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93rd out of 248 books
—
182 voters
Bad Luck Cadet
by
Suzie Ivy (Goodreads Author)
At the age of twenty-five you have your whole life in front of you. When you’re forty-four years old, forty pounds overweight, and laying in bed with a broken hip, what do you have? Depression, red wine and no future, or so Suzie Ivy thought.
An advertisement on a drugstore bulletin board changed Suzie’s thinking and lands her in the police academy. Was she out of her mind?...more
An advertisement on a drugstore bulletin board changed Suzie’s thinking and lands her in the police academy. Was she out of her mind?...more
Kindle Edition, 118 pages
Published
(first published October 9th 2011)
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What a fun read! As a forty-something in the process of reinventing my life, it was an inspiration to read about Suzie Ivy's leap into law enforcement at a time in a woman's life when things should be set and stable. Kids grown, career stability, confidence and a peace in your life. At least that's what I thought.
After reading a recruitment ad for the police academy, Suzie decides she won't take empty-nest syndrome lying down. It doesn't matter that she has just recovered from hip surgery or is...more
After reading a recruitment ad for the police academy, Suzie decides she won't take empty-nest syndrome lying down. It doesn't matter that she has just recovered from hip surgery or is...more
I have a confession to make: I know Suzie Ivy. I rode in her police cruiser during a citizen ride-along. Does that experience influence my review of her book? Absolutely … because it makes me respect her even more.
This quick read is a memoir about Suzie’s experience at the Police Academy (one of only a handful of women), but for me, it was so much more. I would shelve The Bad Luck Cadet under the genre “inspirational” – because I was thoroughly inspired when I finished reading. I was in awe, act...more
This quick read is a memoir about Suzie’s experience at the Police Academy (one of only a handful of women), but for me, it was so much more. I would shelve The Bad Luck Cadet under the genre “inspirational” – because I was thoroughly inspired when I finished reading. I was in awe, act...more
When Suzie Ivy asked me to review her book Bad Luck Cadet, her story sounded pretty interesting, so I accepted, but not without a little trepidation. What if I hated the book and wrote a scathing review? It's probably not the smartest thing to have a cop on your case, but I looked on a map and determined that Ms. Ivy lives more than 2,000 miles from me, so she could hardly jump in her police car and pop in on me on an impulse. Or could she? In any case, if things really went south, I could alway...more
Full review here
http://www.yourneedtoread.blogspot.co...
I needed this book like diabetic needs insulin. The timing for it was fantastic. I always thought I would be in a profession that kept me physical and made a difference. Even though I love my co-workers, ending up in a office is the last place I would have ever imagined myself to be. I have a princess schedule. I work 5-6 hours a day, and it has a tendency to feel like 12. I certainly don't hate it , but being in a office is so far from whe...more
http://www.yourneedtoread.blogspot.co...
I needed this book like diabetic needs insulin. The timing for it was fantastic. I always thought I would be in a profession that kept me physical and made a difference. Even though I love my co-workers, ending up in a office is the last place I would have ever imagined myself to be. I have a princess schedule. I work 5-6 hours a day, and it has a tendency to feel like 12. I certainly don't hate it , but being in a office is so far from whe...more
Kindle:
I wasn't sure what I was in for when I downloaded this to my Kindle the other day from the free for 24 hour section (Amazon Kindle Store) but I was quite surprised at how well written this book was and what a good story it turned out to be.
This is the true story of a middle aged woman who decides on a whim to enter the police academy with only half of her family supporting her decision and the other half not sure she will make it through. She is up against an entire class half her age. He...more
I wasn't sure what I was in for when I downloaded this to my Kindle the other day from the free for 24 hour section (Amazon Kindle Store) but I was quite surprised at how well written this book was and what a good story it turned out to be.
This is the true story of a middle aged woman who decides on a whim to enter the police academy with only half of her family supporting her decision and the other half not sure she will make it through. She is up against an entire class half her age. He...more
Being a woman in police work, I was looking forward to reading this book. I was not disappointed! A very quick read about a woman who is 45 and enters the Academy.
Her story incorporates how the decision was made and why. She talks about her families support, and sometimes lack of support with heartfelt emotions. You walk along beside her through the steps that she must take to get into one of the hardest things for a prospective officer to do - the academy.
Watching as Suzie walks through the a...more
Her story incorporates how the decision was made and why. She talks about her families support, and sometimes lack of support with heartfelt emotions. You walk along beside her through the steps that she must take to get into one of the hardest things for a prospective officer to do - the academy.
Watching as Suzie walks through the a...more
Review via Crime Beat
Finding Bad Luck Cadet happened by pure accident. I first stumbled upon the cover of the second book of the series, Bad Luck Officer, and couldn't resist the pink handcuffs and gun - what a fantastic combination!
When I discovered there was a first book about Suzie Ivy's time at the academy I was determined to read it. My husband bought it for me at 0.99c via Smashwords and Tuesday night we were both reading it in bed snuggled with our pug.
Neither of us could put it down. I s...more
Finding Bad Luck Cadet happened by pure accident. I first stumbled upon the cover of the second book of the series, Bad Luck Officer, and couldn't resist the pink handcuffs and gun - what a fantastic combination!
When I discovered there was a first book about Suzie Ivy's time at the academy I was determined to read it. My husband bought it for me at 0.99c via Smashwords and Tuesday night we were both reading it in bed snuggled with our pug.
Neither of us could put it down. I s...more
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Just finished. Adored this book as much as the blog. Will write a full review tomorrow...
I first stumbled across Suzie Ivy via her blog, Bad Luck Detective, and last week I was happy to see that she had released her first book, Bad Luck Cadet, which I believe is a collection of her early blog posts. I immediately bought and then, very soon after, read Suzie’s book.
I really liked it.
I knew I would, but still I am glad that that was the case, because -- if you hang out with me at all regularly or...more
I first stumbled across Suzie Ivy via her blog, Bad Luck Detective, and last week I was happy to see that she had released her first book, Bad Luck Cadet, which I believe is a collection of her early blog posts. I immediately bought and then, very soon after, read Suzie’s book.
I really liked it.
I knew I would, but still I am glad that that was the case, because -- if you hang out with me at all regularly or...more
This is a great book - cheerful, inspiring, quite shocking in places, and very well written in a straightforward unpretentious style. I first found Suzie on her blog, which is full of fascinating and often amusing tales from Small Town Arizona where she is the first female detective, so I came to this book full of high expectations, and my hopes were not just fufilled, but surpassed. The hurdles she and her fellow cadets had to jump through are really tough - I am sure I would have failed - but...more
If there's one message to take away from Bad Luck Cadet, it's "Failure is not an option." This is a motto Suzie Ivy seems to embrace as she deals with the psychological and physical stresses of being a police cadet.
Ivy has an easy-going style that works well here. You get the good, the bad, and the ugly of what life is like for those entering law enforcement. Ivy doesn't sugarcoat her experience but nor does she shy away from the realities of police training. If you're even thinking of going in...more
Ivy has an easy-going style that works well here. You get the good, the bad, and the ugly of what life is like for those entering law enforcement. Ivy doesn't sugarcoat her experience but nor does she shy away from the realities of police training. If you're even thinking of going in...more
Reminiscent of the torture, abuse, and fellowship of An Officer and a Gentleman, Suzie Ivy's Bad Luck Officer combines a hefty dose of humor with the inspirational story of how she made it into the ranks of some of America's finest. Ivy's story sheds a light on the tough requirements officers of the law have to meet in order to serve and protect the rest of us. I found it highly educational. She shares stories of cadets going the extra mile, literally in some cases, to support another. Highly in...more
I loved this book! The week by week account of the police academy had me crying, laughing and grimacing the whole way through. I connected with Suzie and felt every push-up! This book had a main theme of breaking barriers and pushing yourself to your limit and then some.
I loved how Suzie wasn’t the fittest or strongest cadet at the academy but sheer determination, grit and heart got her through. It was her drive, ambition and heart that gained her the friendship of other cadets and also earned...more
I loved how Suzie wasn’t the fittest or strongest cadet at the academy but sheer determination, grit and heart got her through. It was her drive, ambition and heart that gained her the friendship of other cadets and also earned...more
When I first read about Suzie Ivy’s book, Bad Luck Cadet, I was interested to see how a forty-four-old woman made it through police academy. I knew she’d survived the experience because I was aware that she was, and is, an active detective.
I hadn’t read far into the book, when I found that there was much that I shared with her. The police academy she describes was, in many ways, like some of the Army schools I knew. The candidates are constantly harassed and told they should quit.
Perseverance. G...more
I hadn’t read far into the book, when I found that there was much that I shared with her. The police academy she describes was, in many ways, like some of the Army schools I knew. The candidates are constantly harassed and told they should quit.
Perseverance. G...more
I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I downloaded this book on a whim, but what I got was a quick, fun, educational read. Susan Ivy gives you a glimpse of what it's like inside the police academy, and the particular trials and tribulations faced by a woman of 45. I laughed out loud more than once and was rooting for her the whole way. I'm glad I read it and will keep an eye out for the next installment.
Definitly interesting and a quick read. Very informative and made me root for Suzie from the first page. It is a writing style I'm not familiar with, but it didn't interrupt with the story. The fourth wall was broken a few times, but I didn't mind. I have to be honest and admit I don't know if this is fiction or autobiographical. But it felt very much like a memoir. when's the next book out?
Hardly ever leave written reviews but this is just an amazing story! Female, forty-five and joining the police academy?!? How could it not be a interesting read?!? It was something fresh, differant and inspirational. Will be reading book two for sure!!!
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great read. It's about the police academy, it's about the blue brother/sister hood it's about finding yourself in life. Thanks Denise for suggesting this book to me. It really is as good as you said it was!
The author is a middle-aged woman who decided she wanted to become a police officer. The book chronicles the time she spent going through training at the police academy. It was a very entertaining read and I also learned a lot about what it takes to become a police officer.
I read the book as a free download from Kindle and there were numerous typos. I hope the print version was better edited.
I read the book as a free download from Kindle and there were numerous typos. I hope the print version was better edited.
This book made me laugh, cry, and cheer for Suzie Ivy as she recounted the trials and tribulations of becoming a police officer in her 40s. I've always had a bit of a dream of pursuing a career in law enforcement, but after reading this, I realize I couldn't have hacked it and would've been one of the cadets who were sent home from the Police Academy. Suzie was not. Through sheer will and determination and a whole lot of impressively hard work, she made it through the academy with flying colors....more
I found this author through her blog, and almost every time she posted a new entry, it made my day. Sometimes the stories are funny, sometimes they tug on the heartstrings... overall, they're fantastic.
Easy, enjoyable read- I laughed and even cried; it reminded me of all the trials of tribulations of my husband going through the police academy. I'm looking forward to reading Bad Luck Officer next (and Bad Luck Detective when she finishes writing it!).
Funny. Interesting. Real!!!! Great read!
Very interesting!
Suzie decided to become a police officer late in life. Her son thought she was crazy and her towns police Sergent wasn't sure if she had it in her, but was willing to give her a shot.
This is the true story of how Suzie Ivy became a police officer and how she survived the academy.
It was a good short read. I found a mistake that irritated me but all in all it was ok.
This is the true story of how Suzie Ivy became a police officer and how she survived the academy.
It was a good short read. I found a mistake that irritated me but all in all it was ok.
I really liked this book. I have almost 20 years of law enforcement background as a 911 Dispatcher and am an avid reader. Most of the "free" books I have downloaded on my Kindle have left me slightly disappointed. Bad Luck Cadet did not. It was well written, honest and very believable. I read it in two sittings.
There is absolutley nothing funnier, and more inspirational than real life. Thank you from all the women over 40 for proving that we really can do anything we want.
May 03, 2013
Adriana
marked it as purchased
Mar 17, 2013
Stephanie
marked it as to-read
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I'm 50 years old, carry a badge, pink handcuffs and a big-ass glock 35 .40 caliber during my day job. At night, I write about my adventures.
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