A review by youshouldreadthisif
Lucky Red by Claudia Cravens

adventurous emotional 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? Yes

4.5

 🤠 The rundown: After her father dies from a snakebite, 16 y/o Bridget finds her way to Dodge City. Penniless, alone, and starving, Bridget’s bright red hair catches the attention of 2 women who run a whorehouse, the Buffalo Queen. She finds a stability there she never expected, but it’s the lessons she learns about her own desires that result in unforeseen consequences for herself and the Queen. 

 

🤠 Am I glad I read it? Absolutely! This one had been on my radar since before its release, and I am so pleased that it lived up to my high hopes for it. I loved many things about LUCKY RED (e.g., the pleasingly frank, neutral talk of sex work; Bridget's vividly realized interior world), but perhaps my favorite thing is how the structure of the book mirrors Bridget’s queer awakening. 

 

At first the story is quite small, focused on the details of Bridget’s daily life in the Queen: learning her trade, making friends, reveling in a full belly. But the arrival of two newcomers first cracks and then blows Bridget’s world wide open. Queer desire, queer sex, and queer love reframe the way she has and wants to have sex, the way she sees herself, and what she’s (not) willing to accept for her life. Bridget’s queer awakening is a disruptive force: her world expands, and so does the plot. It’s the choices she makes, stumbling her way into her newly realized identity, that ratchet up the tension and lead up to the deliciously explosive, cinematic climax. Freedom of the self, but it f*cking hurts. 

 

Also: HIGHLY recommend the audiobook! The narration is stellar! 

Also also: Just LOOK at this cover!! 🤩 

 

🤠 Rating: 👍🏼👍🏼 (really liked)