- Paperback: 280 pages
- Publisher: New Dawn Publishers Ltd (May 27, 2012)
- ISBN-10: 1908462043
- Source: BookSparks PR
Twelve-year-old Lucky Bird’s young life comes to a screeching halt when her mother, AnnMarie, disappears. Now forced to live alone with her abusive grandmother, Marian, her world becomes a living nightmare. Unexplained physical attacks by Marian were just the least of Lucky’s worries; Marian’s boyfriend, Tom, stalks Lucky, adding a completely different level of terror to her life. When she is attacked and can no longer suffer the abuse, Lucky escapes. Rather than finding a better life, circumstances force her to embark on a downward spiral of self-destruction involving drugs and the use of sex to obtain what she wanted.
It isn’t until her life is literally saved by young man and his family that Lucky is able to seek recovery and begin to deal with the inner demons that have taunted her all her life. She is forced to come to terms with indescribably terrifying secrets kept hidden from her, secrets that answer a great deal about her mother and the “motive” behind her twisted and abusive grandmother.
To say that this novel is a simple coming-of-age story of a young girl greatly depreciates the value and impact of this story. Often compared to White Oleander, I Am Lucky Bird doesn’t sugar coat or gloss over the pain and tragedy bestowed upon the main character. Philips portrays a completely genuine character living a life that, unfortunately, is completely plausible and realistic. While the ending strays a bit from the believability spectrum I think it is paramount that the author added a bit of hope to what started out to be a pretty dark and devastating story. A truly lasting and emotional story, I Am Lucky Bird is a novel that has carved a home in my heart. Highly recommended.
