Luck of the Titanic

· Penguin
5.0
5 reviews
eBook
384
Pages
Eligible
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About this eBook

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Downstairs Girl comes the richly imagined story of Valora and Jamie Luck, twin British-Chinese acrobats traveling aboard the Titanic on its ill-fated maiden voyage.

Valora Luck has two things: a ticket for the biggest and most luxurious ocean liner in the world, and a dream of leaving England behind and making a life for herself as a circus performer in New York. Much to her surprise though, she's turned away at the gangway; apparently, Chinese aren't allowed into America.

But Val has to get on that ship. Her twin brother Jamie, who has spent two long years at sea, is there, as is an influential circus owner, whom Val hopes to audition for. Thankfully, there's not much a trained acrobat like Val can't overcome when she puts her mind to it.

As a stowaway, Val should keep her head down and stay out of sight. But the clock is ticking and she has just seven days as the ship makes its way across the Atlantic to find Jamie, perform for the circus owner, and convince him to help get them both into America.

Then one night the unthinkable happens, and suddenly Val's dreams of a new life are crushed under the weight of the only thing that matters: survival.

Ratings and reviews

5.0
5 reviews
Danielle Hammelef
8 May 2021
Immediately from the start, I loved the voice of the narrator Valora Luck. I loved her intelligence, street smarts, quick thinking, athletic abilities, and spunk. This book is one I had a difficult time putting down as the built in historical tension of this tragic event added an increased urgency for me to keep reading. I felt as if I were aboard the Titanic--this author created a setting that popped to life. I could feel the ship pushing through the ocean, the occasional rolling with the waves, and felt as if I could touch the details of the ocean liner's finery down to the basics of the third class quarters. The issues of racism played a huge part in Valora's life, especially with the Chinese Exclusion Act preventing her from entering the United States to follow her dreams of performing. The way the Chinese were treated on board by the crew and other passengers brought out anger and frustration in me, especially when life boats were sailed half-full and left Valora and her brother and others behind. I loved the family aspect of this novel and the unexpected friendships that quickly formed. I enjoyed the message of not forcing your own dreams on others just because you think it's best for them. Valora realizes she never truly knew the people that she felt closest too, either because she didn't want to face the truth, or it was hidden from her.
3 people found this review helpful
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Kelsey Bickmore
18 May 2021
This is a gorgeous cover first of all! I just needed to say that and get that out of the way. The rest of the book was really well done too. I sped through this to find out what happens with Valora and if she can fulfill her dream of getting into the US, despite the Chinese Exclusion Act, after she finds her twin brother who is working as a coal shoveler on the maiden voyage of the Titanic. Now I am sure most people know about the ill fated Titanic but I had my hopes up that there might be a happy ending for this book. It does have a little blurb at the beginning where it says, of the 8 Chinese on board, six survived. I enjoyed reading about Valora's interactions with the various passengers on the Titanic (some of them actual real people) and it was fun to read about her plans to raise money (via acrobatic tricks) and how to get into the US. There is a little bit of romance, fancy dresswear courtesy of the House of July, and bonds of family like Jamie, but also two little boys that she kind of adopts. There is also racism due to the fact that Valora and her brother are part Chinese, true for the time and so a valid part of the story. Yes, there is tragedy, especially at the end and it is so heartbreaking but still a good story. I think it is a worthwhile read.
1 person found this review helpful
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Brinley Lopes
2 August 2021
There are so many good things about this book. From the characters to the atmosphere. From the heartbreaking ending and the explosive beginning. As soon as I started this, I couldn't put it down, and after finishing it, I'm ready to pick it up again. My favorite thing about this is definitely the educational aspect. Now, don't take that the wrong way. This isn't an educational book. It just tackled things I'd never thought about before. I've read other books set on the Titanic, but they've never tackled how minorities were treated on it. Reading about them being denied lifeboats just because of their race was heartbreaking. I feel like it's one of the things about the Titanic's sinking that needs to be talked about, not hidden behind the other horrors of the event. Other than that, I really loved our characters. This featured a full cast: Bo, Wink, Olly, Tao, Jamie, and Valora. Every one of them stole my heart, and although I knew not all of them could make it out, I was hoping they would. Although I did get tired of Valora and Jamie's self-sacrificing act at the end, I felt like it stayed true to the characters and the story. Although it was a minor part of the story, I also loved the dresses April would give Val. They were gorgeously described, and I could picture them perfectly in my mind. It completely fit my idea of the Titanic, and made the atmosphere even more bewitching. As soon as I saw the cover for this, I knew I wanted a copy, so I'm so happy to be holding one in my hands. I already know I'll be passing this around to my friends at school, and forcing them all to read this masterpiece. I'd definitely recommend this! Thanks to Stacey Lee and Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
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About the author

Stacey Lee is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels The Downstairs Girl, Luck of the Titanic, Under a Painted Sky and Outrun the Moon, the winner of the PEN Center USA Literary Award for Young Adult Fiction and the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. She is a fourth-generation Chinese American and a founding member of We Need Diverse Books. Born in Southern California, she graduated from UCLA and then got her law degree at UC Davis King Hall. She lives with her family outside San Francisco. You can visit Stacey at staceyhlee.com. Or follow her on Twitter @staceyleeauthor.

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