Summary: 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 people 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 on board, as is an influential circus owner. Thankfully, there’s not much a trained acrobat like Val can’t over come 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, audition 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 things that matters: survival.
(Summary from back of book – Image is mine.)
My Review: Valora Luck is determined to find her twin brother, Jamie, whom she hasn’t seen in several years, so she stows away, disguised as a first class passenger on the new luxury liner where he is employed — the Titanic. Valora hopes to persuade Jamie to join her in America, but when the two meet, he has other plans. Jamie wants to force her to return to England! That is, if she isn’t caught by the authorities first!
Luck of the Titanic is a YA historical fiction novel that centers in and around one of the most well-known tragedies in modern history. Like many people of my generation, my familiarity with this disaster comes primarily through my exposure to the James Cameron film, The Titanic. It’s been a while since I’ve seen the film, but Stacey Lee’s descriptive writing brought it all back again. I appreciated her detailed descriptions of the ship and especially the stark differences between the service and accommodations afforded to upper class passengers versus the poor souls crammed below decks.
I enjoyed the characters in this story, the circus element, and themes about family, equality, and sacrifice, but was most intrigued by the historical elements of the story. I am embarrassed to admit that prior to reading this book, I had not heard of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, and I appreciated the opportunity to learn more about its effect on Chinese immigrants, including their treatment aboard the ship and what happened to Chinese survivors. I also loved the diverse representation present in this book, including the inclusion of AAPI primary and secondary characters, and the presence of certain historical figures in the text.
For the most part, Valora’s story proceeds at a measured pace, but I spent a great deal of the book on pins and needles waiting for the iceberg I knew was coming. I was dreading its arrival and all that would mean for the characters, so I was pleased that so much of the story happened before tragedy struck. This is not the first book I have read by Stacey Lee, nor will it be the last. Her novel
The Downstairs Girl sits on my ‘Favorites’ shelf at home, and
Luck of the Titanic will too. The writing and content was suitable for the target audience (readers ages 12-17), but can easily be enjoyed by older readers. The ending was about as bittersweet as I expected from a book about the Titanic, but exceptionally well done.
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
For the Sensitive Reader:
Language: I think I counted one D word.
Sexual content: Some slight innuendo. A romantic thread and kiss (M/F).
Violence: Violence, Injury, and Multiple Deaths. One attempted sexual assault (interrupted before he gets very far, non-graphic).
Other: Discriminations based on race/ethnicity/country of origin, gender, and social status.
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