely want to know what kind of bizarre circus it really is. In short, Lucky You is a triumph of comedic chaos—a hilarious, ridiculous, and surprisingly poignant exploration of greed, luck, and the American spirit, all wrapped up in one brilliant mess of a story. You’ll laugh, you’ll cringe, and you’ll likely question your own luck—but you won’t be able to put it down.
I liked all of his other books better. For some reason I just didn't like these characters that much.
The criminals in 'Lucky You' have the combined intellectual power of a 5-watt battery. Bodean Gazzer and Onus 'Chub' Gillespie are also rapists, white supremacists, and murderers. But even pond scum can get lucky.
Bode discovers he has won half of a Florida $28,000,000 lottery jackpot! The other half of the prize has been won by a black woman, JoLayne Lucks, a veterinarian assistant. Bode feels no way a non-white should be getting that. Bode and Chub enlist the store clerk who sold the lottery ticket to Lucks into joining them in their new anti-immigrant militia. Shiner, the store clerk, is even more dim-witted than the two ex-cons although he doesn't have their vicious bent natures. Bode doesn't have to talk very long before he has convinced them to attack JoLayne and steal her ticket.
Meanwhile, Tom Krome, reporter, is falling for JoLayne. He knocked on her door hoping for an interview, but she refused. Regardless, he thinks she is something special and he likes her. She makes him want more than ever to find his wife! Mary Andrea has been hiding since he told her he wanted a divorce four years ago, which is an amazing feat since she is an off-Broadway actress! Then, JoLayne is brutally attacked and she comes to Tom for help that night. Will Tom use his resources to track down Bode and Chub and get her lottery ticket back? He will.
Then, Tom's brittle boss, Sinclair, Assistant Deputy Managing Editor of Features and Style, fires Tom because he won't give up the lottery news story. Sinclair only likes upbeat stories and JoLayne's story has turned bad. He hates Tom anyway because Tom is the best writer on the newspaper. Then he learns Tom has won a writing award! There is another slight problem - the managing editor loves Tom and if he finds out Sinclair fired Tom, it will be Sinclair who is out in the street. He decides to go to the Grange, where JoLayne lives, to see if he can't talk Tom into coming back. Instead, he runs into JoLayne's neighbors, a couple selling admission tickets to see a Madonna statue who cries bloody tears! They also have a backyard of turtles, and he loves them. He forgets all about Tom and the lottery. As it happens, the turtles are JoLayne's, and she needs the lottery money to buy and save their habitat next door to her house. JoLayne asked the couple to watch and feed the turtles while she is tracking down her stolen ticket, but Sinclair has not a clue of any of this. He simply adores the turtles.
JoLayne and Tom are closing in on Bode, Chub and Shiner because they are using JoLayne's credit cards as they hang out in a Hooter's restaurant everyday. Chub wants to kidnap a waitress working there, so he agrees to help Bode recruit more white supremacists if Bode helps kidnap the waitress.
Someone else is trying to follow Tom as well. Who? Well, it seems Tom had a little fling with a judge's wife, Katie, and now the judge has hired a hit man to kill Tom! The hit man, a law clerk called Champ Powell, is doing his best, but Tom is on the move and hardly ever home. He decides to mess up Tom's house, but the plan goes awry.
Humor is definitely behind every twist and turn in this crazy tale of fortune and love in Florida! The author, Carl Hiaasen, barely has to make anything up, as usual, as the real life people of Florida give him plenty of material to use for his fiction. Lucky us!
Bode discovers he has won half of a Florida $28,000,000 lottery jackpot! The other half of the prize has been won by a black woman, JoLayne Lucks, a veterinarian assistant. Bode feels no way a non-white should be getting that. Bode and Chub enlist the store clerk who sold the lottery ticket to Lucks into joining them in their new anti-immigrant militia. Shiner, the store clerk, is even more dim-witted than the two ex-cons although he doesn't have their vicious bent natures. Bode doesn't have to talk very long before he has convinced them to attack JoLayne and steal her ticket.
Meanwhile, Tom Krome, reporter, is falling for JoLayne. He knocked on her door hoping for an interview, but she refused. Regardless, he thinks she is something special and he likes her. She makes him want more than ever to find his wife! Mary Andrea has been hiding since he told her he wanted a divorce four years ago, which is an amazing feat since she is an off-Broadway actress! Then, JoLayne is brutally attacked and she comes to Tom for help that night. Will Tom use his resources to track down Bode and Chub and get her lottery ticket back? He will.
Then, Tom's brittle boss, Sinclair, Assistant Deputy Managing Editor of Features and Style, fires Tom because he won't give up the lottery news story. Sinclair only likes upbeat stories and JoLayne's story has turned bad. He hates Tom anyway because Tom is the best writer on the newspaper. Then he learns Tom has won a writing award! There is another slight problem - the managing editor loves Tom and if he finds out Sinclair fired Tom, it will be Sinclair who is out in the street. He decides to go to the Grange, where JoLayne lives, to see if he can't talk Tom into coming back. Instead, he runs into JoLayne's neighbors, a couple selling admission tickets to see a Madonna statue who cries bloody tears! They also have a backyard of turtles, and he loves them. He forgets all about Tom and the lottery. As it happens, the turtles are JoLayne's, and she needs the lottery money to buy and save their habitat next door to her house. JoLayne asked the couple to watch and feed the turtles while she is tracking down her stolen ticket, but Sinclair has not a clue of any of this. He simply adores the turtles.
JoLayne and Tom are closing in on Bode, Chub and Shiner because they are using JoLayne's credit cards as they hang out in a Hooter's restaurant everyday. Chub wants to kidnap a waitress working there, so he agrees to help Bode recruit more white supremacists if Bode helps kidnap the waitress.
Someone else is trying to follow Tom as well. Who? Well, it seems Tom had a little fling with a judge's wife, Katie, and now the judge has hired a hit man to kill Tom! The hit man, a law clerk called Champ Powell, is doing his best, but Tom is on the move and hardly ever home. He decides to mess up Tom's house, but the plan goes awry.
Humor is definitely behind every twist and turn in this crazy tale of fortune and love in Florida! The author, Carl Hiaasen, barely has to make anything up, as usual, as the real life people of Florida give him plenty of material to use for his fiction. Lucky us!