Lucky [Paperback]

Eddie De Oliveira (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2004

A clever debut about love, sex, and everything in between, for anyone who's ever fallen for a friend (come on, admit it)

Sam is a teen boy who's attracted to both boys and girls. He doesn't know what to call himself or where he fits in. Then he meets Toby, another boy who likes both boys and girls. Are they destined to be just friends, more than friends, or less than friends? And what would happen if they were attracted to the same girl?

Love comes in many shapes and sizes. Sometimes all at once. In his brilliant, funny, and heartfelt debut, Eddie de Oliveira shows us there's more to life than being a wallflower or being knocked out by nunga-nungas.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up–This is de Oliveira's first novel, and he's a writer to watch. Sam Smith is a young, sexually confused teen living in Surrey, England. He enjoys hanging out with his friends, Brenda and Pod, and is passionate about playing on the local football team. Then he meets self-confident Toby, another gifted player, who happens to be gay. Toby introduces Sam to the contemporary gay scene in London, which includes Soho nightlife. Sam is intrigued and wonders if he might be gay, as well, especially after he notices mysterious and attractive "Him," a young stranger who occasionally shows up at football games. Eventually Sam comes to the realization that "These are the facts. I'm attracted to boys and girls.... I'm just Sam. I was born like this." De Oliveira has a mature, concise writing style and an excellent command of narrative pacing and dialogue. Sam and his friends are believable characters, flawed but likable, and the author's examination of contemporary British youth will probably intrigue American readers. Raw language and British slang (snogging, shagging, poof, cheeky git, etc.) are used liberally throughout, which requires some adjustment at first. Overall, this is a well-written and insightful novel that should appeal to relatively sophisticated young adult readers.–Robert Gray, East Central Regional Library, Cambridge, MN
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 8-12. Nineteen-year-old Sam, a university student and soccer player, wrestles with his sexual identity. In a flashback narrative, the British teen recounts events that occur during the summer after his first year of college. Sam realizes that he is attracted to both boys and girls, and he worries about how his old friends and teammates will respond. Sam's self-analysis can become tiresome at times, but he often approaches his situation with a sense of humor that lightens things up. His favorite place for self-reflection, for example, is the toilet, where he can sit for hours contemplating his feelings. A few random, undeveloped plot points mar an otherwise engaging story: Sam's hookup with a girlfriend of a boy with whom Sam had sexual encounters; Sam's mother's sudden, unconditional acceptance of his sexual orientation. But Sam is an appealing character, and his painful struggles with his sexual identity should resonate with many readers. Ed Sullivan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (February 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439546559
• ISBN-13: 978-0439546553
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,429,704 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I wanted to see one more act, March 19, 2005

By 

Jonathan Appleseed - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Lucky (Paperback)

Eddie De Oliveira is an extremely talented young writer. Seeing that he was born in 1979 was rather humbling. With another book to be released in August 2005, he has overcome what we in the writing industry call "resistance", and is a true professional, practicing his vocation - as opposed to an amateur who plays around with his avocation.

The description of the relationship between Sam and Toby - and HIM - is extremely realistic and tangible. It was difficult not to pity Sam as he found his attractions for Toby growing exponentially, although Toby remained distant. And then when Toby met Lucy, a girl that Sam saw first and fancied, although Toby approached her and hit her up, Sam's and Toby's relationship went into a tailspin.

Oliveira did an excellent job getting directly into Sam's head with regard to his fears, concerns and conflicts regarding sexuality. Am I straight - I *am* attracted to girls. Am I gay - I *am* attracted to guys. Am I bisexual - I *am* attracted to boys and girls. Sam actually searched the dictionary to try to find the right word to describe what he felt, and ultimately decided that he couldn't label himself. I've always referred to that as: you love who you love. If you love a girl, you love a girl. If you love a guy, you love a guy.

I felt there was a little too much rumination and focus on soccer, as opposed to direct action - such as dialogue, interaction between characters, etc. While the latter certainly existed, it seemed that rumination captured the majority. I also felt that his declaration of his sexuality came at a very strange time, and I was completely taken by surprise. That said, "coming out", whether as a bisexual, trisexual, whatever - sometimes just happens as it happens, and there is no real reason behind why or when.

However, I thought there was a third act that was missing here, and that would be Sam's interaction with HIM, the guy he had been casually eyeing and flirting with at soccer games. I understand that we our own imagination could fill the blanks for us, but after declaring a label-less bisexuality, his first romance with a guy would have introduced an entirely new element, and one that I think we should have seen. My recommendation would have been less rumination, and a final act with HIM.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Book For Older Teens, June 21, 2005

By 

ReadingTub Reviews (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lucky (Paperback)

Lucky is a story that describes how cruel people can be. The author tells us how he thinks we should deal with such cruelty. This is a young adult novel that shows us love has no labels. It is easy for teens to relate to what the author is saying. I would not recommend this book to children, but to very mature teenagers. It would be a little hard to understand being a younger child. This book is easy for teens to relate to what the author is saying. It is an interesting, well written book that tells teenagers to look past labels and find the true personality of a person. Although a young adult novel, it demands that the readers have a mature outlook on life. The story offers a means of opening discussions with teens about sexuality.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars lucky bye eddie de oliveira, June 8, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Lucky (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (School & Library Binding)

Ever wonder if you wern't straight? Sam did. All his life he had a funny feeling he wasn't like everyone else and that he might be bisexual. He had been scared for so long to tell anyone about his "confused gut" until he met a bisexual named Toby. Toby and him started to get close as friends because they could share their problems. Sam also feels feelings for Toby and he starts to realize he may like him more than a friend.
Everything was going great with them until Toby met a girl named Lucy and they started dating. When this happens , Sam realizes that he really does want Toby more than a friend and that he probably should talk to him. will he get the courage to talk to his "close friend?" Will he ever figure out his "confused gut?" I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good dramatic book and i would totally read this book again. *ashley*