Customer Reviews

Lucas

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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

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.

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.

Lucas was an amazing book, the best one I've ever read. I've never been into books much and it's hard to get me to even read one, but this one was wonderful, i couldn't put it down, i spent all of my class time reading it. Lucas is an astonishing character, you grow into the book you become cait. You see things as if you were in her world and you get to kno Lucas. The further into the book you get the more you get to understand the brilliancy of this book, it makes you laugh and cry, it makes you blush with embarassment for Cait, YOU FEEL the book. Lucas will take you on a journey that you wont forget, it changed my views on things, made me realize what a horrible and unforgiving world we live in these days.

Caitlin and her family don't quite fit in with island life. She is idealistic and quiet, and her father spends his time writing avant-garde teen novels that, to quote Caitlin, "don't make a lot of money." The only one who sort of fits in is her brother, who has spent most of his time home from college out of the house. Caitlin's summer life on the island promises to be a game of avoiding the town's scummy college-age self-proclaimed gift to women and trying to figure out what to do about her best friend, who is hanging out with people Caitlin finds unsavory.

The moment she sees Lucas, though, she knows things will be different. Lucas has no last name, no history, no friends, and no family --- but he is gentle and thoughtful, and Caitlin knows she can trust him. Not everyone on the island is as open-minded, however, and when Lucas is accused of a terrible crime, Caitlin is thrown into a kind of witch-hunt that will leave her changed forever.

If you have ever looked back on a sad event in your life and wished you could do it all over, this is the book for you. As Caitlin shows that the only way to make sense of tragic happenings is to sometimes look back, think about them and write them down, we as readers want to shake the ignorant island residents and cheer for Lucas and Caitlin's relationship. There is no pretentious language in this book, which is what makes it so great. The simple words, elegant descriptions, and an ending that is sad and hopeful at the same time stay with you long after the book is finished.

--- Reviewed by Carlie Kraft

I found this book on my own. I went to my local barnes and nobles and found this in the teen section. After only reading the inside cover I decided to try it. I couldnt put it down. Caitlyn is a character i could really relate to and the subtle appeal of the description of Lucas hypnotized me. This book is very well written and i find it a rare thing for an adult to write teenagers so well. The unspoken connection between Cait and Lucas was what kept my interest but the sudden surprises in the story were worth the read as well. Brooks has a great way of getting his readers to fall in love with some of his characters and i although i cried and was angry to what happens to Lucas it is one of my favorite books. I might give Martyn Pig a read just because I loved this book so much.

This book is about a girl named Caitlin who lives in a small, quiet town. Her mom died when she was young, her brother is away at college, her dad is an alcoholic, and her dog is one of her best friends. The day Caitlin and her dad went to pick her brother up was the first time she saw Lucas. Ever since then she couldn't get him out of her head. As the book goes on you'll see that everything and everyone Caitlin knows is starting to change, and she finds herself to start depending on Lucas, who everyone hates because he is mysterious and an out of towner. Soon Lucas finds himself in the middle of all the drama, and has his turn to depend on Caitlin and her family.

A couple of things I liked about this book was how Lucas seemed to appear out of no where, and when he did appear, made the book much more interesting. I also liked how the author made things happen completely opposite than I thought it would. Some things I didn't like was how every time Caitlin described something, she went on and on and on about it. I also didn't like how the ending was really sudden.

I would recommend this book to any one that like mysterious/drama books, with a little twist of romance. Kevin has a unique style of writing, so I'm not really sure how many other authors write like him

"Lucas" by Kevin Brooks is a surprisingly honest and pure story which reflects the emotions of love, hate, friendship, and rivalry. It is a story of a fifteen year old girl named Caitlyn McCann who has to go through the roller coaster of emotions that every teenager must endure, especially after she meets the mysterious "gypsy boy" named Lucas. When she finds out that he's not what her town fears, in fact he is completely the opposite, she can't help but be drawn to his isolated ways and finds herself seeking him out and protecting him. The gritty material that this novel is comprised of is surprisingly powerful and deals with real life situations such as rape, drugs, alcohol, and even suicide.
This book appeals to all teenagers and is great for sixth grade and up. Although it has a few explicit scenes Kevin Brooks does a fabulous job that really conveys his point that you must dig deeper to find a real person and not to jump to conclusions. As teenagers all throughout the book do tend to stumble upon these pitfalls they immediately either find a rebound or in the end "learn" from it.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this unpredictable book that is some ways I could relate to, such as when Caitlyn felt for Lucas in that friend in need sort of way but could not express it. In other ways I learned and understood what it is to keep secrets and deal with ignorant people who in the end had it coming, such as Jamie Tait and Angel Dean. I learned from Lucas, who remains the 'good guy' and even Jamie Tait, who is the popular boy but the repeat offender in Caitlyn's opinion. Lucas who is always docile and calm teaches me to turn the other cheek, whereas Jamie is always drunk and obnoxious teaches me to think about others, which he failed to do throughout the entire story.
This was a page turner that left you yearning for more even though it also left a sense of completion, and to tell the truth would be best left without a sequel or afterword. Kevin Brooks really outdid himself when coming up with each and every character making sure he addressed them from head to toe right down the the very stitches in their clothing, I actually felt that I really knew each character and after reading this story I knew that anyone could benefit from reading it.

Wow. I just recently finished this book and I am very impressed. This is a well-written, emotional book that you can really get into. It goes through a summer of Cait McCann's life that she will never forget, after meeting a boy, Lucas, who the local people of Hale do not like- only because they don't know him. This is a very good book, and it is the first book that I have actually cried in. The end pages always bring me tears... but for this book, it is great.

I suggest you go get this book (I think it's for ages Mature 13-14+). You really get to know the characters in this eye-catching book!

~lauren

I thought it was a great book. I'm 14 and not a perosn who loved to read till i read this book im gonna get the other books of kevin brooks i think hes a great auther. i think u should read this book its heart warming and skocking its great u never know where ur goin in it and at the end it all comes together.