Guest Book Review: I Am Lucky Bird

By Kim Walker

At first, I wasn't sure I made the right choice in committing myself to reading this book and writing a review for it. Sure, I was captivated by the book's description describing a young girl's troubled life and the trials she endures, but I was concerned it would be too dark, too deep, for me to actually enjoy reading it. I was wrong. No, this wasn't my usual choice of book to read -- it wasn't a fun, flirty book about a young woman's quest to find the perfect man or land the perfect job -- instead it was a deeply emotionally book that would stay with me for hours after I put it down and for days after I read the last page.

I Am Lucky Bird is the heart-wrenching story of a young girl named Lucky who grows up in a small town in Montana, raised by a young woman named AnnMarie and AnnMarie's mother, Marian. She lives a quiet, sheltered life, spending most of her free time reading books with AnnMarie about places she will never visit and adventures she will never get the chance to go on.

When Lucky is 12 years old, her childhood comes to an abrupt end when the person she is closest to, AnnMarie, disappears while walking to work one day. The police have few clues and the case turns cold quickly. Lucky's already sheltered life becomes suffocating as Marian becomes an abusive monster almost overnight, controlling Lucky's every move, both physically and psychologically. On top of this already unbearable life, Marian's boyfriend, Tom, decides to make Lucky his prey, pushing her over the edge.

Lucky finally escapes these horrors by running away with the only friend she has, but soon she finds herself living in a self-induced spiral of destruction, that is not any better than where she came from, only different. Living on her own as a young teenager, she tries to lose herself in drugs and sex and parties until quickly she is no longer in control. And at this point, she doesn't really seem to care or understand. She's gone from one unbearable situation to another, with no hope of escaping.

Time is running out for Lucky and she needs some serious help before it is too late. On one fateful night, she is miraculously connected to one person, to one family, who may be able to make an impact, to help her see that good does exist in this world and that life is worth living. But first she must return to the home she grew up in to face some ugly truths and to find answers before she can move forward and save herself. But as luck would have it....

While reading this book, it was like having Lucky herself sitting right in front of me, telling me her story. The first-person voice is so personal; so raw -- almost monotonous in tone, yet not boring at all, and the entire time I was help captivated, wanting more and more. Regardless of how this book was going to end - good or bad - I knew early on that I was glad I had decided to read it. Hands down, one of my favorite reads of 2012!!

Thanks to BookSparks PR for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Kim Walker is a wife and stay-at-home mother of two children who both have autism and her son also has a rare seizure disorder called Dravet Syndrome. Kim and her family reside in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and when she manages to find some time for herself, you can bet she has her nose buried in a book. If you'd like to talk about books with Kim, you can find her on Facebook.

You might also like: