The first time Stevie encounters Max, he's lying in the neighbor's yard in a pool of (fake) blood. The second time the two bump into each other, Max is (fake) drowning in a local lake. Each time max is in peril, Stevie comes to his rescue. And each time she discovers Max's almost-deaths are nothing more than cleaverly-orchestrated acting. How frustrating!
With a meet-cute like this, how can it NOT be true love?
Stevie soon learns that Max recentely had a near-death experience and lived to tell about it. Ever since then, he's bound and determined to thumb his nose at Death by faking his death in as many ways as possible without... well, without actually dying. Stevie, along with her equally-quirky BFF Sanger, agrees to help Max complete his list, some of which are pretty bizarre (spontaneous combustion, anyone?).
What follows is a morbidly hilarious adventure, as the trio of teens cement their friendship over angry (and possibly rabid) peacock attacks, hypothermia, and deadly allergic reactions.
But as Max's two-month deadline to complete the list approaches, some very serious truths come to the surface. And Stevie realizes that there are things even more important than (fake) death. Like friendship, love, and life.
Lucky Few by Kathryn Ormsbee is the perfect blend of quirky humor, serious life situations, and sweet romance. The characters were well-rounded, likable (but not without faults), and learns (tough) lessons that help them become a better person when everything is said and done. Another thing I liked: The ending wasn't one of those Happily Ever After types that's all wrapped up and tied with a big shiny ribbon. There are things that don't work out. There are loose ends. There are realizations that sometimes you can't erase certain things. But the ending is still satisfying.
I absolutely recommend this one! --AJB
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