A review by mikaylay
Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee

sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

 
The cover is visually appealing and gorgeous. I appreciated how the author sought to produce a book in memory of the eight Chinese passengers on the Titanic while also offering information about their treatment both on and off the ship. Personally, after reading this book, I would read the author's notes first, then read the book to lower any high expectations one might have going into the book. I enjoyed portions of the banter between the siblings Valora and Jamie, but I didn't like how Valora spent 99.9 percent of the book urging Jamie to come to America with her to fulfill her dream rather than theirs. I enjoyed Jamie's friendships with his buddies and thought they had the most character growth. Valora, our female main character, appears to have poor development as she bounces around from trying to persuade her brother Jamie to accompany her to America, disguising herself as a widow, and attempting to have a romance with Jamie's friend Bo, making it difficult to connect with her and see if she made any true connections with any of the other characters. The location of the Titanic was exciting, but the author's information and writing style made it difficult to determine where the individuals were on the ship in each scene. The plot idea was intriguing, and it was one of the reasons I bought the book in addition to the lovely cover, but it did not measure up to my expectations. The plot was slow and dragged on at times, and it took approximately 280 pages out of 361 for the Titanic's sinking to begin and for the pace to pick up. I also found it fascinating that the Titanic had just 20 lifeboats despite having about 2,000 passengers on board. 
I thought the author did a good job of describing the confusion, chaos, and poor decision-making by both the passengers and the crew aboard the ship. As we read, many of the lifeboats were only half full; many thought the call to the lifeboats was only a drill; some were told they weren't allowed on because of their race or gender; and we get a glimpse into why safety drills are so important, as well as trying to remain as calm as possible.

The book's ending, while devastating as we see Valora give up her life so that her brother Jamie might be saved, was frustrating to read and reminded me so much of the Titanic film's ending that I felt like I was rewatching the Jack and Rose sequence all over again.
However, if one looks closely at Valora's dreams in the novel, one can discover foreshadowing of her death in them.


Overall, the book was okay, but the plot and writing style did not appeal to me. The Titanic narrative is heartbreaking whether you read, watch, or listen to it, and many mysteries surrounding the legendary sinking ship and its passengers remain unsolved to this day. 
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