The Lucky Place

by Zu Vincent

Cassie finds her inner strength through experiencing heartbreaking events. The Lucky Place begins at a horse racetrack, where Cassie, age three, and her brother Jamie, age five, accompany their father on a drinking and betting spree. As she goes with him to make yet another bet, her hand slips out of his and she loses him. When Cassie has been delivered safely home, Cassie's mother is angry and Cassie vows never to lose Daddy again. But before long, Mama has had enough of Cassie's father. She introduces Cassie and Jamie to Ellis. Cassie's father slowly exits from her life as Ellis enters it, eventually becoming her stepfather. Her father continues to pop in and out of her life unexpectedly, while Ellis provides a stable, loving home. Just when life seems pretty wonderful, Ellis is diagnosed with cancer. He takes the family on a summer-long camping trip where he spends time with Cassie. From early childhood to early adolescence, her experiences with both fathers generate conflict and loss and help Cassie discover that her true lucky place is within herself.

Here's what I think. I think having two daddies is like riding the elephant. You don't know until you get up there what an elephant smells like, or how high you will be on the elephant's back. But then you realize. And the basket tips one way and then the other, like you might fall, every time the elephant steps. —FROM THE BOOK

Genres: Young Adult

232 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2008

Reviews

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vincent, Zu The Lucky Place, Pages: 230; Publisher: Front Street Books, Language: PG 13; Sexual Content: PG; Violence: PG;

Cassie is three years old when her mom and dad start to fall apart. Her father drinks way too much and even forgot her at the races. Her mother, her brother Jamie, and Cassie soon end up leaving her father and finding her New Dad. They live in The Lucky Place; well that's what her mother calls it. Cassie loves her new dad but her brother Jamie does not. He always wants to run back down to her Old Dad. When tragedy hits with her New Dad and Mom Cassie and Jamie begin to finally understand and love again.

Shows the challenges that children face when their parents get divorced and remarry. It was interesting for me to see the divorce from Cassie's little three year old eyes and then again as she grows up to a teenager. The Lucky Place really shows everyone exactly how hard it can be to have an Old Dad and a New Dad and having to think you have to choose between them. Great book, and eye opener for sure. I would recommend parents to read this book to their children if they have to go through the same thing, also for Middle Schoolers, High Schoolers, and adults to read this book also. This book is for everyone at every age.

MS, HS - ESSENTIAL. Student Reviewer: AN
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2008/...

[Leslie Preddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:
This delicate page-turner is written in a way to subtly grab the reader
by the gut, causing the reader to empathize with Cassie's character
immediately. In this coming of age novel, life's intricacies are
interpreted through a child's mis-perspective until those skewed
perspectives painfully right themselves as she grows older. It is the
1970's and three year old Cassie has a drunk for a father. Once her
daddy accidentally leaves her at the race track, her mama can take no
more of it and leaves him for another man. As the years go by, Cassie
grows to love her "new daddy" with intensity, as she deals with the
guilt of loving and missing her "old daddy" less and less. Things grow
confusing for Cassie when life takes a turn for the worse and her new
daddy grows sick with cancer. She tries to reason through her guilt and
feeling that she has cursed the family because she couldn't help loving
new daddy more. Through the trials of watching her new daddy slowly
dying and her mother fall apart, Cassie tries to keep the family and
finances together, growing up too fast. The conclusion is thoughtful,
satisfying and realistic.

[Ricki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic story told through vignettes of a child's perspective. At age three, Cass begins her struggle of whether she can be loyal to two fathers: "Old Daddy" (her biological drunk father) and "New Daddy" (her stepfather). There were a few points where the story was a bit slow to me, but I thought the theme would resonate in most teens, particularly young girls. While I think teenage boys could find some comparisons in the book, The Lucky Place seems to read as more of a gushy female book. Cass shows a sense of strength that was very admirable for a young girl her age.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful little book. We journey through life with the young protagonist from the age of three to eleven or twelve. At each stage the voice of the first person narrator is dead on, the way she looks at and reacts to the situations she finds herself in are dead on. The language throughout is poetically beautiful.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boy, does Zu Vincent know voice. Cassie starts the book as an unsure but extremely lovable three-year-old, and ends up a smart and confident fifteen-year-old. And yet, the voice is always believable, the transformation subtle yet powerful. Wonderful.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cass's parents divorce when she is fairly young and she mostly grows up with her "New Daddy" Ellis. But when Ellis gets cancer, Cass' ideal new life may all disappear.

Another tear jerker of a read. I cried while sitting in the break room at work while reading this.

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This YA or middle-grade novel is a rule breaker, told from the POV of a four-year-old at the beginning. I was fascinated with the way she ages the character with language and the way she perceives her world. Heartbreaking, touching, and meaningful. This families struggle gets under your skin.

[Daria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't terribly fast-paced and the plot wasn't super gripping, but I ended up liking it. The beginning threw me for a loop because the narrator, Cassie, was 3 years old and this is marketed as a YA book, but by the end, she is 12 or 13.

[530 Book Club]

This author did a class/lecture at a writers conference I went to on YA. She read passages from Wind in the Willow and kept calling it YA. Though this book was an interesting read, I don't believe she has a firm grasp on the demographic. This felt confused. I don't know who her audience is.

[Pamela J Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the saddest books I've read, and what I loved about the authors technique was that as Cassie gets older, her diary entries sound more and more mature and advanced; her writing style ages with her.

[Jennifer Bennallack · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was required reading, otherwise it wouldn't have been purchased. This isn't a bad book, it just did not hold my attention. I couldn't bring myself to care about the characters, and couldn't tell if the intended audience was adult, YA, or children.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is filled with suffering (mostly because of the deadbeat dad) but it ends hopefully. I like how the writing style develops along with the main character - childish at first, then gradually becomes more descriptive and introspective.

[Rachel]

Released April 2008

[Madeleine · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a sweet,heartbreaking book. The author wrote from the perspective of a very young girl, and the beginning captured childhood magically.

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Young adult (or younger). Interesting perspective from a very young girl and as she approaches her teenage years. Difficult to maintain that point of view, but Zu Vincent handles it well.

[Sandra Alonzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the voice in this book. I wanted to wrap up the main character, Cassie, and take her home. It's magical.

[KrininaLynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was beautiful and encouraging. A very good read, highly recommended. Nice and clean. Good characters. Wonderful writing. Read it.

[Kayleen Million · Rating 1 out of 5]

I honestly couldn't bring myself to finish this book.. I was just so bored with it and it didn't capture my attention

[Ginger · Rating 4 out of 5]

So lovely.

[Julie McCahill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for mother daughter book group. Downer book, well written, author from Vermont.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I NEED TISSUES EOCGSVSLOSGWVSDLODGS