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About The Book

In the tradition of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl comes a hilarious, madcap, and “quirky novel” (School Library Journal) about a group of oddball teens struggling to find themselves when facing their own mortality.

The life of homeschooler Stevie Hart gets all shook up when she meets Max, a strange boy who survived a freak near-fatal accident and is now obsessed with death. He enlists her and her best friend, Sanger, to help him complete his absurd “23 Ways to Fake My Death Without Dying” checklist. What starts off as fun begins spiraling downward when Stevie’s diabetes sabotages her fumbling romance with Max, Sanger announces she’s moving out of state, and then death—real death—cuts a little too close to home.

About The Author

Photograph by Kathryn Ormsbee

Kathryn Ormsbee grew up with a secret garden in her backyard and a spaceship in her basement. She is the author of The Water and the Wild, The Doorway and the Deep, and The House in Poplar Wood and the YA novels Lucky Few, Tash Hearts TolstoyThe Great Unknowable End, and The Sullivan Sisters. She’s lived in lots of fascinating cities, from Birmingham to London to Seville, but she currently lives in Eugene, Oregon.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (June 7, 2016)
  • Length: 384 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781481455305
  • Grades: 9 and up
  • Ages: 14 - 99
  • Lexile ® HL710L The Lexile reading levels have been certified by the Lexile developer, MetaMetrics®

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Raves and Reviews

*"Ormsbee writes with an occasionally tongue-in-cheek tone that manages to be authentically emotional while delivering a realistic picture of a population that rarely gets much scrutiny in fiction for young adults: home-schoolers. The smart, efficient language features dialogue that pops. A sweet story told with intelligence, humor, and just the right amount of kissing."

– Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

“Stevie Hart puts the cool in homeschool. Whip-smart dialogue, top-notch writing, and truly unique characters make for the perfect reading combination: quick pacing and heartaching. This book is alive in so many ways.”

– David Arnold, bestselling author of Mosquitoland

"LUCKY FEW swings between a wholly immersive search for a hand to hold in the midst of fear and loss, and navigating the vulnerable joy of true friendship and first love – a totally unique, beautifully crafted story at once hilarious and heartbreaking, exhilarating as the waters of Barton Springs. This book absolutely sings, without forsaking the honesty of loneliness and self-doubt – and the bravery it takes to become who we truly are."

– Jennifer Longo, author of Six Feet Over It and Up to this Pointe

“A beautifully written story of loss and acceptance, of humor and tragedy, of finding yourself by losing yourself.”

– Marci Lyn Curtis, author of The One Thing

*"Winsome characters, crackling dialogue, and an effortlessly enjoyable writing style help this one stand out in the crowded contemporary YA marketplace."

– Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

“This second novel from Ormsbee shines in its offbeat humor.”

– Publishers Weekly

Awards and Honors

  • Spirit of Texas Reading Program

Resources and Downloads

High Resolution Images

More books from this author: Kathryn Ormsbee