How Lucky

Daniel is a twenty-something guy living in a southern college town and working at-home for a regional airline’s customer service department. He only has a couple of friends and doesn’t get out too much, with the exception of tailgating on football game days. Overall, though, he considers himself a lucky guy, despite the fact that he has a degenerative and eventually fatal disease that has left him wheelchair-ridden, Stephen Hawking style. Then one day he sees a college student accept a ride from some dude in cowboy boots and a ballcap for a defunct team, and when she is reported missing, he’s pretty sure he was the last person to see her, except for her kidnapper, of course. But what, exactly, can he do about it? Honestly, more show more than you’d think.

This Rear Window-esque novel is like a fun, slightly wild ride on a motorized wheelchair (and I’m convinced Daniel would happily take readers on such a ride if requests were made). The mystery itself isn’t anything earthshattering and there are no big or shocking twists, which threw me off a bit, if I’m honest. But Daniel himself, and the more-than-half of the book devoted to his life story, more than make up for whatever the actual plot lacks. He's a fantastically created character, who rings 1000% true, and he’s one that you’ll want to be friends with for life. show less

I really like the simple unassuming cover of Will Leitch's new novel How Lucky. But the real reason I picked it up was Stephen King's blurb - "A fantastic novel. . . . You are going to like this a lot." And yes, I really, really did!

Daniel lives in Athens, Georgia, works for an airline answering customer issues online, goes to football games on the weekend and hangs out with his best friend Travis. One morning while out on his porch, he sees what he thinks is a kidnapping of a student who walks by daily. But did he? She seemed to get in willingly. But then Ai-Chin is reported as missing. Daniel attempts to let the police know about what he's seen, but....

And a lot of that but has to do with the fact that Daniel has a degenerative show more physical disability - SMA - Spinal Muscular Atrophy. The police officer sent to talk to him, can't seem to see beyond the wheelchair. Daniel's concerns and information are blithely explained and written off.

What a fabulous lead character! I loved Daniel's voice, his sense of humor and his refusal to define himself with his condition. The supporting cast is just as great - everyone needs friends like Travis and Marjani.

I learned so much about SMA through Daniel. The hard, cold facts but also the human emotions, attitudes, strengths and joys that Daniel embodies. He considers himself to be lucky. You'll need to have a tissue handy in more than one chapter. And maybe see your own life through his lens.

Back to Ai-Chin - she's still missing and Daniel decides to investigate online. And I'm going to leave it there.....

I chose to listen to How Lucky. With such an engaging lead character, the reader needed to be just right. I'm happy to say that Graham Halstead was the perfect choice. His voice is clear and both easy and pleasant to listen to. His voice matched the mental image I had created for Daniel. There's lots of movement in his voice, capturing Daniel's thoughts, emotions and interactions and bringing them to life. Halstead captures the overall tone of the book easily. I've said it before and I'll say it again - I find myself more drawn into a tale by listening. And that is definitely the case with How Lucky. show less

Totally unexpected. I picked this book up as the cover review said, "funny." I figured it would be a nice change from so many that are intensely sad. Parts made me smile with other sections being totally serious about a disease which can overwhelm and consume someone's life.

Daniel is 26 years old living in Athens, Georgia and was diagnosed as a young toddler with Type 2 Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). His entire life span is expected to be short and everyday he knows that death is around the corner if his body doesn't adjust with specific requirements. He is surrounded by care takers paid for by Medicare.

He notices people on his neighborhood street more than most. He watches a girl that looks familiar get into a car. She looks nervous. show more He wonders if she has been kidnapped. Then he sees a news report of a missing girl and he wants to help. The story is full of twist and turns with his health and trying to contact the police which isn't easy as he has to use a machine to assist him with speaking. It's a wild ride until the end.

The author touched on real life events from other people with disabilities making the story believable. The words flowed smoothly with some humor mixed in making it a book that I finished in a day. There was one chapter without words that caught me by surprise: 25. I wonder if that was intentional.

Nevertheless, it was one of my favorites this year with some of the things Daniel said. "I have loved and I have been loved." Yes, that's what we all want. show less

Quirky and fun, Will Leitch has crafted a tale with an engaging plot and a wonderful narrator whose voice is inspiring and authentic, Daniel's endless optimism, resilience, and perspective on life simply brightened my day.

This book was a little bit of everything - it was both heartwarming and witty as well as suspenseful.

The story had great character development. Daniel is remarkable, and I read the story half holding my breath. Even though I knew where Daniel's actions would lead him, Leitch STILL had me on the end of my seat. Daniel's caretaker Marjani and his best friend Travis are both devoted to him and really well drawn and delightful in their own ways.

If I had any regrets, is that the book ended exactly where it did. I wasn't show more ready for it to end, and I wanted to know what came next for Daniel.

I went into this one a little blind, and I was delighted through and through. Fans of Fredrik Bachman and Richard Russo will love this book. This one is a favorite for the year so far! show less

There is a scene in Star Trek: The Next Generation, where if I am not misrecollecting, Data is playing poker with some of the greatest physicists, which include Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawking, where Hawking plays a cameo, and it has everything to do with him being something but stereotypical. Hawking had ALS, which is not SMA, but is referenced in How Lucky when Will Leitch talks about the Ice Bucket Challenge. He is how I envisioned Daniel in my mind while reading this book.

How Lucky really pulled me in: it was a genuine thriller, combined with college football Saturdays (OK, Georgia football, not really a fan of that), and a very human telling of Daniel, who happens to witness a kidnapping of a foreign student just show more outside of his home. Leitch's portrayal of Daniel was imminently believeable, a defiant and realistic don't-pity-me character, who while he may succumb to SMA eventually, it wasn't going to happen in these pages.

I believe it's sometimes hard to put yourself in the shoes of another as an author, but Leitch talks in the acknowledgement section about his own experiences with it, and frankly, I think he wrote a convincingly solid novel. I strongly recommend How Lucky as I enjoyed it immensely. show less

This was a surprisingly great read! I didn't know anything about it but it was recommended - I do not even remember who - so I thought it would be a light, fun read just from the cover. Not surprisingly, I was wrong but not completely. It actually deals with a lot of very serious subjects but yet there is a lightness and optimism to it. Unlike so many novels today, this book is full of very likeable characters and that alone made it refreshing but it was so much more than that. The MC has a degenerative disease so there is a lot about what life and living mean but there is also a good mystery and fun friendships. I highly recommend this book. 4.5 stars

How Lucky
Review of the Harper hardcover edition (May 2021).

This was quite the unique novel for the crime genre as the protagonist is wheelchair bound and can only do his detecting from restricted observation, artificial speech generation, one-handed internet research and email on his iPad. Daniel has Type 2 Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) a debilitating neuromuscular disease which will be fatal once all of his muscle ability, including breathing, has disappeared. Despite all of these obstacles, Daniel feels lucky to be alive and relishes every day.

One morning from his porch, Daniel observes a young woman getting into a car, apparently of her own free will. Later that day he realizes that she is the same woman who has been reported missing show more by her college roommates. The residents of the town of Athens, Georgia are gradually drawn into the search. Daniel's one clue is that he at least saw the make and colour of the car. The police are initially confused by a witness who can't talk, but eventually with the aid of his friends and caregivers Daniel is able to pass on what he knows. Meanwhile he takes up the search remotely via the internet and discussion forums.

Although the eventual solution and confrontation is rather far-fetched, the point of the book is really to give an individual like Daniel a voice and to hopefully convey a better understanding of others in similar situations. Author Leitch does this with great empathy and good humour with the Daniel character being a very unique creation.

Will Leitch explains in his Afterword that he was inspired to write the story when he learned that a friend of his own child had been diagnosed with the condition. It is mentioned in the book that recent innovations have allowed for treatment, especially with the drug marketed as Spinraza, although it is apparently one of the most expensive medications in the world.

I read How Lucky due to its nomination for Best Novel in the 2022 Edgar Awards by the Mystery Writers of America. The winners of the 76th Annual Edgar® Awards will be announced on April 28, 2022.

Other Reviews
A lightweight thriller contours an earnest, sincere portrait of a hero whom many insist on seeing as a victim, Kirkus Reviews, May 11, 2021. show less