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fatedefied's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Sexual content, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Blood
Minor: Violence, Homophobia, and Vomit
jesselynn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What a debut! I am so impressed. I adored this book, and it is definitely a new favourite of mine.
Lucky Red is a sapphic western adventure set in 1877, that is narrated from the perspective of Bridget, a young woman who finds herself working in a whorehouse in Dodge City, Kansas after the death of her father.
I do not usually enjoy first person narratives, however the first person narration in Lucky Red is an exception: it is utterly captivating and the story could not be told any other way. Bridget’s voice is fascinating, and we read her perspective of her life since the death of her father, as she navigates her new life alone, as she becomes a whore, and as she forms relationships with her tricks and other workers. As she meets the mysterious Spartan Lee, a female bounty hunter that sweeps Bridget off her feet. We see all sides of the young and naive teenager, how she is easily swayed, how she can be entitled and how she unintentionally wreaks havoc on those around her for her own selfish reasons. Bridget is a wonderful heroine, but all the side characters are just as brilliant. Lila and Constance were standouts to me and I would love to read their life stories! And of course, Spartan Lee was a dreamboat. What a woman!
Unsurprisingly, themes of luck and fate are very prominent and are very successfully explored here. The novel asks questions about luck and fortune, about the place of women amongst men in history, about sex work and women’s bodies, and about the intensity of queer infatuation.
The plot twists are well written and the pacing is fantastic, the events are the perfect mix of believable yet dramatic. This story is entirely immersive and Cravens paints a very detailed picture with her words, the writing style has such strength in both identity, environment and atmosphere. It’s rich and exquisite and spectacular.
I cannot stop thinking about this book. It could easily be expanded upon as a series, with perspectives and stories of all the different characters, and I would eat it up. But it also works perfectly as a stand-alone. If you like sapphic stories or historical fiction or westerns or women’s fiction, I would highly recommend this book to you.
10/10, five stars, absolutely perfect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Alcohol, Cursing, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Trafficking, Blood, Drug use, Lesbophobia, Rape, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Violence, Misogyny, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Pregnancy and Abortion
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