Review and Giveaway: If You're Lucky by Yvonne Prinz

As you know, I love pretty much everything Algonquin Books publishes for adults. But you might not be aware that my love extends to books published under the Algonquin Young Readers imprint as well.

Yvonne Prinz's If You're Lucky, published last month, is no exception. Here's what I wrote for Readerly magazine:

This is an emotionally complex psychological thriller that weaves a mystery into a story that also examines grief, families, and mental health. After seventeen-year-old Georgia's older brother died in a surfing accident, she begins to question the behavior of one his friends, who decides to stick around town after flying in to attend the funeral. Unfortunately, Georgia has been battling schizophrenia all her life, and her friends and family dismiss her fears as emanating from her condition. As well as building tension and crafting an absorbing mystery, Prinz sensitively portrays the teen's mixed feelings about the side effects of her meds and her struggle to be seen as something more than her diagnosis. This young adult thriller would make an excellent book club choice, initiating discussions of several fruitful issues, including preconceived notions of mental illness.

Many of you read over a broad range of audiences and already know that not all young adult novels involve a dystopian world or an angst-filled love triangle. But if you tend to shy away from young adult novels, I urge you to put your misgivings aside and give this thriller, set in contemporary times, a try. If You're Lucky is multilayered and examines mature topics, making this a terrific crossover book.

For more on Yvonne Prinz and her newest novel, be sure to check out If You're Lucky page on the Algonquin Young Readers website. I enjoyed reading Prinz's essay about the writing of the novel and the surprising source of her inspiration. Book club members, both adults and teens, will appreciate the insightful questions included in the reader's guide, also available on the publisher's website.

Thanks to Algonquin Young Readers, I can offer two of my readers with a US or Canadian mailing address a copy of Yvonne Prinz's If You're Lucky. All you have to do to be entered for a chance to win is to fill out the following form. I'll pick a winner using a random number generator on December 4. Once the winner has been confirmed, I'll erase all personal information from my computer. Good luck!



Published by Algonquin Young Readers, 2015
ISBN-13: 9781616204631
Source: Review (see review policy)
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)