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The Lucky Kind


The Lucky Kind is a YA contemporary fiction novel written by Alyssa B. Sheinmel.

Nick Brandt is ready to make his junior year in High School a memorable one. Instead of just gazing at his dream girl, Eden Reiss, from afar he is going to try and talk to her. He figures a girl as gorgeous and awesome as her is only gonna be single for so long, and he'd like to be the one to change that status.

Other than that, Nick's life is looking pretty good. He has kind, loving parents that he actually likes to talk to, a best friend named Stevie that is practically part of the family, and good grades poised to get him into a good college.

But then the phone rings.

It's a hesitant voice, nervous really. And he's asking for Nick's father by his full name - a name he never uses.

At first Nick shrugs off the strange call, figuring its a reluctant telemarketer. But then it happens again, and this time Nick's dad is home. When Nick hands off the call, he sees how his father's face changes - and he takes the call behind closed doors.

After that, Nick is convinced that his parents are keeping something from him. A secret. Nick feels betrayed and unusually distant from them, instead finding himself getting closer and closer to Eden - but once he knows what his parents' secret is, his life is changed forever.

The Lucky Kind is a brief, realistic, and stark portrayal of a teen boy's first love and the anger he suddenly feels toward his parents - an anger he can't entirely justify or dismiss. I was astounded by how cliche-free and organic the novel feels - while retaining a level of page-turning interest that can be lacking in quite a bit of contemporary fiction.

There is really no filler whatsoever in The Lucky Kind - instead we get a believable and gripping story that stems from that real-life sort of family drama that can be so unsettling and emotionally raw. My only real criticism is that as a Christian, I could have done without the Lord's name is vain so many times. I can always do without it, but in this book there was a lot. Otherwise, The Lucky Kind was an extremely short read - not just because of the small amount of pages (201) but because of the amount of suspense and interest that Alyssa B. Sheinmel infuses into the novel.

Nothing is sugarcoated in The Lucky Kind - we are presented with an honest, touching and special sort of book that has a lasting impression and resonates as a coming-of-age story not just in terms of romance, but primarily in terms of family. A worthy read for sure.

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