Boring and more like a pamphlet on SMA with a light plot thrown in. ( )

This was a surprisingly great read! I didn't know anything about it but it was recommended - I do not even remember who - so I thought it would be a light, fun read just from the cover. Not surprisingly, I was wrong but not completely. It actually deals with a lot of very serious subjects but yet there is a lightness and optimism to it. Unlike so many novels today, this book is full of very likeable characters and that alone made it refreshing but it was so much more than that. The MC has a degenerative disease so there is a lot about what life and living mean but there is also a good mystery and fun friendships. I highly recommend this book. 4.5 stars ( )

Humm. Not exactly sure how I feel about this one. 3.5 stars
Definitely better than Dog in the Nighttime.
Starts off rather uplifting, but I wouldn’t say it leaves me feeling good. Got a bit dark and I’m hoping that will fade because there is a lot of positivity here or at least warm contentment.
I think just may reread the bits I enjoyed and hold on to those good vibes. ( )

Another case where I got lured in by a publisher’s elevator pitch and ended up disappointed. The blurb says it’s for readers of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and, it's true, there are similarities between the two books. Both are mysteries told from the POV of a young man with a disability, but in this one the focus is on the disability itself, its symptoms and the strides that have been made in treating it. So it did serve the purpose of raising awareness of a little known disorder but the mystery itself was meh. In fact, after I checked it out from the library I read a few chapters and then forgot about it for almost two weeks. ( )

How Lucky
Review of the Harper hardcover edition (May 2021).

This was quite the unique novel for the crime genre as the protagonist is wheelchair bound and can only do his detecting from restricted observation, artificial speech generation, one-handed internet research and email on his iPad. Daniel has Type 2 Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) a debilitating neuromuscular disease which will be fatal once all of his muscle ability, including breathing, has disappeared. Despite all of these obstacles, Daniel feels lucky to be alive and relishes every day.

One morning from his porch, Daniel observes a young woman getting into a car, apparently of her own free will. Later that day he realizes that she is the same woman who has been reported missing by her college roommates. The residents of the town of Athens, Georgia are gradually drawn into the search. Daniel's one clue is that he at least saw the make and colour of the car. The police are initially confused by a witness who can't talk, but eventually with the aid of his friends and caregivers Daniel is able to pass on what he knows. Meanwhile he takes up the search remotely via the internet and discussion forums.

Although the eventual solution and confrontation is rather far-fetched, the point of the book is really to give an individual like Daniel a voice and to hopefully convey a better understanding of others in similar situations. Author Leitch does this with great empathy and good humour with the Daniel character being a very unique creation.

Will Leitch explains in his Afterword that he was inspired to write the story when he learned that a friend of his own child had been diagnosed with the condition. It is mentioned in the book that recent innovations have allowed for treatment, especially with the drug marketed as Spinraza, although it is apparently one of the most expensive medications in the world.

I read How Lucky due to its nomination for Best Novel in the 2022 Edgar Awards by the Mystery Writers of America. The winners of the 76th Annual Edgar® Awards will be announced on April 28, 2022.

Other Reviews
A lightweight thriller contours an earnest, sincere portrait of a hero whom many insist on seeing as a victim, Kirkus Reviews, May 11, 2021. ( )