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Auf gut Glück

3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 · rating details · 584 ratings · 112 reviews

Maeve Connolly is tired of being labelled as irresponsible. Yes, she may spend unhealthy amounts of time on Facebook and watch marathon sessions of America's Next Top Model, but Maeve isn't a typical post-college slacker. Determined to change her life and make her own luck, Maeve impulsively decides on a grand adventure - driving cross country to LA. But en route, Maeve's...more

Paperback, 432 pages

Published May 3rd 2010 (first published 2009)

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Jun 21, 2010 Justin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: at-library

Thoroughly enjoyable! At times highly emotional. Leaving Unknown is overall, a very good story, with quirky, entertaining characters. The plot is unique, and well thoughtout.

I found myself laughing as I read, and at other times crying. Maeve takes us on a journey to self-discovery that I found to be pretty inspiring. Maeve is far from the typical twenty-something single girl. She's faced some major struggles in her life. But what I found interesting was that Reich creates Maeve's character as n...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Danielle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-favorites, books-i-own, chicklit, for-review

Maeve is your typical recent college graduate with a string of bad luck that she just can’t seem to shake. Everywhere she turns she manages to run into problems including on her trip to “escape” the bad luck of her past and move forward into a bright new future in sunny California. Unfortunately though, she manages to get stuck in a “no-stop light” town with a mechanic who has a knack for taking off on extended vacations. In the end this little detour ends up being just what the doctor ordered f...more Maeve is your typical recent college graduate with a string of bad luck that she just can’t seem to shake. Everywhere she turns she manages to run into problems including on her trip to “escape” the bad luck of her past and move forward into a bright new future in sunny California. Unfortunately though, she manages to get stuck in a “no-stop light” town with a mechanic who has a knack for taking off on extended vacations. In the end this little detour ends up being just what the doctor ordered for Maeve and she even thinks she may a have broken that string of bad luck for good.

Leaving Unknown was just what I needed. A story about a “real-life” girl I could connect with instantly. Her desire to fill a stroke of luck with new shoes or, in my case a new book, was just perfect. I will admit in the beginning the string of bad luck was almost getting to be a bit much, but once Maeve set out on her journey there were times I found myself laughing out loud for pages on end. Especially when her bird Oliver was involved. I couldn’t help keeping my husband up late at night while I stayed up reading and laughing at Oliver’s quirky one liners.

Each of the characters in Reichs’ story were alive. They seemed to jump out of the pages and right into reality as you read. And the town of Unknown was somewhere you’d love to call home just so that you could enjoy it’s casual calm atmosphere. Not to mention the fantastic book store and its owner, Noah. I could have moved into the children’s section alone and stayed for days. Besides, watching the drama unfold between Maeve and Noah would have been so fun to watch.

Not only was Leaving Unknown quite funny and romantic at times, it also had moments of tremendous sadness and retrospection, but not too much. Reichs found exactly the right balance to blend a gripping story that could help each reader find the value in living life to its fullest. No matter who you are, old or young, there is something to be gained from Maeve’s journey into the Unknown. It’s a story I will recommend over and over. I can’t wait to pick up Reichs’ other novels!(less)

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Mar 29, 2012 Diejai rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: wie-eine-warme-decke

Als ich den Klappentext des Buches gelesen habe wusste ich, dass ich dieses Buch lesen muss. Vor einigen Jahren kam mir nämlich mal der Plot zu einer Geschichte in den Sinn, welcher sich ganz ähnlich liest, wie dieser Klappentext. Da ich jedoch weiß, dass ich nicht zur Schriftstellerin tauge, habe ich den Plot zwar aufgeschrieben, aber nie weiter ausgearbeitet. Nun war ich natürlich sehr gespannt darauf, welche Idee Kerry Reichs hatte und wie sie diese Idee umgesetzt hat.

Maeve, die Protagonistin...more Als ich den Klappentext des Buches gelesen habe wusste ich, dass ich dieses Buch lesen muss. Vor einigen Jahren kam mir nämlich mal der Plot zu einer Geschichte in den Sinn, welcher sich ganz ähnlich liest, wie dieser Klappentext. Da ich jedoch weiß, dass ich nicht zur Schriftstellerin tauge, habe ich den Plot zwar aufgeschrieben, aber nie weiter ausgearbeitet. Nun war ich natürlich sehr gespannt darauf, welche Idee Kerry Reichs hatte und wie sie diese Idee umgesetzt hat.

Maeve, die Protagonistin, war mir bereits nach wenigen Seiten sympathisch und ist mir im Laufe er Geschichte richtig ans Herz gewachsen. Sie ist herrlich skurril mit ihren Kniestrümpfen und ihrem Vogel, Oliver. Zudem ist sie herzlich, offen und auch verletzbar und sensibel. Doch auch die anderen Darsteller haben mir gut gefallen, da die Autorin sie wirklich liebevoll dargestellt hat. Teilweise sind sie stereotyp, was jedoch irgendwie gut zur Geschichte passt.

Teilweise schafft die Autorin eine heile-Welt-Atmosphäre. Einerseits finde ich dies unrealistisch und es hat mich etwas gestört. Andererseits habe ich mir beim Lesen bewusst gemacht, dass dieses Buch in einer Gegend der USA spielt, in welcher auch ich die Menschen als offen, freundlich und hilfsbereit kennengelernt habe. Dadurch wirkt das erzählte auch wieder realistischer. Desweiteren relativiert sich diese heile-Welt-Atmosphäre auch dadurch, dass man merkt, dass Maeve in ihrer Vergangenheit schwere Zeiten durchgemacht hat und nicht immer alles schön und leicht für sie war.

Die Autorin beschreibt Menschen, Orte und Landschaften sehr detailliert und es hat mir Spaß gemacht, diese Beschreibungen zu lesen. Besonders die Beschreibung eines Buchladens, welcher eine größere Rolle in der Geschichte spielt, hat mir gut gefallen. So einen Buchladen hätte ich auch gerne.

Die erzählte Geschichte war wesentlich tiefgründiger, als ich vorab erwartet habe. Damit hat mich die Autorin positiv überrascht. Maeves Krebserkrankung in der Vergangenheit spielt eine große Rolle. Denn auch wenn es ihr inzwischen wieder gut geht, hat sie noch mit den emotionalen und psychischen Nachwirkungen einer solchen Erkrankung zu kämpfen. Dies wird von der Autorin für mein Empfinden recht sensibel behandelt und insgesamt finde ich die Geschichte mutmachend. Denn die Geschichte macht Mut zu kämpfen, nicht aufzugeben, und sich einen eigenen Platz im Leben zu suchen. Die Suche nach dem eigenen Platz im Leben und somit auch ein bisschen nach der eigenen Identität spielt nämlich eine weitere große Rolle in der Geschichte.

Der Schreibstil der Autorin ist recht locker und leicht. Gekonnt spielt sie mit den Gefühlen des Lesers, so dass ich lachen und weinen und manchmal auch beides gleichzeitig musste. Zudem ist das Buch voller kleiner Weisheiten und kluger Worte, so dass meine Ausgabe nun einige Markierungen, Zettelchen und Eselsohren hat, damit ich diese Stellen schnell wieder finde.

Fazit:

Auf gut Glück von Kerry Reichs hat mich positiv überrascht, da die erzählte Geschichte tiefgründiger und emotionaler ist, als ich vorab erwartet hatte. Die Charaktere sind toll dargestellt und teilweise herrlich skurril, was ich gerne mag. Insgesamt ist das Buch wie eine schöne bunte Decke, in welche man sich gerne einkuschelt und die Geschichte hinterlässt ein warmes Gefühl in der Herzgegend.

(less)

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Jun 03, 2011 Novelwit2000 rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I feel like there's something that I missed in this novel. Something that apparently a LOT of other people got, that maybe I didn't. (Maybe it's just the kinds of books that I'm into or maybe it was something that I was looking for, that just wasn't there.)

But you know, I feel this story was set up with a lot of smoke and mirrors to start with.

I mean, not to give anything away (and I'll try not to) the main character Maeve came off as a kind of slacker (maybe.) I mean, with her taking numerous...more

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Nov 05, 2010 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ha-ha-chicklit

Initially, Maeve irked me. Her lack of responsibility and flakiness rode my every last nerve. In fact, I had shelved the book after 40 pages. Then one night, that was the only book within reaching distance that I hadn't finished, so I picked it up again. After around page 90, Maeve is still a flake, but she is much more endearing. Read a little further, and things start to fall into place. She is one of the most dynamic protagonists in chick lit, hanging out in one of the quirkiest, yet sweetest...more

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Apr 21, 2010 Krystal rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chicklit

The truth is, the enjoyment of a book is only relevant, for the most part, in that moment. There are many books I read that I become so disappointed in and give up on, that I'll later return to in desperation of something to read. This revisit finds the book compelling, able to hold my interest. Likewise, a great book on the first reading can become trite and annoying upon revisiting it, making me wonder about my taste level. It's all relative, in what we are currently experiencing and what piqu...more

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May 18, 2010 April rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Glowing satisfaction. That is the feeling that I was left with, as I closed the cover on Leaving Unknown. Just from looking at the cover, I knew this was going to be a fun read, however, I had no idea just how much fun was in store. Mix that laugh-out-loud fun with real emotion, life changing events and the quest to "find" oneself and you have one heck of a story on your hands. That is exactly what author Kerry Reichs manages to put together in this superb novel, that is sure to leave the name "...more Glowing satisfaction. That is the feeling that I was left with, as I closed the cover on Leaving Unknown. Just from looking at the cover, I knew this was going to be a fun read, however, I had no idea just how much fun was in store. Mix that laugh-out-loud fun with real emotion, life changing events and the quest to "find" oneself and you have one heck of a story on your hands. That is exactly what author Kerry Reichs manages to put together in this superb novel, that is sure to leave the name "Kerry Reichs" as anything but unknown.

In Leaving Unknown, we are immediately introduced to main character Maeve Connelly, however that introduction is just the tip of the iceberg. In the the beginning, Maeve reminded me a lot of Becky from the Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella. She had the same "toss your cares to the wind" type of attitude, as well as a bit of the financial issues, lol. However, as the story progresses, readers are gifted with getting to know Maeve, on a much deeper level. I, for one, adored Maeve, her sassiness, spunk, bravery and her exceptional intelligence and ingenuity are true characteristics that pull the reader in, as much as they pull in the people that Maeve comes into contact with throughout the story.

Leaving her home in Charlotte, to travel to Los Angeles to begin a whole new life, Maeve decides to road trip through the most unique named towns that she can find. Among these are Sweet Lips, Tennessee, Toad Suck, Arkansas and Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. It is when she gets to Unknown, Arizona that Maeve's beloved 1970 Plymouth Road Runner, Elsie, breaks down and needs a massive amount of tweaking. Unfortunately, the only mechanic around is gone on a trip and no ones knows when his return may be. This leaves Maeve and her sidekick, Oliver, her not-so-shy cockatiel, stranded. It doesn't take long for the kind-hearted and slightly eccentric folks of Unknown to take Maeve into their fold, as well as wrapping themselves around Maeve's heart. One particular citizen, bookstore owner and novelist, Noah, places an amazingly strong anchor around Maeve's heart and mind. Only one problem, Noah is taken.

After residing, for a few months, in Unknown, making incredible friends and finding an undiscovered voice, through photography, Elsie is mended and it is time for Maeve to leave and finish her journey to California. With a heart, not as light as it was in the beginning of her trip, Mauve continues on, finding herself in sunny California with a friend from long ago. However, all the promised glitz and glamor are anything but and Maeve's heart aches for the friends she made in Unknown. Will she be able to swallow the lump and settle her ache for Noah and be able to return to the warm fold of Unknown, or will she remain strong in her original plan and remain in California? No matter how hard we plan, there is always a detour that pops up in the road of life.

I think that many readers can easily find something of Maeve within themselves. The insecurities, that feeling of being unsettled and not knowing who you are or where to go, the ability to dig deep within and discover the unyielding strength and wondrousness that makes each of us special and unique. My love for this book is one that has placed it as one of my favorites for 2010 and my desire to read more by this author is incredible. The transformation that Kerry Reichs takes the reader on with Maeve is amazing and so very human. Little things that seem so trivial and silly, in the beginning of the story, take on an entirely new meaning, as readers travel deeper within the story and deeper within Maeve. Other characters within the story, such as Noah, Tuesday, Bruce, Ruby, Samuel, April and Busy are ones that are an added delight. The author's ability to bring each and every person to life within the pages of this story is fantastic. Also, as an added bit of fun, there is a children's story, fully illustrated, within the story of Leaving Unknown (keep in mind, this is only a few pages long and completely ties in with the story itself) written by Noah for Maeve. I loved this little story as much as I did the novel itself!

Leaving Unknown is a story that will have the reader laughing out loud, giggling, sighing, rejoicing, celebrating and so many emotions in-between. Honestly, this story was a pure delight and one that had me thinking about the characters, when I wasn't even reading. I highly recommend Leaving Unknown to anyone looking for a delicious story that will remain within your heart and mind, long after the final word has been read. Kerry Reichs is an amazing talent and I eagerly await her next release!(less)

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Jan 08, 2012 gille rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiftyfiftyme

This was a lovely book. Definitely a great read, and, as usual, I couldn't put it down. A much better story than the first book by Kerry Reichs - this book didn't take 100 pages to get into. Although there was a lot of attention to detail again, and there were also quirks among characters that were really annoying, such as Maeve always rhyming stuff even when they don't necessarily rhyme (What's up, duck").

Maeve Connelly decides to take a road trip to start over in L.A. On her way, her car brea...more This was a lovely book. Definitely a great read, and, as usual, I couldn't put it down. A much better story than the first book by Kerry Reichs - this book didn't take 100 pages to get into. Although there was a lot of attention to detail again, and there were also quirks among characters that were really annoying, such as Maeve always rhyming stuff even when they don't necessarily rhyme (What's up, duck").

Maeve Connelly decides to take a road trip to start over in L.A. On her way, her car breaks down in Unknown, Arizona, and she is stuck there for a very long time. First she has to wait for the town's only mechanic to return from a gambling binge, then she has to raise the money to pay for the part to her 1970s car (a 1978 plymouth road runner, admittedly a very hot car!!!). The town's many characters are endearing and very cute. The whole time, you totally want Maeve to stay, although it is clear she wants to finish what she starts and make it out to L.A. HEt long pit stop is definitely an unfortunate accident, where she discovers much about life, people, and mostly herself.

There are parts of the plot that were unexpected and others that were very expected. Overall, it was a pleasant mix of the two. This book didn't make me cry (a sign of an amazing story!), but it did make me laugh and definitely warmed by heart.

A few gripes: like the debut novel by Reichs, there were some typos and misprints that made me feel like her editor or publisher kind of blows it on the details. The drawings for the picture book were very dark. This annoyed me to no end, because I'd have like to see the details and not have to strain to see what was going on in some of the pictures. And, of course, my earlier gripe about the stupid rhyming. The dialogue was better than the first novel, though, and totally less forced. The wit came easily, instead of forced, as it had seemed in The Best Day of Someone Else's Life.

I'd recommend this book for anyone looking for a light read that has some seriousness to it. Enjoy!(less)

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Apr 26, 2010 Geetha rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A stark contrast to the first one. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who feels this has so much more depth in every sense - characters, places, incidents, etc. As some of you have already pointed out, I couldn't and didn't get into Maeve in the beginning. But once I did, she really grew on me.

One of the things to note is that we grow to understand why and how Maeve became the person she was at the start of the book. And how she evolved out of that as a woman, a person in her own right and as...more

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Jan 28, 2013 Ingrid Fasquelle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Entre humour et gravité, Kerry Reichs signe un joli roman d'apprentissage à-mi chemin entre le road trip décalé et la comédie de chick lit. Elle ne raconte pas seulement les mésaventures déjantées de Maeve, elle entraîne également le lecteur à sa suite, dans une traversée hilarante de l'Amérique profonde, peuplée de personnages à la fois drôles et attachants.

Loin des siens, perdue dans une petite ville au fin fond de l'Arizona, Maeve n'aura pas d'autre choix que d'évoluer et grandir au fil des p...more Entre humour et gravité, Kerry Reichs signe un joli roman d'apprentissage à-mi chemin entre le road trip décalé et la comédie de chick lit. Elle ne raconte pas seulement les mésaventures déjantées de Maeve, elle entraîne également le lecteur à sa suite, dans une traversée hilarante de l'Amérique profonde, peuplée de personnages à la fois drôles et attachants.

Loin des siens, perdue dans une petite ville au fin fond de l'Arizona, Maeve n'aura pas d'autre choix que d'évoluer et grandir au fil des pages. La midinette écervelée et frivole devient alors une jeune femme responsable, prête à tout pour réaliser son rêve. Le lecteur assiste à cette transformation le sourire aux lèvres, tant les galères de Maeve et ses rencontres improbables sont divertissantes ! Il serait dommage d'en raconter plus, la force du roman de Kerry Reichs résidant principalement dans la galerie de personnages, principaux et secondaires, qu'elle a créés. Accueillants, pittoresques, pleins de fantaisie et de malice, ils apportent à Maeve l'aide et le soutien dont elle a besoin pour aller de l'avant ! C'est drôle, tendre et surtout d'un optimisme à toute épreuve ! Le message de l'auteure ne saurait être plus positif !

On trouve dans le roman de Kerry Reichs tous les codes de la littérature chick-lit : une jeune fille paumée, mal dans sa peau, terriblement malchanceuse à laquelle le lecteur ne peut que s'attacher ! Mais L'Epopée du Perroquet n'est pas qu'une comédie pleine de charme et de fraîcheur ! L'auteure y aborde également des thèmes plus graves. Lorsqu'elle dévoile, sans ménagement, le passé douloureux de Maeve, elle surprend et déstabilise son lecteur. Un procédé maladroit et discutable qui a pour effet d'annuler une bonne part de l'effet comique du roman. S'installe alors une ambiance pesante, dans laquelle le lecteur ne se sent pas forcément à l'aise... La deuxième partie est larmoyante, longue et répétitive. C'est dommage !

Malgré un virage dramatique mal négocié, Kerry Reichs a su créer un roman surprenant dans lequel le lecteur ne s'ennuie pas une seule seconde ! C'est frais, léger, pétillant ! Un roman attendrissant à découvrir absolument !(less)

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Mar 23, 2013 Paula rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I am giving this book 5 stars because of a combination of the writing style and the story itself. The story is about a girl named Maeve who (seemingly for no particular reason) sets off across the country headed for California. She decides her route by finding towns with interesting names that she would like to travel through on her journey. Her car breaks down and leaves her stranded in a odd little town named Unknown. My first opinion of this book was that it was very strange and just kept get...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Pam Bustin rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: what-i-read-in-2012

Hmm... I so thought I would love this one.

Having taken a year to travel across Canada on a Greyhound searching for a new place to live and ending up working on a goat ranch near Pie Town New Mexico - I’m a sucker for road stories and places with interesting names.

I’m not sure WHY I don’t LOVE this book.
The characters are ... solid and interesting.

Is it... the flippy dialogue?
Is it that I don’t quite BUY the voice?

When I hit the “big reveal” (not so big if you read the dedication - you sorta kno...more

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Apr 17, 2010 Wendi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

Leaving Unknown: A Novel
By Kerry Reichs

Leaving Unknown is a journey of self-discovery for Maeve Connelly. Impetuous, headstrong and quirky, Maeve craves a new life in a new town, far, far away from her past.

Throwing caution to the wind, Maeve, a native of Charlotte, North Carolina, jumps in her old Roadrunner, Elsie, and heads west for sunny Los Angeles, CA. Traveling across the country, Maeve is sidelined more than once with car trouble. Delay’s however, bring growth, awakening and insight to...more

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Apr 16, 2011 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite, own

This book really surprised me.I knew it was going to be a good read from the pretty cover, which drew me in, but I had no idea of how good it was going to be. Maeve seemed like the perfect girl to go on a literary road trip with, she was funny, emotional, and adventurous. Maeve along with her pet bird Oliver travel to LA and on the way get stuck in Unknown Arizona. There she finds friends, love, and even healing. At first you find Maeve irritating because she is so flacky and seems to just be wa...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Kristin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

4.25 stars.

For the first part of Leaving Unknown, I thought that I definitely enjoyed The Best Day of Someone Else’s Life better. This book just seemed a bit lighter-weight to me, it might be because there was a larger cast of characters involved in the companion novel, this isn’t really a sequel, even though it occurs after the events of the previous book, and that some of their lives and events were intertwined making it a more involved story, I even thought maybe it had more to do with the ma...more

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Mar 11, 2010 Leah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-2010, favorites

Maeve Connolly is very flighty. She seems to find it very difficult to stay in any place for too long a time. Maeve is also impulsive and seemingly has a lot of bad luck, and on an impulse she decides to drive across America from North Carolina to LA to see her friend Laura. Maeve sets off on her journey along with her bird Oliver and soon finds herself visiting some relatively obscure (and fantastically named) towns across America. However, Maeve’s bad luck doesn’t seem to have left her and she...more Maeve Connolly is very flighty. She seems to find it very difficult to stay in any place for too long a time. Maeve is also impulsive and seemingly has a lot of bad luck, and on an impulse she decides to drive across America from North Carolina to LA to see her friend Laura. Maeve sets off on her journey along with her bird Oliver and soon finds herself visiting some relatively obscure (and fantastically named) towns across America. However, Maeve’s bad luck doesn’t seem to have left her and she ends up stranded in Unknown, Arizona when her car Elsie breaks down. As the townsfolk of Unknown rush to help Maeve on her quest to get her car fixed, Maeve finds herself becoming part of the community. However Maeve begins to fall for her boss Noah and her only option appears to be to run again…

The Good Luck Girl is Kerry Reichs’s second book and after posting about it on the site in August, I wasn’t all that bothered about reading it. Yes, it sounded interesting but I wasn’t a huge fan of the cover. However once the paperback release was confirmed for this year and I saw it had a new cover I decided to buy it for myself to see what I thought of the book. The fact I managed to pick it up for half price off helped immensely, too! It’s been sitting on my shelf for a month or so and I finally decided to read it.

The book begins just before Maeve’s impusive road trip across America. We learn that she’s always been slightly impulsive and that she finds it difficult to hold down a job of any sort. At first it seems mildly confusing as to why exactly Maeve is so impulsive and flighty, but as the book progresses secrets are revealed and it all, sort of, makes sense. After being fired by both her job and her family, Maeve decides that she needs to become a new Maeve. She needs to prove to everyone that she can finish something she’s started and that she can make her parents proud of her. So begins Maeve’s roadtrip across America. Before Maeve leaves, her mother gives her 8 kachinas (Budda-type figurines) to commit to a place that Maeve feels something for.

As Maeve sets off on her journey, she ends up in a multitude of funny-named towns across America including Okay, Oklahoma and Uncertain, Texas. However after her car, Elsie, breaks down, Maeve finds herelf stuck in Unknown, Arizona. However being stuck in Unknown isn’t as bad as Maeve fears and she soon finds herself at the heart of the community. She makes some great friends and finds herself a job in the bookstore as well as discovering she has a passion for photography. The months in Unknown roll by and rather than feeling restless and fidgedty, it seems that Maeve actually loves living in Unknown. Things are going well for her, until she begins falling for her boss Noah and Maeve does the only thing she knows how to do… she leaves, bound for LA and Laura.

The Good Luck Girl has an incredibly interesting plot but for the first 100 pages I just couldn’t get into the book. I liked Maeve, sure, but for some reason the book just didn’t grab me. It could well have been because I just didn’t have the time to pick the book up and really immerse myself in it. My frustration with the book got so bad that I told myself that if I hadn’t finished it within the week I would throw it away. It was an irrational thought and I sat down on Saturday night intent on immersing myself fully in the book and giving it a fair shot. Once I got myself stuck into the book I found myself enjoying it so much more. I actually feel bad now for giving it such a hard time because I enjoyed the book immensely.

The characters of The Good Luck Girl are fantastic. Maeve is a fabulous leading character and I absolutely adored her. She’s a bit of a hypocondriac but that all adds to her fantastic character. Even when I was struggling with the book I still adored Maeve. She is very well-rounded and her flighty-ness makes absolute sense when we learn what Maeve has been through. Maeve’s family make appearances from time to time (mostly via phone calls) and they also seemed incredibly nice. It appears that Maeve’s sister Vi is the main character in Kerry’s first book which is interesting! It’s actually the community spirit of Unknown who make the book for me. Ruby, Bruce, Child, Busy, April, Tuesday and Noah all become friends with Maeve and they’re all such wonderful characters. I really loved Noah, Maeve’s boss at The Little Read Book and the man Maeve thinks she’s falling in love with. The relationship between Maeve and Noah was fantastic and I hugely enjoyed their rapport.

Reichs’ writing seems to be really different to most chick lit writers but I can’t put my finger on why. It seems more grown up somehow and it’s hugely refreshing. I like Reichs’ writing style and it flowed really well. What Reichs did best though was bringing Unknown, Arizona to life. I felt as if I was really there and the community spirit of the town really shone off the pages. I could totally see why Unknown appeared to capture Maeve’s heart as it completely captured mine, too! I very rarely manage to imagine what a place is like when reading about it but with Unknown I could see it very easily. Reichs has done a fantastic job there and the book really captured me.

As you can tell I really enjoyed The Good Luck Girl. At first it seems like a light-hearted read but there are some issues there hidden below the depths which are revealed as the book progresses and I enjoyed unravelling it all. Maeve is a fantastic heroine with a fantastic story and I really really loved the book. It may well have taken me a week to read the book but once I settled down into the story I thoroughly enjoyed it and raced to the end. In the end, The Good Luck Girl turned out to be a very satisfying read and one I will undoubtedly read again.(less)

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Apr 07, 2013 Ikebukuro rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Une lecture qui fait du bien au milieu de toute cette grisaille, qui vous met de bonne humeur pour la journée et que vous quittez à regret. Pourtant, c'est une écriture sans prétention, une histoire pas forcément super originale mais la magie opère petit à petit. On s'attache aux gens, on rit, on espère, on pleure , on est surpris, touché, on s'énerve et on en redemande… J'ai adoré la tendresse qui se dégage de l'ensemble du livre et le petit grain de folie des personnages. L'épopée de Maeve et...more

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Apr 10, 2010 Dawn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I gave this a four because after I got into it, I couldn't put it down. It took me till about bage 70 to really get to the point where I loved Maeve and gave a crap about what happened to her. There's a surprise twist reason for Maeve's airheadedness that you don't find out till the middle. Surprises that answer questions are always enjoyable when they don't seem contrived and this one didn't. Reich's characters were a bit predictable but still very appealing and realistic. The story was a good,...more

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Jun 27, 2010 Alea rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-for-review

I could tell Leaving Unknown was going to be a fun and quirky book but I wasn't prepared for how spot-on it would be. Maeve is the type of person you just want to be around because she's fun, spunky and different! But what we (or at least I) didn't realize at first was that she was hiding something, something that had a big impact on her life but doesn't share with others. Other reviews talk about what it is she's hiding but I really liked reading it in the book and discovering it for myself, th...more

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Apr 16, 2009 Sue rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, bookbag, read-2009

This is the story of Maeve, an flaky and impulsive young woman who decides to take a trip across the USA, stopping off at places with the most bizarre names. Her only redeeming feature appears to be the affection she has for Oliver, her white cockatiel.

When her car breaks down in a small town called Unknown, Maeve is forced to stay for some weeks. She makes friends, and discovers that she can't keep running away from some painful episodes in her past.

It could have been a big cliche, but someho...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Galleane rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ce fut un pur bonheur que cette lecture. Je suis plus que contente qu'il ait croisé ma route. Je le mets dans mes coup de cœur 2012, il le mérite amplement. Quelle joie d'avoir partagé la vie pour un temps de Maeve, d'avoir visité la ville de Coin perdu et ses habitants au grand cœur. Je conseille ce livre à tous ceux adepte de voyage simple, mais oh combien touchant et marquant, car ce livre est un petit bijou qui en vaut le détour.
Ma chronique complète : http://bloggalleane.blogspot.fr/2012/.....more

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May 02, 2011 Itsjustme-wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

4 1/2 STARS actually!
The first half of this book was so hilarious, I was laughing with tears running down my face so I couldn't see the book. The second half of this book was sad at times, I had tears running down my face so I couldn't see the book. I love it when a book does that to me! It starts out as a chick-lit, quirky and funny and then gets serious, with a great ending! It is all done very well. I also got very attached to the characters. I would love to see a sequel! I was not ready to s...more

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Aug 21, 2010 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: women-s-fiction, arc

Maeve Connelly is on a road trip of epic proportions with her foul-mouthed cockatiel, Oliver, as navigator. Traveling across the country from her home in North Carolina, with the ultimate goal of reaching Los Angeles, Maeve has planned her journey to include stops in as many towns as possible that have unique names. Toad Suck, Arkansas; Truth or Consequences, New Mexico; and Ding Dong, Texas are all part of the plan until her 1970 Plymouth, affectionately named Elsie, breaks down outside of Unkn...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Briana Alzola rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was far from perfect but I absolutely adored it. I fell in love with its quirky heroine just as fast as she fell in love with the residents of Unknown. She plans road trips to places with weird names, she wears rainbow knee socks, she talks in rhyme, she has a foul-mouthed cockatiel and develops "lady crushes" on interesting people. She's who I want to be, troubled past and all. I was sad when the book ended and I had to say goodbye to Maeve, Tuesday, Noah and the other people of Unkno...more

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Apr 27, 2012 Annabel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: new-adult, 4-stars

I loved this story!! I loved it because everyone feels lost sometimes and doesn't know what to do. And you get this urge to run away from everything. Only you don't leave anything behind but you take everything with you. I loved the kachina's and the way Meave left them as she travelled along. I needed to get used to Maeve in the beginning because I totally disliked her but she turned out to be a great character. I liked the way she grew in the story. This book is definately worth a re-read:)

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Oct 18, 2009 Annie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Yes, she is Kathy Reichs daughter, but I didn't realise till the credits at the end. This was an excellent read - Maeve, at the start, is your classic chick lit heroine, until she goes on her road trip to LA. She ends up in a town called Unknown and comes across the most amazing cast of characters, all vividly drawn - this is Northern Exposure set in Arizona. The revelation of Maeve's enormous secret cranks everything up a gear, and the book changes.... I laughed (a lot - her cockatiel is a full...more

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Nov 03, 2012 Judith rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have been waiting for a good read for a while. This book would have been rated a five except a few things in the book can never happen in real life. I don't want to give them away and ruin the book for someone who hasn't read it yet. This is a great read. The author tied every detail of the book together at the end. I recommend this book. It's one of those books that you think about more after you finish it as opposed to while you are reading it.

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Aug 18, 2010 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Rachel by: Carol Younker

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 14, 2011 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So, at first I hated this book. Didn't like the main character, thought she was flighty, disorganized, and exhausting. However, as the book went on she grew on me, and I related to many of her thoughts. Of course I could not relate to her illness and what that will do to a person inside and out, but the restlessness, the not knowing where you should be. The author conveys this well, as Maeve struggles to find where she belongs in the world.

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Oct 11, 2012 Jacqueline rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a great book and there was a twist half way through that I didn't see coming, which made the book that much better and more interesting. I liked that it was a type of coming of age / personal growth novel as seen through the eyes of a girl my own age. I liked the author's writing style and plan to read some of her other books. The characters were likeable and the story was hopeful. It definitely gave me hope about some similar issues that I am working through and put things in perspecti...more

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About Kerry Reichs

Kerry Reichs graduated from Oberlin College and Duke University School of Law and Institute of Public Policy. She practiced law in Washington, D.C. for several years until she took a sabbatical and discovered that sabbaticals agree with her. She now writes full time, splitting her time between Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, and is still trying to convince her two cats that driving across countr...more

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61 Hours / Small Change / Nowhere to Run / Leaving Unknown

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Quotes from Auf gut Glück

“A closet isn't scary in the daytime, Maeve. It holds clothes, not monsters. Whatever is scaring you, bring it into the light. Its strength will fade.” — 2 people liked it

“I was a girl sitting in the sun, enjoying a pepper.” — 1 person liked it

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