Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
Lucy Unstrung
by
Carole Lazar
Teens who get pregnant and raise their babies are often in the news. But what about those children who are growing up with parents scarcely half a generation older than themselves?
In this wise and funny first novel by Carole Lazar, Lucy is a sensible, perhaps even rigid, thirteen year old who is convinced that Grandma, God, and the Catholic Church are on her side. She tri...more
In this wise and funny first novel by Carole Lazar, Lucy is a sensible, perhaps even rigid, thirteen year old who is convinced that Grandma, God, and the Catholic Church are on her side. She tri...more
Paperback, 240 pages
Published
August 10th 2010
by Tundra Books
(first published July 21st 2010)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
150)
I won this book as a first-reads, and genuinely enjoyed it.
Lucy is a thirteen year old girl with a mom who has realized that having Lucy at a young age forced her to grow up way too fast. The result is that Lucy has become somewhat of an adult in their relationship .. Telling her mother what she thinks, in the words of her grandmother. As Lucy's parents decide to separate, Lucy is left trying to figure out where she belongs ... often times she just plain feels left out. Forming her opinions thro...more
Lucy is a thirteen year old girl with a mom who has realized that having Lucy at a young age forced her to grow up way too fast. The result is that Lucy has become somewhat of an adult in their relationship .. Telling her mother what she thinks, in the words of her grandmother. As Lucy's parents decide to separate, Lucy is left trying to figure out where she belongs ... often times she just plain feels left out. Forming her opinions thro...more
Reason for Reading: I was intrigued by the Catholic nature of the main character and whether it truly would be a positive portrayal. Not something often found in YA literature.
An astounding novel of an authentic Catholic family dealing with real life issues. Lucy's mom was 14 when she became pregnant with her and now she is 28 and feeling that she needs "a life". As she takes evening classes and such she meets a new worldly friend and it isn't much longer until she separates from her husband and...more
An astounding novel of an authentic Catholic family dealing with real life issues. Lucy's mom was 14 when she became pregnant with her and now she is 28 and feeling that she needs "a life". As she takes evening classes and such she meets a new worldly friend and it isn't much longer until she separates from her husband and...more
Lucy’s life is about to take a turn for the unexpected. Her parent’s marriage issues, new school, new friends, a dog look-a-like; will it break her or make her stronger?
I can’t say that the book was anything exceptional. It wasn’t a bad story, but very typical. Lucy’s family dynamic was odd to read. My family even at its worst times has never been quite so non-communicative. Although Lucy doesn’t mind speaking her mind with COMPLETE honesty, even if that honesty hurts or is just down right disre...more
I can’t say that the book was anything exceptional. It wasn’t a bad story, but very typical. Lucy’s family dynamic was odd to read. My family even at its worst times has never been quite so non-communicative. Although Lucy doesn’t mind speaking her mind with COMPLETE honesty, even if that honesty hurts or is just down right disre...more
Cute and sweet without being cloying. I know the book is labeled for young adults, but I feel the actual age range falls a little lower. There is discussion of some sexual themes, but these are handled obliquely and could foster meaningful discussion with a more mature child.[return][return]Lucy is precious and while her faith means a lot to her, it's not a central focus of the book. There is NO preaching. Depending on your view of things this could be good or bad.[return][return]While nothing m...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
1 like · like · see review
view all 3 comments
I found this novel kind of hard to get into. If I had to say something negative about it, I would say it was too long. But towards the middle I connected with Lucy on a rather unexpected level, for me anyway. I connected with her because she’s Catholic.
Anyone who reads this blog knows that I am an atheist, but it wasn’t always so. Like Lucy I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school. This book reminded me of how important that was to me when I was Lucy‘s age (13). What I liked about the t...more
Anyone who reads this blog knows that I am an atheist, but it wasn’t always so. Like Lucy I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school. This book reminded me of how important that was to me when I was Lucy‘s age (13). What I liked about the t...more
In 13-year-old Lucy’s opinion, she and her parents have a pretty satisfying life… until her mother decides that she needs some space and moves out. Lucy waits impatiently for her mom to come to her senses, but when her mother rents a dilapidated trailer to live in, Lucy is forced to accept that this just might be for real. When she then realizes that this new living arrangement means going to a different school, she is deeply fretful. Facing a number of new and disconcerting situations — a class...more
This book was slow at the beginning, but after the first thirty pages or so, I really started to like Lucy, and wanted to know what was going to happen to her. It's true-most stories are about the teens who get pregnant, not about what happens to their babies. This story definitely didn't take the turn that I thought it would, but I still enjoyed it.
The characters in the book were well-defined enough, yet sometimes left a little to be desired. They did things that didn't fit in with how they wer...more
The characters in the book were well-defined enough, yet sometimes left a little to be desired. They did things that didn't fit in with how they wer...more
Lucy is a thirteen-year old girl who believes in three things: her grandma, God, and the Catholic Church. She believes in good morals and behaving the way God and the Bible says a person should behave.
Now, what do you do when your own mother is suddenly acting like a rebellious teenager and her actions are causing trouble to the family? Especially when they reach the point of having your parents separated? The problem with Lucy's mother is that she had Lucy when she was a teenager, which led her...more
Now, what do you do when your own mother is suddenly acting like a rebellious teenager and her actions are causing trouble to the family? Especially when they reach the point of having your parents separated? The problem with Lucy's mother is that she had Lucy when she was a teenager, which led her...more
I enjoyed this book which I would consider suitable for middle grades, age 9 - 13. The setting is the area I live in so it was interesting to
read about familiar places. Written in the first person, present creates a different and immediate feel. Thirteen year old Lucy is trying to cope with her
parents' separation and the changes in her life that entails. The ending is a little uncertain but didn't detract unduly.
read about familiar places. Written in the first person, present creates a different and immediate feel. Thirteen year old Lucy is trying to cope with her
parents' separation and the changes in her life that entails. The ending is a little uncertain but didn't detract unduly.
13-year-old whose parents separate. Mother got pregnant as a teen, and now wants to go out on her own. Lucy was raised in the Catholic faith, and often quotes her grandmother, to her mother's consternation. Because of the separation, Lucy has to begin attending a public school and lives in a trailer park. She does overcome these challenges, and at the end her parents seem to be reconciling.
I liked quirky little Lucy and her adventures with figuring out her new life. I understood what her mom wanted in her life, unlike Lucy, but I don't know she went about it in the right way. I did like how Lucy's dad is obviously not her bio dad and yet that was never addressed since he is her real dad. I hate it when books make a big show about that. This was much more assumptive.
Lucy gets into the usual 13 year old trouble especially as she tries to figure out how to stay at the same school. An...more
Lucy gets into the usual 13 year old trouble especially as she tries to figure out how to stay at the same school. An...more
Feb 07, 2013
Sreevidhya
marked it as to-read
Jan 18, 2013
Veronica
marked it as to-read
Nov 08, 2012
Jade Williams
marked it as to-read
Apr 01, 2012
Holly
marked it as to-read
Mar 21, 2012
Becky
marked it as to-read
Feb 03, 2012
Katie
marked it as to-read
Dec 29, 2011
Noelle Walsh
marked it as to-read
Dec 10, 2011
Jaynie
marked it as to-read
Dec 02, 2011
Nattaporn
marked it as to-read
Oct 11, 2011
Kstewart5362
marked it as to-read
Jun 30, 2011
Rebecca
marked it as to-read
Jun 04, 2011
Becky
marked it as to-read
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
CAROLE LAZAR practiced law for ten years in British Columbia, before serving as a provincial court judge from 1989 until 2008. Lucy Unstrung is her first novel.
More about Carole Lazar...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
