Lucy the Giant

by Sherri L. Smith

Lucy Otswego is a big girl who towers over just about everyone and everything in her small Alaskan town, except for her father's horrible reputation as a mean drunk. At 15, she runs away from the cruel classmates who see her only as "the Giant," the embarrassed adults who pity her, and the abusive father whose fleeting attentiveness is worse than his indifference. When the crew of a crabbing boat assumes she's much older than she is and invites her to join them for the season, she thrills at the possibility of escaping her teenaged life. Buoyed by the camaraderie and support of her new shipmates, Lucy quickly masters the mind-numbing cold and backbreaking work. But when her masquerade is threatened, she learns that there are no shortcuts to growing up. From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Teen, Adventure, Contemporary, Coming Of Age

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Sherri L. Smith is the award-winning author of YA novels LUCY THE GIANT, SPARROW, HOT SOUR SALTY SWEET, FLYGIRL and ORLEANS. In October 2015, she makes her middle grade debut with THE TOYMAKER’S APPRENTICE from G.P. Putnam and Sons for Penguin Random House.

Sherri has worked in film, animation, comic books and construction. Her books have been listed as Amelia Bloomer, American Library Association Best Books for Young People, and Junior Library Guild Selections. FLYGIRL was the 2009 California Book Awards Gold Medalist.

She loves her family, travel, chocolate chip cookies, reading, and and a really good cup of tea.

Reviews

[Rebekah]

The author bio says that Sherri Smith has never worked as a crabber, and lives in LA. In that case, I don't know how accurate her portrayal of the Bering Sea is, but it sure FELT real. She painted a vivid picture of Sitka and Kodiak and the crabbing work. Whether it was real or imaginary, I could see and feel it.

And when Lucy felt depressed or upbeat or delighted or awful, so did I.

When I was 15 and 16, I wished for books like this. I was disgusted because all the books written about people my age either had boy main characters or had romance as a significant part. This book was well-written, had an interesting plot (a kid on her own - give me more!), was about a girl, had no romance, was clean, showed an intriguing setting and lifestyle, and involved the main character making hard but right choices in then end. I'm not a teenager any more, but this is still what I consider pretty ideal.

[Jacque P.]

This book was so on the edge. The author Sherri L. Smith did a great job writing this book. I love it because its like your on the edge and then something different happens.

This book was amazing. At first it took a while to get into, but that is all books. When I was getting into it, I honestly couldn't put down the book. Every page was like something different and exciting. This book, I couldn't put it down. To me I thought it was really interesting. I would so read this again if I have too. This was one of my favorite books now. I think this is a great book for people who love books that are on the edge and exciting. Lucy and everyone else in that book was amazing and I can totally pictured who they were.

This book is more for teenager girls who think they are too tall. I think that because this book goes over how she hate her height. Also this book would be great for people that might have a hard time in life. Overall, this book was one of the best books I've read.

[Kim Savage]

Great coming of age story. Loved the Alaska backdrop and the adventure. Lucy is a gutsy girl. Her sadness causes her to make decisions that at 15 years old she’s not quite ready for, but she thrives anyway. Quick, easy read.

[Marybeth]

Wonderful story about finding the place we fit in the world and surviving so many things until we do. Loved the Alaskan setting!

[Sara]

This is such a heartbreaker! Lucy, the main character, is imminently likeable. She's a 15-year-old in an adult world, courtesy of an abusive, alcoholic father and an absent mother. She ends up working on a crab boat in the Bering Sea, replacing an empty life with miscellaneous co-workers, townspeople, and her landlord's dog. The three things I like best are the dogs (there are two) and how much Lucy likes them, the realistic look at the world of adults (which is sometimes really, really crap), and the things Lucy encounters that my daughter is just now realizing that she doesn't know. For instance, what do you do with several thousand dollars in pay if you've never had more than a few dollars in change? You put it in stacks on your dresser, just where you put the change. Of course, it makes bigger stacks...
If you don't cry, laugh out loud, and find yourself frustrated to death at the nastiness of human nature, you aren't reading this book.

[Karen Ball]

One of my favorite young ladies recommended this to me, and was she ever right that this is a great story! If you've ever watched an episode of Ice Road Truckers or Deadliest Catch, this will remind you of those. Set in small-town Alaska, Lucy Otsego is very, very tall girl -- over six feet. Her father is a mean drunk, Lucy's classmates are cruel about her differences and her situation, and the few adults she knows in town pity her but can do nothing to help her. Lucy runs away from home and because of her size is mistaken for an adult looking for work on a crabbing boat. She signs on for the season, hoping she has finally escaped her life. Lucy finds friends, but also finds out that growing up is a process everyone has to finish -- there are no short cuts. Good realistic fiction for 7th grade and up.

[Niffer]

A wonderfully poignant story about a young girl in search of herself. The ending is perhaps a little weak but I think, ultimately, Lucy finds answers for herself.

[Sarah Limb]

I really enjoyed this book! I have no knowledge of the Alaskan culture, especially when it comes to fishing. But I was engaged as I learned right alongside Lucy about the dangers of crabbing. Her story in regards to her family was deeply sad and I entirely understood when she jumped ship when she had the chance. I do think the ending got a little cheesy and rushed. But the story overall was intriguing and lovely to read!

[Jantine]

I read this when I was 12 years old and have never quite forgotten it. I've been rereading some of my favourite childhood novels lately and was pleased that this was as poignant - even more so from an adult perspective - as I remembered it. All my favourite books seem to be about children living nearby or at sea - I wonder why...

[Dayenne]

I've read this one in high school and I remember enjoying it.

[Rebecca]

This book surprised me in so many ways. It was interesting, charming, and lovely. I adored Lucy and the found family she developed and the decisions she made at the end were difficult but right.

[Anita]

3.5 stars
I found this book through one of my 11th graders, who read it during in-class SSR. I've read Smith's Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet and really enjoyed her writing style, especially her characters' voices. She has done the same with this novel. Lucy is at the periphery of society, literally and figuratively. She lives in small-town Sitka, Alaska, populated with fishers and drunks. Her father is one of these drunks, whom she must rescue from the bar each night. (How he is not cited for child neglect and endangerment astounds me). Lucy, like many 15 year-olds in low S.E.S. households, must raise herself. Lucy is extremely smart, and seems to be a reader. She has dreams of college, perhaps of even finding her mother, who abandoned her when she was seven. Lucy finds comfort in a fellow stray, a lost cause of a dog she names Santa Barbara. I cheered for Bar, as Lucy calls her. The relationship is short-lived and Lucy goes on her great adventure, which is also short-lived.
Lucy's adventure finds her in Kodiak, Alaska on a crabbing boat named Miranda Lee and captained by Harley, a fatherly man, who allows him on the vessel's crew. On this boat she finds a family in Harley and Geneva, and a purpose for life - crabbing. Although it many be hard work, she becomes important and purposeful. Unfortunately, also on the boat is Tracer, who I had strong words about during my status updates.
SPOILER AHEAD....


Through a series of events, she ends up required to return home. This is where I totally disagreed with Smith's narrative. The author had the chance to change her protagonist's life and future, but she allows her to return to her circumstances. Perhaps this is allows the character to push for a future to rise up beyond her means. However, the ending was a huge letdown for me as a reader. I want better for Lucy, beyond an education, but a better life as a teenager. She would have had that in Kodiak, with the Cap'n, Harley, and Geneva.

[Stephanie]

This was a really good book. This is about a 15 year old girl named Lucy from Sitka, Alaska that has to carry her drunken dad home everyday. She only has one friend at school, whose name is Sheila. Later on, a stray dog starts to follow her. Lucy doesn't like it at first, but she gets used to it. After, she secretly keeps her dog, which she decides to name Bar, at home without her dad knowing. A few weeks later, Bar gets sick and Lucy can't do anything to help. She tries everything to save her best friend. The last thing she does is try asking her dad for money for her to take Bar to the vet while she's holding her in her arms. Her dad doesn't say anything but tries to hit her. She gets so frightened that she runs out of the house and quickly takes her dad's credit card with her. She goes to the closest vet still holding Bar. When they get there, Bar is really weak. When the doctor takes Bar in for a check up, she already dies. Bar had a worm that got to her heart. Now Lucy has lost her best friend, and decides to run away to Kodiak, Alaska where she finds new friends and a crabbing job. Will she come back home?

-WELL READ THE REST OF DA BOOK AND FIND OUT, FOOL! (;

[Rachel Fessenbecker]

I very much enjoyed this book. It’s a coming of age story about a girl named Lucy who runs away from home after her dog dies. She’s trying to escape the tiresome life of taking care of her deadbeat, alcoholic dad in Sitka, Alaska. She starts a whole new life in Kodiak, pretending to be an adult named Barbara and finds work on a crabbing boat. Though the plot is somewhat unrealistic, the characters and wonderful descriptions drew me in, especially the images of the Bering Sea alongside the wide emotions of Lucy. I found myself rooting for her the whole time. I could recommend this book to anyone even those who aren’t typically drawn to adventure novels. This is because anyone I believe, can relate to this story-- a story about not quite fitting in but eventually finding people who can accept you and a place where you can grow and find out who you are. Very well done.

[Amy Brown]

Recently I have read Lucy the Giant by Sherri L. Smith. This is a really great book. This book is about a girl named Lucy who is rather tall is left alone with her drunk father. She is all alone having to pick up her father up in the middle of the night from the bar. That´s not normal, she should not have to do that she does not have a normal life. She can´t have friends over because her father might start to get angry, she can´t go anywhere without people calling her Joe's girl, she can´t go to school without people making fun of how tall she is. She can´t go home a get comfort from the mother that abandoned her. This story is a very heartfelt story about a little girl who is all alone and finds her way. I would recommend this book to all ages I am sure you will enjoy your read.

[saadia k]

I would give this book between 3 and 4 stars if I could, but I can't. I err on the side of 3, because for all its merits, I really did not like the way it ended. Maybe I should amend that: I didn't like that it ended. Additionally, I could really see loving it if I had read it in middle school. Seriously loving it. Lucy is a really wonderful character; I want to be her friend, her caretaker, her teacher.

A book I would absolutely recommend -- it's great and my reserved rating has mostly to do with the fact that I wanted to read more.

[Olivia Barr]

I really really loved this book. Lucy, the main character, has a rough life and is very easy to connect to. She suffers because of her parents bad decisions and decides that she has had enough of it one day. She has to grow up a lot and pretend to be someone she completely is not. I really loved watching her change and mature throughout the book. I also especially loved this book because I love books that have a tragic plot with a main character that pushes through and makes the best. I would recommend this book to struggling teens and everyone.

[jules]

I expected better. Flygirl, another book by Smith was great, and I thought her writing skills were much better than she showed in this book.
Lucy is an extremely tall, misunderstood girl who runs away from her home in Sitka, Alaska, after her dog dies. She joins and crabbing boat and discovers the family she never had on it.
Yes, it was corny and honestly pretty boring. I would not recommend to you, oh reader of this review. Do yourself a favor by picking up a different book.

[Mandi Ellsworth]

This story was sad, but encouraging. Does that make sense? This girl's life was so screwed up by the actions of her parents, and the kids at school weren't overly nice either, but she found reason to hope her life would get better. I really loved the voice of the main character. Very sweet, and just a little amazed by what she accomplished when she had the chance. I also learned a little about Alaska and crabbing that I didn't know.

[Anne]

Lucy Otswego is a big girl who towers over just about everyone and everything in her small Alaskan town-except for her father's reputation as a mean drunk. At fifteen, Lucy runs away from the cruel classmates who see her only as the Giant, the neighboring adults who pity her, and the abusive father whose fleeting attention is worse than his indifference.

I enjoyed the book as it went along, but felt let down by the ending.

[Roxanne]

Lucy is a big girl, and tired of being known as Lucy the Giant, and the daughter of the town drunk. She runs away from her small Alaska town and finds work on a crabbing boat. The friends she makes on the boat become like family to her, and life is perfect, until someone discovers that she's underage and blackmails her.

[Danie P.]

Lucy is 15 almost seven foot and has an alcoholic dad. After she loses a dog she adopted to death she decides to run away. Once in a different city Lucy is mistaken as an adult looking for work. She ends up joining a crabbing boat where she makes friends and enemies alike. This would be a decent book club read for teens. Nothing graphic just a good tale about how life can be tough.

[Joana]

This is one of the best book I have read so far. Although I wasn't happy with the ending, I still liked the book. I was able to relate with the characters. Also, the author had a great description of the place that I could perfectly imagine everything. I wish there would of been some more dialogue from other characters, rather than just Lucy's thoughts.

[Vicki]

15 yr old Lucy is tall, lives in Sitka, Alaska, takes care of her alcoholic father, has one good friend, Sheila. Thru lucky circumstances she ends up in Kodiak on a crabbing boat, the Miranda Lee where she finds true family in Harly (Captain), Dan, Geneva. Good

[Charis]

Lucy learns responsibility, but maintains a child-like fantasy about life. Great book--perhaps not totally balanced (is running away the best way to solve problems?), but a great book nonetheless.

[Tessa]

I couldn't decide between 3 or 4 stars. To bad you can't do halves. The book was good though. I thought that it was cool that it took place here in Alaska.

[piglover]

oh wow this book was heart touching read this

[Holly]

good, easy read

[Heather]

Good book about growing up. Quick, entertaining read. Didn't really like the way it ended, but sometimes life is like that.

[Karen]

This book is lovely. My first exposure to Alaska, and what I was comparing Sitka to when I went there in 2007. :)