IF YOU’RE LUCKY --- the latest book by Yvonne Prinz, award-winning author of THE VINYL PRINCESS and ALL YOU GET IS ME --- follows Georgia, an unreliable narrator with some mental health issues. At the very beginning of the story, Georgia’s golden-boy brother, Lucky, dies in a surfing accident in Australia. This raises Georgia’s suspicions Lucky was a very skilled surfer and would not have drowned easily. Soon after Lucky’s death, a stranger named Fin appears in the town and everyone falls in love with him; he slides right into Lucky’s place. Georgia stops taking her medication because she is hoping that will help her figure out the truth about Fin. We follow Georgia as she tries to find out what happened to Lucky, what Fin has to do with it and how to deal with her own mental illness.

"A murder mystery mixed with an unreliable narrator makes for a unique plot that flows surprisingly well."

IF YOU’RE LUCKY throws you right into the head of an unreliable narrator with schizophrenia, where you as the reader have no idea what is real and what is not real. This book tackles mental health in a very straightforward and personal manner. A murder mystery mixed with an unreliable narrator makes for a unique plot that flows surprisingly well. The book did not really pick up speed until halfway through, but the second half was very fast-paced. The length was just perfect because you got a full story that wasn’t too long, but I still didn’t feel like I got enough closure. The characters were frustratingly real and that made the story that much more realistic. Georgia holds nothing back in her view on the world, and it created an eye-opening perspective of schizophrenia.

This book would be great for anyone looking to learn more about mental health issues or just wanting to read a creepy murder mystery with a twist. It does deal with more serious issues for the more mature teen reader, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t interesting and engaging. Pick up IF YOU’RE LUCKY for a refreshing and informative read!