Review of “The Lucky Ones” by Liz Lawson.

“Now they are one and the same, the frightening places and the daily places.”

The killing, the survival, the fear, the growth, and the friendship.

The Lucky Ones tells the story of a group of victims. Cruelty stumbles upon the life of a group of teenagers, filling it with fear, sadness, and a set of emotions that were too much for them to handle. It talks about May and how she’s a survivor, first to her brother’s death, whose life was unfairly taken away during a school shooting and then to the painful path of the duel.

There’s too much I can say about this book. I devoured it in 4 days. I loved Zach, and I had mixed feelings about May, but not for too long.

My favorite thing is that it is written from two different points of view, crossing two unconventional paths: May’s dealing with her brother’s loss, even though she wouldn’t admit it, and Zach’s, who’s the son of the killer’s attorney. On the outside, this might seem like your typical love story, where people amend each other’s wounds, but trust me when I tell you it isn’t. Another outstanding character is Lucy, another survivor of the shooting who decides to fight and help her friends despite how hard it may be.

I felt sad when the characters were sad, frustrated when they were angry. At the same time, they sneaked a couple of laughs, and I was in my early teens all over again. So even though the story seems dark, it’s vibrant, refreshing, and unique.

I could never stop thinking about how the killer’s mind works and how sick a person would have to believe that they could have the power to take another person’s life. How they could paint gray days into the canvas of many lives, thinking they did the right thing — setting free a whole tragedy into the lives of those who are left.

May is eaten up by the helplessness of unresolved issues that had an unexpected ending. After her brother’s death, she falls into this hole of pain and guilt where the light seems too far to reach. In Zach’s case, forced to put another face to life while not understanding his parents’ decisions, but incredibly he still has some space for his tenderness and cares to show.

Each of these characters lives a part of what tragedy lefts behind. Finding the choice to keep going is always there.