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I Am Lucky Bird

by Fleur Philips (Goodreads Author)

4.12 of 5 stars 4.12 · rating details · 34 ratings · 17 reviews

When her mother mysteriously vanishes from the small town of Plains, Montana, 12-year-old Lucky Bird’s childhood comes to an abrupt end. Left to defend herself against her suddenly abusive grandmother, Marian, and forced to endure the twisted predatory games played out by Marian’s lover, Lucky soon finds herself trapped in a nightmare.

Even when she manages to escape, the o...more

Paperback, 266 pages

Published August 26th 2011 by New Dawn Publishers Ltd

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Mar 05, 2013 Arlena rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: rape, my-reviews, 5-stars, abuse, excellent-book, pregnancy, secrets, fiction, ebooks, mystery, murder, drama, contemporary, adult-read, lesbian-read

Author: Fleur Philips
Published by: New Dawn Publishers
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Book Blog For: GMTA
Rating: 5

Review:

"I Am Lucky Bird" by Fleur Philips was really some read that took place in rural Montana that deals with some tough topics. I found this read to be well written and once you start it you will get hooked immediately. "I am Lucky Bird" does cover a range that implores a range of time from a baby being found behind a bar...only to be adopted by Marian...who wasn't s...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Miriam Downey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Read my full review here: http://mimi-cyberlibrarian.blogspot.c...

Lucky Bird is a girl in rural Montana. Although she was named Lucky by her grandmother, Marian, her life has been anything but lucky. She has been told that she was left on the doorstep of the village tavern as a newborn and raised by Marian and her daughter AnnMarie. Hence the name.

“Raised” is the operative word here, for like many children in dysfunctional situations, Lucky has raised herself. The story begins when she is about...more Read my full review here: http://mimi-cyberlibrarian.blogspot.c...

Lucky Bird is a girl in rural Montana. Although she was named Lucky by her grandmother, Marian, her life has been anything but lucky. She has been told that she was left on the doorstep of the village tavern as a newborn and raised by Marian and her daughter AnnMarie. Hence the name.

“Raised” is the operative word here, for like many children in dysfunctional situations, Lucky has raised herself. The story begins when she is about 12 and continues until she is about 19, married and a new mother. She narrates the story of her life, which is a life of loneliness, tragedy, and unspeakable abuse, both mental and physical. She survives but does not thrive until the very end of the novel, where her name “Lucky” comes into play once again.

I am Lucky Bird is a painful book to read because Lucky is an intelligent young woman who knows that her life is untenable but she does not have the emotional wherewithal to change her circumstances in a positive way. She is basically alone in the world, and even when she finds a best friend, the relationship disintegrates to exploitation once again, although her friend Rika is able to challenge and change her own life circumstances.

This is a novel about destiny. Lucky’s grandmother Marian is an alcoholic and physically and mentally abusive. Yet, in a lucid moment, she is able to impart to Lucky a philosophy of life. She says: “Every event that happens in life happens for a reason. Every person you meet, every tragedy that unfolds, every small bit of good that’s bestowed upon you. There’s a reason for it.” With a philosophy like that, it would be difficult to try to fight back when your life includes abuse and neglect.

In a blog interview, Philips discusses her take on destiny. “…by believing we have no control of our destiny—that we can only tweak it a bit in the choices we make about how we want to live our lives—I can draw some strength in knowing there’s a purpose to everything, even though we may never know what that purpose is….But in the real world, life is a set of dominoes, and I believe the path in which those dominoes fall is already predetermined. We just have to have faith in that path, even when one of our dominoes tumbles off the edge of the table.”

I know many people who believe in this philosophy of destiny—that there is very little that we can do to change our life’s path. And, for them, life is constantly spitting at them, letting them know that what they believe is true and sure enough, life sucks.

I wished that Lucky, whose mother AnnMarie was a voracious reader, could have read the brilliant literary novel, Once Upon a River by Bonnie Jo Campbell, in which Margo, a young rural Michigan girl raised in similar circumstances, has the ability to determine her own destiny as she find a way to navigate the world. Lucky and Margo have much in common except for spunk and resourcefulness. They could have been friends and Margo could have helped Lucky find the way to a productive life sooner.

I am Lucky Bird is Philip’s first novel. It is skillfully constructed and compelling, even as the protagonist as well as the reader has no control of the devastating circumstances. Some of the descriptions are much too graphic for the younger age range of YA readers; older teenagers can understand and empathize with Lucky and her life situation. I really liked some of the imagery, including the use of birds and their freedom. I think that Philips has a future as a YA book writer, but I would also hope that in future books she can lighten up a little bit. There are many ways to explore the concept of destiny.

Fleur Philip’s website: http://www.fleurphilips.com/
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Dec 31, 2012 drey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, fiction-contemporary

Fleur Philips’ I Am Lucky Bird is not an easy read. It’s emotional and depressing almost all the way through.

Lucky’s life starts out as an unwanted baby, brought in off the back steps of a bar to live with Marian and her daughter Ann-Marie. Neither are the warm-fuzzy type, and seem to think that providing food and shelter are all that’s needed for a child’s well-being… At least Ann-Marie shares her books and stories with Lucky.

Then Marian’s boyfriend Tom stops by. And Ann-Marie withdraws into he...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Frishawn Rasheed rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, life-issues, best-of-2012-list-pick

"I Am Lucky Bird" is the beautifully rendered tale of young Miss Lucky Bird. Found as a baby behind a local bar, Lucky is adopted by the hard living Marian Bird and her young daughter, AnnMarie.
When AnnMarie disappears, Lucky must defend herself from the predatory abuses of her aunt's lover.
This was a very hard book to read because of all of the abuse and injustice that Lucky has to endure at such an early age.
Facing obstacles that would have cowed most adults and powering through the tragedies...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Lori L (She Treads Softly) rated it 5 of 5 stars

I Am Lucky Bird by Fleur Philips introduces us to Lucky Bird, a young woman living in Plains, Montana. The closest person to being a mother to Lucky, AnnMarie, cares for Lucky until she mysteriously disappears when Lucky is twelve. Lucky is then basically left to fend for herself, albeit with visits from Marian Bird, the woman she considers her grandmother. Marian drops off groceries, as well as verbally abuses and terrorizes Lucky, at least once a week. And then there is Tom, Marian's creepy bo...more I Am Lucky Bird by Fleur Philips introduces us to Lucky Bird, a young woman living in Plains, Montana. The closest person to being a mother to Lucky, AnnMarie, cares for Lucky until she mysteriously disappears when Lucky is twelve. Lucky is then basically left to fend for herself, albeit with visits from Marian Bird, the woman she considers her grandmother. Marian drops off groceries, as well as verbally abuses and terrorizes Lucky, at least once a week. And then there is Tom, Marian's creepy boyfriend...

Lucky is most certainly an abused and neglected child in most of this tragic novel. Lucky does make a friend, a new girl to Plains, Rika, and soon the girls grow close and make plans to escape from Plains. Before they can escape, another horrible tragedy befalls Lucky and her life is once again in turmoil. As the novel continues, Lucky's life is the opposite of what her name implies. Even when she does manage to get out of Plains her life continues to spiral down, out-of-control

Even though it is set in Montana, I Am Lucky Bird captures the essence of tragic Southern coming-of-age story, like Bastard out of Carolina. It has also been favorably compared to White Oleander. And, though it might be considered a YA novel, it handles some very dark, adult themes, so it would be for those on the older age span of YA fiction.

Fleur Philips is an excellent writer. I Am Lucky Bird is beautifully written debut, even while the subject matter is difficult to read. She did a notable job giving Lucky a distinctive voice. Even when Lucky is at her lowest, I empathized with her because I understood what she was thinking, even when her decisions were poor choices and lead to more heart break. I Am Lucky Bird should be adapted to be made into a movie. Some of the elements, especially the tie-in with birds, could be beautifully captured in a movie.

Now, I do have one small complaint about the ending. Do not read beyond this point if you are going to read the book - and I'm going to very highly recommend that you do just that. I will try to be vague just in case you continue.

The very end of the novel ties up loose ends for sure, but it also went too far in the other direction for me. For Lucky to get answers about her past and have some closure was all exceedingly good and satisfying and right. But, when she also came into even more overwhelmingly good things, well, that took it just one step too far for me. I would have ended with the closure and avoided the and-there-is-even-more-fabulous news ending. (I hope that was vague enough to not spoil too much.)

Very Highly Recommended

Disclosure: I was given a copy of this book BookSparksPR for review purposes.

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Nov 21, 2012 Angie Holtz rated it 5 of 5 stars

From Lilac Wolf and Stuff

I'm trying to think of a way to describe this novel. It's not a happy story, where everyone gets along and there's a separate bad guy or thing that they must unite to find themselves victorious. No, Lucky is a girl very much left to her own devices. And often, that's not a pretty sight.

I think I love these kinds of stories because I can honestly relate to the character. Even if she doesn't have anyone else in her corner, I'm there cheering for her to find her way out of...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Deborah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Just briefly I want to say that "I Am Lucky Bird" is one of the most stunning and visceral books I've read on child abuse this last decade. It is so brilliantly and beautifully written I found myself holding my breath through many of the passages. While the author takes on a difficult topic, the writing is so compelling the pages just slipped past me. I found myself caring for Lucky Bird and being reluctant to leave her.

Fleur Philips easily captures the essence of childhood, the terrors of being...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Roxanne Kade rated it 5 of 5 stars

What I thought was going to be a simple coming of age novel, quickly turned into a dark, macabre story filled with so much anguish and tragedy that it was difficult to tear my eyes away from the pages for even a second. Philips' writing flows off the pages making it such a pleasure to read. The story still haunts me in many ways and the images that filled my head while reading are not easy to forget. I think this novel would make a brilliant movie.

Lucky's life has never been easy. The only peopl...more What I thought was going to be a simple coming of age novel, quickly turned into a dark, macabre story filled with so much anguish and tragedy that it was difficult to tear my eyes away from the pages for even a second. Philips' writing flows off the pages making it such a pleasure to read. The story still haunts me in many ways and the images that filled my head while reading are not easy to forget. I think this novel would make a brilliant movie.

Lucky's life has never been easy. The only people she really knows are AnnMarie, her "mother" for all intents and purposes and her "grandmother", Marian, who is hardly ever around. Then there is Tom Cressfield - the minute he made an appearance in the story, my skin began to crawl because he has a strange creepiness that just screams, "Cannot be trusted!!".

Lucky's life takes a turn for the worse when AnnMarie mysteriously disappears, and Marian becomes abusive, making her life a living hell. Lucky takes refuge in the new friendship she forms with Rika, a new girl who not only understands Lucky, but accepts her without a question. Rika and Lucky's relationship develops into something much deeper and they share a strong bond of love and friendship, and I felt that Lucky held onto it with dear life because it was the closest thing to normal that she ever had.

Yet another tragic event befalls Lucky and it was at this point that I thought she should consider a name change, because she was anything but lucky. Marian's psychotic behaviour pushes her over the edge and Lucky makes what was probably the best decision of her life, she leaves. But she also very quickly realises that leaving does not mean that the past can be forgotten. The mystery of what really happened to AnnMarie haunts her wherever she goes, and the fear that Marian will find her and drag her back to hell forces Lucky to find an escape from her reality. One that nearly costs her, her life.

It is at this point that things start to look up for Lucky. Things finally start falling into place for her and for the first time in her life she finds stability. Only Lucky's past comes knocking sooner than expected, threatening to destroy her happiness, and she is thrown right back into the mess that is Tom Cressfield and Marian. But the horror of revisiting her past brings with it many answers as well as many heartbreaking truths.

Everything happens for a reason and there are never any chance encounters are two messages that read strong within the pages of this story. It is filled to the brim with emotion. Lucky doesn't always make the right decisions and many times I shook my head in disbelief but that was what made this story so phenomenal. Lucky was real. She wasn't perfect and things often fell apart for her, but she kept moving forward.

What I loved about this book were the small things which stood out from the drama. Like the birds that always appeared to Lucky at the appropriate times. It may not have played an integral part in the story, but there was something magical about the tie in with what AnnMarie had told Lucky about birds being responsible for bringing the souls of the dead to heaven to become angels. It was like finding gems amongst the ruins of Lucky's life, and I think Fleur Philips needs to be applauded as an author for adding such special moments of beauty to such a tragic story.

Favorite quotes from the book:

"We were like children playing a game for the first time, but with no directions and no wrong moves."

"I saw my past and his, two broken roads running side by side, then joining to form one steady path."

I recently had Fleur Philips on my blog for a guest post. Check it out http://roxykade.blogspot.com/2012/09/...(less)

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Jan 17, 2013 Denise rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-ya-fiction

I wanted to like this book. I really did. The premise was great: young girl raised by neglectful, abusive family makes her way in the world. My problem with it was that it seemed to be written at a 10yr-old reading level and yet the topics covered in it were very adult (or young adult -- late teens/early twenties). Even though several bad things happened to Lucky Bird as a child and young girl, the topics are brushed over...not delved into fully as you would expect in an adult book. Many of the...more

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Dec 28, 2012 LAURA KAY A Novel Review rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is one of those books I wasn't completely sure about. I mean the story sounded so compelling to me, but at the same time I knew it was going to be dealing with some pretty tough topics as I read.

Lucky Bird is a twelve year old girl, a loner, a girl who was found in a dumpster behind a bar. The only person in her life who ever loved her was her "mother", AnnMarie. Then AnnMarie mysteriously disappears. Lucky is left alone with Marian, AnnMarie's abusive mother, whose drunken creepy boyfriend...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Alice Bola rated it 4 of 5 stars

Although this novel is very short, it packs quite a powerful punch. I am Lucky Bird is not your typical coming of age story about a young girl in rural Montana in the early 90s. Lucky Bird is not your typical girl. At 11 years old, Lucky lives in a small home with Marian, a nurse at the local hospital who found a newborn Lucky abandoned behind her favorite tavern, and AnnMarie, Marian’s quiet introspective daughter and Lucky’s closest companion. The novel follows the next 6 years of Lucky’s life...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Penelope Bartotto rated it 5 of 5 stars

Life is a circle that can be completed or can be left unfinished because we never learn all the details of what has happened over our years on the earth. The story of Lucky Bird is a completed circle, but the story told within it is poignant and full of fear, love, despair, and hope. Fleur Philips writes the story from the character perspective of Lucky Bird, a young girl when we first meet her, who will fight a hard battle to adulthood. Writing from this particular perspective can be tricky and...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Charlotte Lynns Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Twelve year old Lucky Bird finds herself thrown into adulthood when her mother vanishes from a small town in Montana. When she finally manages to escape an abusive grandmother and the grandmother’s lover, she finds herself into a whole nother world of trouble. As she heads down a dangerous path, trying to outrun her past. She meets an amazing family. If she can meet her past head on there is hope that she can get a normal life finally.

Child abuse is an incredibly tough topic for any person to ta...more

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Jan 05, 2013 Tiffany (Book Cover Justice) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Found in a box as a baby, Lucky is now twelve years old and living with Marian, her "grandmother", and AnnMarie, her "mother". Right away we learn that this isn't a regular home. Marian is rarely home, drunk most of the time and puts her boyfriend Tom before anyone else. Tom is a creepy man, always trying to sweet talk the girls. Even though we don't know much about him, we know he is bad news. While AnnMarie is a very quiet person, she does the best she can to take care of Lucky.

Then AnnMarie...more Found in a box as a baby, Lucky is now twelve years old and living with Marian, her "grandmother", and AnnMarie, her "mother". Right away we learn that this isn't a regular home. Marian is rarely home, drunk most of the time and puts her boyfriend Tom before anyone else. Tom is a creepy man, always trying to sweet talk the girls. Even though we don't know much about him, we know he is bad news. While AnnMarie is a very quiet person, she does the best she can to take care of Lucky.

Then AnnMarie disappears and everything changes. Marian is violently beating Lucky for no apparent reason and Tom is coming around with his creepy self. We know things aren't going to go well for her but I couldn't imagine the dark turn this story was going to take.

I liked Lucky immediately and felt very sorry for her. Marian and AnnMarie kept their distance and she had no friends at school. She was very lonely and in desperate need of a friend. She was very naive about some things that I think got her into some trouble, but for the most part she was a good girl who just needed help.

This was not the story that I was expecting. There is so much going on. Abuse, sexual situations, drugs and so much more. While I did enjoy it, I have mixed feelings about it. Somewhere in the middle, it took a turn towards the unbelievable. A big part of this story was that "everything happens for a reason and there are no accidental meetings." Meaning, people come into your life for a reason and everything is meant to be. While I understood this, it went a little overboard. I found it hard to believe that after all that Lucky had been through, she would want to get married to a boy she only knew for a few months. Not only that, but they immediately have this connection after barely knowing each other? He also wanted to sleep with her too quickly after hearing her life story. I know I was supposed to like this boy, but I just didn't.

I also found that some things were very far fetched. While I won't give them away here, I just didn't believe that any of these things would actually happen in real life. There seemed to be a lot of drama surrounding everyone and while I know that strange things happen to people, I just couldn't believe that all this would happen to one girl.

But even though I had a hard time believing some of the situations in this story, it still made for a pretty intense read. I even found it hard to put it down and read it within a day or two.

If you are looking for a darker, intense read, that will suck you in and not let go, this is the book for you.(less)

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Jan 11, 2013 Lauren rated it 5 of 5 stars

Going into this one I didn't really know what to expect, but I ended up being quite surprised. It was truly an amazing book, one that while was incredibly hard to read at times because of the sadness involved was also worth it in the end. I can't wait to see what this author writes next!

Review coming soon...

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Sep 09, 2012 Kristin (Kritters Ramblings) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kritter-reviewed-2012, ebook

Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings

Lucky Bird was a character that you wanted to see come out from under a bad situation, but the negative events just kept happening to her. From an early age, she had to fend for herself surrounded by inadequate adults who were unable to even take care of themselves. Thankfully there are a few people along the way who help her find herself and find a better situation.

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Jun 01, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book would make a great movie! The plot moves quickly and the story really sucks you in. Worth reading.

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About Fleur Philips

Fleur Philips holds a Master's Degree in Fine Arts from Antioch University, Los Angeles, and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Montana. She also attended the University of Oregon in Eugene where she was awarded placement in the Kidd Tutorial Creative Writing Program. Her debut novel, I Am Lucky Bird, was selected as a general fiction finalist for the 2011 Book of the Year Award...more

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