Lucas [Hardcover]

Kevin Brooks (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2004

Things start to happen when Lucas arrives on the island. Who is he? Where does he come from? What does he want? And why do other people hate him so much? Caitlin's life changes from the moment she sees him walking across the causeway one hot summer's day. Lucas is the strangest, most beautiful, most unforgettable boy she has ever seen - and when she sees him, her world comes alive. But others will do almost anything to get rid of him. A haunting and gripping story of love and hate, about a girl afraid to let go of her innocence, and an extraordinary boy called Lucas.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up-This beautifully written allegorical tale by the author of Martyn Pig (Scholastic, 2002) stays with readers long after it ends. Set on an isolated island off Great Britain, the novel has it all-love, hate, sin, forgiveness and redemption, and a memorable title character. As Caitlin, 15, relates the events of the previous summer, she recalls with crystal clarity the moment when the mysterious boy appeared out of nowhere. His arrival precipitates a series of incidents that exposes the ugly underbelly of the seemingly idyllic setting. Lucas, 16, is enigmatic and direct, and has the uncanny ability to read people and predict their actions. He lives off the land, and doesn't seem to want or need anyone. The locals don't understand him, and they see him as a threat. Lucas rescues Caitlin from being raped by Jamie, a seemingly upstanding college guy who, with his gang of rowdy, beer-drinking buddies, spreads rumors and innuendoes about the stranger. The situation rapidly escalates into an accusation of attempted murder after one of the island girls is brutally attacked. A group of residents abandons rational thought and becomes a senseless mob, seeking vigilante justice. The writing is extraordinarily lyrical. The often-dreamlike quality of island life is juxtaposed with the ever-present threat of violence like the calm before a storm. All of the characters are sharply defined. Lucas, with his mixture of real and unearthly qualities, is unique and unforgettable. This is a powerful book to be savored by all who appreciate fine writing and a gripping read.
Sharon Rawlins, Piscataway Public Library, NJ
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Gr. 8-10. Brooks, author of Martyn Pig (2002), offers an-edge-of-the-seat story that has overtones of classics such as The Ox Bow Incident and To Kill a Mockingbird. Fifteen-year-old Cait lives on a small British island and knows from the moment she sees Lucas walking on the causeway that connects her home to the mainland that he will play a significant part in her life. A handsome, prescient young drifter, Lucas is tagged as a thief by the rougher elements on the island. Cait's college-age brother has begun hanging out with one of them--Oxford student Justin, who has a dark side. As Justin becomes a danger, and Lucas a blessing, both Cait and the reader feel the confluence of events building with an intensity that is almost painful. In a final scene, the extensive foreshadowing that has permeated the book builds to a terrible climax. It's not so much what Brooks writes about (sometimes the plotting is over the top), but the way he writes. There's a purity to his style that pervades the narrative, which is by turns sweet, taut, and terrifying. The relationship between Cait and her father has a reality and honesty that's affecting. Teens may pick this up for its sheer intensity, but once they put it down, they'll ponder its meanings. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover
• Publisher: Perfection Learning (March 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0756945925
• ISBN-13: 978-0756945923
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,682,146 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lucas, December 1, 2004

By 

Em - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lucas (Hardcover)

I'd never read anything of Kevin Brooks' before but the front cover caught my eye in the library and I couldn't resist. Lucas is amazing. Brooks has a deceptively simple style that really lets you see things hoe Caitlin does. You can really relate to her and her father and brother. His descriptions are incredible clear. In parts, you can actually see the story moving in front of your eyes; your imagination reacts so well to the words. You will instantly adore Lucas, I promise. His pre-emptive skills, the way he moves, talks, thinks. If he wasn't, as Cait says "a flesh and blood boy" he could almost be magical. Almost.

There's plenty of reviews here explaining the plot so I wont do that but its got some really good issues on prejudice, morals, and basically how you might want to live your life, whch is what Cait and her brother struggle with most. At the same time it's captivating. A great read.

The only downsides of this book are the language used and the tricky situations people find themsleves in. I'm a big stickler for swear words and Brooks uses quite a few of the bigger ones, generally in the 'bad' characters. Also, due to circumstances and the prejudice against Lucas, people end up getting hurt. Without giving aweay the story I can tell you that there are some pretty violent fights involving blood and unconciousness, assault and attempted assault, mobs and a non-graphic, but still potentially distressing death. These really do add to the story but if you are particuilarly squeamish or touchy about the effect of foul language on your kids, steer away from this one. BUT if you aren't or are over about 14 (when I first read it and coped with the above issues okay) GO GET IT!! GET IT NOW, READ IT THROUGH TWICE!!! THEN LEND IT TO SOMEONE ELSE SO THEY CAN SEE HOW GOOD IT IS!!

Em

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books I've read this year!, January 13, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Lucas (Hardcover)

This book is an excellent find. I happened upon it in time to ask for it for Christmas, and read it in three days time after I received it. I insisted my friend read it, and she did so just as quickly. It's addictive. Brooks pulls you in and lets you know this isn't a story for those "faint of heart" or people who can't handle the truth of youth today. Lucas and Caitlin are intense characters with real depth, taking you to their island in England and out of your own home. If you never read, now is the time to start with Lucas.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lucas, April 24, 2006

By 

Brittney Lewer (Bak Middle School of the Arts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lucas (Hardcover)

Driving down the road back to Hale Island, passing over the bridge which is nearly flooded by the tide, a boy catches your eye. He looks out of place, and for a moment he looks at you and the whole world melts away. Later you learn that his name is Lucas, but you know then that he will change your life.

Caity McCann tells the story of her fifteenth summer, a summer that revolves around Lucas, a teenage drifter she met one day by chance or luck or fate. He is just as mysterious as his name--Lucas, neither his first nor his last, with no family to speak of, no history to share.

Lucas's strongpoint is definitely its characters. Caity is your typical people pleaser. She's also looking for what used to be, days when her brother didn't treat her like a child and she wasn't so restless, times when she didn't have to worry about everyone changing on her. Her best friend Bill is growing up enough for the both of them with her short skirts and party animal ways. Her brother Dom is a college kid who is so obsessed with being a grown-up that he's lost the boy he once was. Jamie Tait, pompous local celebrity and head of the anti-Lucas movement is malicious, arrogant, and charming. His plaything, Angel, acts jaded but is just a flashy, hollow girl, and his possessive fianc?e Sarah Toms is a green-eyed monster. Lucas is above them all and their petty grudges. Seldom can we figure anyone out, but through Cait's eyes we are constantly trying. Each character comes off as more than just a stereotype. They are vivid and layered, overlapping like a kaleidoscope, changing Cait's world whether she likes it or not.

Through Cait's narration, the story picks up humor and comments on our cultural idiosyncrasies. Cait amusingly points out how girls think its acceptable to dress provocatively as long as their friends do the same; how the risqu? young adult books her father writes are the kind that always get nominated for awards but never win; how book characters don't visit the bathroom unless they need to escape through some secret window.

The plot has many intertwined branches, all tied together by Cait and Lucas. The main storyline is that the town wants Lucas gone. It starts out with Lucas's misconstrued attempt to save a drowning ten year old and quickly escalates to Angel accusing him of sexual harassment. The author's theme of people seeing what they want to see is expertly personified in Bill's thinking that Lucas is guilty, although she sees with her own eyes that Lucas must be innocent of his alleged crimes. The author feeds us his message without gagging us, a commendable feat in itself. He also delves into the mind of a teenage girl with frightening skill and makes us feel just as helpless and frustrated as Cait, causing us to yell at the pages for justice in vain.

Lucas is a superb novel if only for its rich characters and plausible yet original plot, which reaches an astonishing conclusion that feels an awful lot like jumping off a cliff. A thought-provoking read, Lucas will leave your head spinning for quite some time and ruminating long after.