Lucky by Marissa Stapley

Reading Lucky felt like hanging out with a friend who can’t quite get it together but is still wildly compelling to watch. The voice is sharp, the protagonist is messy in the best way, and I found myself rooting for her even when I wanted to shake her. It’s not often a book makes you both frustrated and protective of its main character, but this one manages it.

The pacing is where I stumbled a bit. There are stretches that feel like the story is circling itself, almost like it’s catching its breath before moving forward. On one hand, that slowness can be frustrating when you’re itching for something big to happen. On the other, it mirrors the way the main character drifts through her own life. Sometimes aimless, sometimes sharp, always complicated. Once I realized that, the slower rhythm felt less like a flaw and more like part of the point.

What really worked for me was the honesty. The book doesn’t try to glamorize struggle, and it doesn’t wrap its characters in neat moral lessons. Instead, it leans into the tension of someone who is equal parts hopeful and self-sabotaging. There’s a rawness to it that makes even the quieter scenes land. I especially loved the way the story explores luck versus choice — that fine line between what happens to us and what we do with it.

By the end, I realized I was more attached than I expected. It’s not the kind of book you inhale in one sitting; it’s the kind you take in slowly, the way you sip a strong cocktail. A little sharp, a little sweet, and it lingers after you put it down.

Overall, I really liked Lucky. It’s the kind of book I’d pass to a friend with a quick, “Just stick with it. I swear.”

Lucky is available at bookstores and Amazon.