The Lucky Kind by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Title: The Lucky Kind
Author: Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Published: May 2011 by Knopf Books

My Rating: 3 stars
Tags: YA | Romance | Realistic | Family
Includes: Sexuality, Profanity

First Lines: It's 7:42 on a Tuesday when the phone rings. I only notice the time because I'm watching Wheel of Fortune, which is so boring that I think I might be better entertained if I turned off the TV and stared at the blank screen.

Nick, a Junior in high school, is focused on getting the girl of his dreams: Eden Reiss. He's just an average guy with a nice family, whose biggest problem in life is how to get Eden's attention. However, all of that changes when the phone rings one night. It isn't soon until Nick finds out that the man on the other end of the line is the older brother he never knew he had. Nick's father gave up his first son for adoption almost thirty years ago. Now juggling between a new relationship with Eden, and a broken trust with his father, Nick's life has completely changed.

All of the many different relationships in this book were realistic and interesting in their own way. I could feel the tension between Nick and his father, and it was nice having his family play a big role in the book. Usually in the young adult genre, the parents are rarely mentioned. I think that Nick, even though not a really memorable or unique character, was extremely realistic. He made decisions that he couldn't justify, which I believe is the case for most teen guys. Sometimes he'd snap at someone for no reason, or get frustrated just because. I could totally relate to him and think that the author did a great job creating his character. Eden, on the other hand, I had more trouble getting to know. She was unpredictable, and I didn't quite think she was as believable. It seemed like she was instantly interested in Nick and even though I loved reading about the romance between them, it was really rushed.

The book dragged some and seemed to focus more on characters than plot. I actually enjoyed the book more after I was done reading it and thinking back on it, than I did while actually reading it. I think the novel had an interesting concept though, and Nick's anger at his parents for keeping the truth from him was acceptable. I really felt for him and would have probably acted the same way. I adored the ending: it wasn't cliche or cheesy, it didn't say what actually ended up happening, and it left room for the reader's imagination. It kind of lets you make up your own ending, which was interesting. Overall, I think this book was just alright. It had unique relationships, a good message, and a very believable story line, however the writing was a bit bland. I'll probably check out more writing done by this author though.

Cover Thoughts: I think it's alright...it doesn't really have to do with the book. However, I think the title fits the novel perfectly.

Book Supplied by: Author for review.