Lucky Us by Amy Bloom was our last book club selection and discussion. It would seem it was a unanimous thumb's down.  I had never heard of this book nor the author and based on the summary that I read on it in order to "vote" for our selection it didn't particularly appeal to me.

This is the story of Eva who being raised alone by her mom while her dad sometimes "visited.".  One day her mother decides to drop her off at her dad's house and never looks back.  Eva finds out her dad was married to another woman who has since died and she also has a half sister named Iris.  Thrown together unexpectedly they decide to make the best of their situation.  Iris is successful in many local talent shows and has been saving her prize money in order to go to Hollywood.  When Eva catches her dad rifling through Iris' room searching for the money Iris decides it's time to leave home now.  Eva tags along and their adventure begins.  They meet many noteworthy characters that manipulate their journey. 

I had difficulty connecting with any of these individuals except perhaps Eva who I think tried her best considering the hand she was dealt. There was too much chaos and dysfunction within the story for me to enjoy it. I grow weary of the characters using each other for gain, find it distasteful and as a result often wind up not liking the book.  Unfortunately this was one of those times. I would not recommend this one.

How I acquired this book:  Half.com website

Shelf Life:  Less than 2 months