Lucky Girl
Written by Amanda Maciel
Narrated by Brittany Pressley
3.5/5
()
About this audiobook
Lucky Girl is an unflinching exploration of beauty, self-worth, and sexual assault, from the author of the acclaimed Tease.
Rosie is a beautiful girl—and it’s always been enough. Boys crush on her, men stare at her, girls (begrudgingly) admire her. She’s lucky and she knows it. But it’s the start of a new school year and she begins to realize that she wants to be more. Namely, she’s determined to be better to her best friend, Maddie, who’s just back from a summer program abroad having totally blossomed into her own looks. Rosie isn’t thrilled when Maddie connects with a football player who Rosie was hooking up with—but if it makes her friend happy, she’s prepared to get over it. Plus, someone even more interesting has moved to town: Alex, who became semifamous after he stopped a classmate from carrying out a shooting rampage at his old high school. Rosie is drawn to Alex in a way she’s never experienced before—and she is surprised to discover that, unlike every other guy, he seems to see more to her than her beauty.
Then at a party one night, in the midst of a devastating storm, something happens that tears apart Rosie’s life and sets her on a journey of self-discovery that forces her to face uncomfortable truths about reputation, identity, and what it means to be a true friend.
Amanda Maciel
Amanda Maciel has worked in book publishing since graduating from Mount Holyoke College and is currently an executive editor of children’s books. She spends her free time writing, running, and helping raise her young son with her husband and their cat in Brooklyn, New York. Tease is her first novel.
Related to Lucky Girl
Related audiobooks
Light of Day Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5As You Wish Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Broken Beautiful Hearts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5On the Edge Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Can't Look Away Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Nothing but Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOut of Reach Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Tease Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Survival List Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The First to Know Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Morning Of Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEvery Stolen Breath Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Vibes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Always Forever Maybe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shooter Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Backlash Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Locked Inside Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5All We Could Have Been Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRules of Rain Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Build a Heart Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Summer After You and Me Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Girl, Unframed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Maybe One Day Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Irreversible Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Furious Thing Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Zac and Mia Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Stepping Off Place Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Beyond Broken Pencils Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pearl Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Little Do We Know Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
YA Social Themes For You
Powerless Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It's Not Summer Without You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Thousand Heartbeats Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5We'll Always Have Summer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5If He Had Been with Me Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Summer I Turned Pretty Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Uglies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The First to Die at the End Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Monday's Not Coming Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Long Way Down Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Butterfly Assassin Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Divergent Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Better Than the Movies Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle, Book 1) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Allegedly Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Life With The Walter Boys Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5They Both Die at the End Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Firekeeper's Daughter Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Summer of Broken Rules Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Echo: A Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Crank Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Weight of Blood Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Before I Fall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Warrior Girl Unearthed Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Go Ask Alice Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Hate U Give Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Akata Witch Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Specials Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Lucky Girl
6 ratings1 review
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lucky Girl by Amanda Maciel is a thought-provoking young adult novel about sexual assault.
Rosie Fuller is a beautiful teenager who revels in the attention she gets from the opposite sex. While she is popular with the boys at her school, she is not exactly teeming with female friends. After spending the summer apart from her best friend, Maddie Costello, she is shocked to discover that Maddie has transformed from a slightly nerdy awkward duckling into a beautiful swan. Rosie is determined to be a better friend to Maddie so after learning of Maddie's crush on popular football player (and Rosie's summer fling) Cory Callahan, she breaks things off with Cory. Despite her lingering jealousy, Rosie is supportive of her friend's new romance with Cory. However, one night at a party, Cory attacks Rosie and instead of coming to her friend's defense, Maddie blames Rosie for coming on to her boyfriend. In the aftermath, Rosie is ashamed and blames herself for Cory's actions but will her new friendship with transfer student Alex Goode help her see that what happened is not her fault?
Rosie is beautiful and she knows it. She uses her looks to validate her self-worth and she seeks out attention from boys every chance she gets. She is a party girl who sees nothing wrong with flitting from boy to boy but her relationships are as superficial as she is. While her friendship with Maddie means the world to her, Rosie is extremely jealous of her friend's transformation and she is ill prepared for the change in the dynamic of the friendship once Maddie gains some much needed self-confidence.
Initially, Rosie is so incredibly self-centered and selfish that she is difficult to like but after the incident with Cory, she finally begins to tone down her need for male attention. She is also much more reflective as tries to understand her conflicted emotions about what happened to her. Like many girls and women, Rosie is certain that she is to blame for the attack because she dresses to noticed and loves to flirt. She goes over the events from that night again and again and while at first she is convinced she flirted too much, she gradually begins to understand that the only person who is responsible for what happened to her is Cory. This is just the beginning of Rosie's transformation from self-absorbed party girl to a young woman who begins to realize that outward appearances are not the measure of a person. Repairing her friendship with Maddie is another important facet of her newfound maturity. Will Rosie take the next step in healing from her ordeal and report Cory for assaulting her?
Lucky Girl is a poignant and powerful novel that challenges the pervasive "blame the victim" attitude following a sexual assault. The long standing "she asked for it" mindset is still firmly in place and women are conditioned to automatically take the blame when they are sexually assaulted. The resulting shame and guilt in the aftermath of an unwanted sexual advance or assault are HUGE factors in a victim's unwillingness to report an attacker. Amanda Maciel's portrayal of Rosie after Cory's attempted assault is an all too accurate depiction of what a victim feels and thinks in the aftermath of such a shocking and painful event. In Rosie's case, her confusion is much worse considering her previous relationship with Cory and her own behavior. The subject matter is difficult to read, but this topic is so incredibly important that I highly recommend Lucky Girl to readers of all ages.