Though I had a hard time getting into this at first, I ended up truly enjoying it. Some parts did feel rushed. Leo is so awkwardly cute. I love all the character's sense of humor. This is a definite must read for those who enjoy contemporay ya romances with great friendships.

This book brings a breath of fresh air to the typical tired plot beats of YA contemporaries. Leo is a charming protagonist, and the story of grief within these pages is heartfelt without veering into sentimentality. I feel the comparison to Dear Evan Hansen is earned, and as a fan myself of DEH, I greatly enjoyed the experience of reading this book! Recommended to anyone who's interested in original contemporary stories.

WARNING: This review contains spoilers.

“Just Our Luck” is a young adult book centered around a teenager named Leo, whose anxiety led him to get into a fight with another boy in school. As a result, his dad wants him to take a self defense class, but Evey Paros – a girl whose family Leo is advised to avoid – ends up sneaking him into a yoga class. Over the course of the story, Leo writes diary entries talking about not only that class, but also how he begins to form a friendship with the boy he had gotten in a fight with, and how he begins to fall for Evey.

I thought this book was great. I loved seeing the development of the characters over the course of the story, and I think it touches on anxiety and mental health pretty well.

TW: death in the family, depression, anxiety, bullying, revenge porn

Just Our Luck by Julia Walton is a breath of fresh air to the coming-of-age genre.  Told through a combination of journal entries and first person narration, this story provides an enlightening glimpse into the life, love, and mental health of Greek-American teen, Leo, as he struggles to manage his grief and anxiety.  This book is a quick read at less than 300 pages, but it still packs a big punch in terms of thematic material and character development.  

Walton has created a champion against toxic masculinity in Leo.  Despite bullying at school and a lack of support from his father at home, he continues to find joy in unconventional (not traditionally considered masculine) sources like knitting, photography, and yoga.  Where we see Leo's greatest character development is his confidence in dealing with other people. 

I was immensely satisfied to find such impressive transformations of not only the main character, but several supporting characters as well.  There were moments when I related to each of them, which is rare for me to find in a YA Contemporary.  I adored the realistically rocky blooming of Leo's relationships with his father, Evey, and Drake.  Aside from Leo's personal development, these evolutions were my favorite part of the book.  The ups and downs felt authentic and drew me into their personal struggles.  It felt like I was watching four different journeys, even if it was only told in Leo's POV.

This novel felt very real to me.  I hope that many who read it will be able to take away the importance of self-discovery and self-acceptance and how both of those things can improve relationships with others.  I applaud Walton for taking on so many important ideas in this work.  One of the biggest take-aways I had was the value in seeking help.  The stigma surrounding mental health continues to be one of the biggest hurdles to treating it.  This novel embraces the idea that it is not shameful to go to therapy or take medication or talk about mental health with your friends.  By the end of the book, I felt braver and more open-minded for having taken this journey with Leo.  

Just Our Luck is the coming-of-age novel I didn't know I needed.  I highly recommend it for all teens and young adults.  This title is set to release Dec. 29, 2020.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for providing an e-ARC of Just Our Luck in exchange for an honest review.  Review will be shared to blog and Instagram on Dec, 15, 2020.

Leo is a high schooler who suffers from anxiety and uses knitting to help relieve it.. He lives with his dad who is emotionally distant so there's not much discussion about his anxiety. Leo gets in trouble at school and is forced to attend a meeting with the boy who beat him up. He also ends up taking a hot yoga class and teaming up with a young lady to get revenge on her ex. This description isn't doing this title justice. As someone who suffers from anxiety, the author captured the experience with accuracy and grace. A wonderful read about friendship, family, self discovery and finding tools to help yourself.

I was trying to get into the details and events in the beginning I liked the characters . The dialogue was okay. The tone and pacing was okay. I liked the characters.

Great YA novel that busts stereotypes about mental health, physical fitness, and creative pursuits. Would be an excellent book discussion title with themes of revenge, grief, heritage, following your passion. I really liked the quirky characters with their individual passions: yoga, healthy eating, photography, knitting, journalistic writing, etc. An exceptional choice for presenting mental health as a normal part of life, from anxiety and ways to cope, to grief, stress, insomnia, with counseling and medication presented as useful, plus stress-relievers such as yoga, crocheting, and journaling.

The cover, the story, the characters; where do I start? This is a GEM from Julia Walton. You know when you read a book and it's so real and absorbing; yeah, this book was like that!

How refreshing to find a character like Leo. He marches to the beat of his own drum all while being hyper aware that his beat is different than other "normal" kids. The tension between knowing who he is and being true to that and the anxiety that his "weirdness" causes is superb. I love reading how Leo's relationships (new and old) unfolded and how even his Yia Yia still had a profound impact on him even after she was gone.

The cover art makes my heart swoon, its so subtle and perfect! I loved this book and was sad when it was over. I want to read more and more and more about Leo.

I give this book FIVE MATI'S and FIVE STARS!!!

Thank you #NetGalley and #RandomHouseChildren's for an advanced copy of #JustOurLuck in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is so spot on with what it feels like to live with anxiety.. a must read. Also a great glimpse into Greek culture and what it’s like to balance your heritage in a country with different customs!

I was drawn to this book because of the Dear Evan Hansen comp and deeply enjoyed it. As a guy who struggles with anxiety, I think this book would have helped me a lot as a teenager.

The biggest strength of this book was its depiction of mental illness and the progression of grief on individuals. I also loved the development of the relationships throughout the novel. There are times in which I was just so frustrated and wanted characters to make better decisions, but they often learned from their mistakes and were able to grow throughout the course of the book.

The relationship between father and son was beautifully illustrated, as was the healthy male relationships between friends. There was the turning of toxic masculinity on its head, and it was wonderfully done.

I think I would have liked to see more about characters seeking mental health resources rather than seeming to be "fixed" by other characters, and this would have brought it to 5 stars.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

I could have done without the revenge story line, but did enjoy the aspect of mental health that this story explored .The characters were well developed and the pacing of the plot was strong.

A great coming of age story. Leo is a likeable character who I connected with immediately (anxiety friends for life!) and I was easily drawn into his story. A really enjoyable read for adults and YA lovers.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book. This book was ADORABLE! It tells the story of Leo, a Greek teen with anxiety and how his life spirals out of control and back again after an altercation with another boy at school. I loved this story, and the characters, main and supporting. Leo is extremely relatable as an anxious, introverted person that prefers staying home to going to parties. This book was a super quick, easy, and fun read all about his journey to finding himself, friends, and his way back to his father. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting an enjoyable contemporary read that focuses on self discovery and friendships, as well as a tiny bit of romance.

I fell in love with Leo since the first page!! I absolutely enjoyed reading this book!

It all starts with this junior named Leonidas (named after a famous general). Ironically, Leo suffers of anxiety, and often prefers to be alone, engaging in things like knitting and photography. Given his estranged relationship with his dad after his mother's death and the recent death of Yia Yia, Leo is left feeling more empty and more anxious than ever. When he ends up in a fight with a guy named Drake (who eventually becomes his friend) Leo is forced to take a self-defense course by orders of his dad to engage in something more "masculine"

While looking for a way out, he begs to the secretary to change him to another class. When he finds out Evey Paros, a girl from an old family rivalry is the one who chooses to help him in exchange for a favor..... he ends up in a hot yoga class, in a crazy revenge plot, all while learning more about himself, making more friends, and reaching an understanding with his father as well as falling in love.
This book deals with topics like anixiety, toxic masculinity, shaming, and I think the author does a flawless job depicting Leo's anxiety as well as his journey with yoga and life. I definitely enjoyed the journal entries and yoga pose descriptions that made me crack up so much!

While Evey wasn't the love interest I expected for him, nor were her intentions the best at the beginning, she does go through character development that in the end, shows how much she has grown. The ending was a happy one, and I do wish to hear more about Leo and his crazy adventures in the future.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for letting me enjoy this book!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

TW: anxiety, panic attacks, revenge porn, blackmail, death (before the start of the book), loss, grief, mental health, bullying


Leo always followed the two main rules his grandmother, Yia Yia, told him, "Bad luck follows lies" and "Leaves the Paros family alone", but something caused him to broke those rules.

First, when his anxiety caused a fight a school, he lies about what exactly happened, finding himself with his classmate Drake (the guy who hit him), to attend school consueling and forced by his father to attend a self defence class, even though it is the last thing he wants to do.
Then, at the gym he finds the great-granddaughter, Evey Paros, of the woman who apparently cursed his own family and seeing desperate not to go to the self-defence class, Evey cuts him a deal: she will enroll him in another class at the same time of the self-defence one (hot yoga) and he will help her get back to her ex boyfriend.
Finding himself blackmailed, Leo accepts and this starts a journey that will help him find more confidence, friends and purpose.

I really loved reading Just our luck. Leo, the main character, is absolutely relatable and I find myself so much in him, while he deals with his anxiety, panic attacks, thoughts and people issues. It was realistic and skillfully written. He's different from the son his father wants him to be. He loves knit, crochet, take photographs and since his grandmother died he feels alone and lonely, unable to connect and talk with his father. Both of them are burdened by the losses of Yia Yia and Leo's mother, when he was really young.
Yia Yia was the one able to help him calm down, using yarn to distract and ground himself and Leo finds himself out of his comfort zone when he has to be with Drake and the school consulant, doing hot yoga and following Evey in her revenge.

The way the book is written is interesting. Told by Leo's POV, except the first chapter, every chapter starts with "Dear journal" and an hot yoga pose with its description. Throught the journal Leo has to write in for the hot yoga class, the story unfolds. The reader gets to know Leo, his passions, fears, his relationship, strained and tense, with his father, he grieving his grandmother, his deal with Evey and the slow start of his friendship with Drake.

The book is skillfully written, full of interesting and complex characters and it deals with many important issues.
First of all Leo's mental health and his dealing with it, the father-son relationship, bullying, revenge porn and blackmail.
Most of all it's really interesting reading how Leo refuses to conform to the stifling masculinity norms, how people think man should act and what should they do.
Even though he's bullied and his father doesn't understand him, Leo is a strong character, quiet, but stubborn and he follows his passions, while dealing with anxiety, people, loss and grief.
I liked seeing how Leo finds people able to understand him, to help and love him, how slowly Leo starts to deal with his anxiety and people. I love Leo and he is a wonderful character, absolutely realistic, relatable and intense.

I love Drake's encouragements, him trying to get Leo to eat more healthly and to defend himself. Drake is an amazing character, funny, outspoken and the way their relationship grows and change is really beautiful and empowering to see. Jen, his girlfriend, is smart and supportive and I really enjoy reading about Evey, who, even though she finds herself in a difficult and ugly situation, she's able to fight back, finding creative way (the yarn bombing is amazing!) to get her revenge.
Leo's father is another complex character, burdened by losses and gried and unable to connect with his son, but I love how the book ends, with a hopeful ending for them. The Greekness in this book was amazing and I liked the story about the curse.

The way the author talks about mental health and the struggles of being anxious, the importance of the therapy, of talking, healing and taking medicine if needed is wonderful and on point.

I recommend this book to those who wants to read about strong characters, interesting story and finding yourself and your family.

This book does a great job at depicting anxiety and mental illness. Main character, Leo, is a high schooler who likes to knit and suffers from anxiety. After a fight, his father wants him to man up and take a self defense class, but Leo would rather do literally anything but that.

Leo had been told before, by his Greek grandma, to leave the Paros family alone, but when he shows up at the gym for his self defense class, Evey Paros is there. Her family is the reason that Leo's family had bad luck, but Evey secretly enrolls Leo in a yoga class, instead of the self defense class he was supposed to talk.

I really enjoyed this book and thought that the characters were very fleshed out, especially Leo. I don't read many books were the main character is a main and thought this was a good change from that, especially a male main character like Leo who isn't a typical manly guy. This book was compared to Dear Evan Hansen in the description, but I haven't seen/read it so I'm not sure about whether it is or not.

Review will be posted on Goodreads and my blog two weeks before publication date as requested in publishers approval preferences. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this.

I seriously had my doubts about this book.

When I first started reading it, I just really didn't understand what was going on. If you look back at my reading progress, you can clearly see my confusion...But then I read it and ended up giving it 5 stars, so I guess you don't really have to read my review to know how I felt about this book.

Please do keep reading anyway.

WHAT CHANGED MY MIND:
1. I started to fall for the characters very, very quickly. Leo is a SWEETHEART. He gives off a very detached vibe at the beginning, but his development really turns him into someone you can understand. The exposition made him seem very cold and tsundere-like, but I think as the writer warmed up to the story, readers can really feel like they're in Leo's mind rather than standing outside of it, watching as the events of his life unfold without really understanding. Walton does an excellent job of giving her characters heavy stakes that cause readers to form an emotional attachment!
2. Callbacks! I personally find this very difficult to do in my own writing, but MAN is it one of the most satisfying things to see in writing! When I say callbacks, I mean when something is referenced at the beginning of the book offhandedly, but then is brought up again in a changed manner by the end. *chef's kiss* It's a gift for readers who are paying enough attention to catch these easter eggs, and suCH A GRATIFYING THING. I found the callbacks in Leo's story to be very purposeful. They served well as a tie to character development and to emphasize the parallels in the plot. It's definitely points to an eye for detail on Walton's end. :D
3. Simple, yet powerful writing. Not gonna lie, I wasn't really in love with the writing at the beginning. I felt that the writing gradually flowed more easily as you got deeper into the book, which makes sense (since an author will warm up to their characters the more they write about them). I don't know if it was purposeful, but the almost...elementary style at the beginning nearly made me stop reading it right away. I'm glad I stayed until the end though. It wasn't hard to keep reading after...I don't know the 30-40% mark? The writing loosened up and was very easy to understand from that point on. It was definitely worth marching through the muddy beginning in my opinion.

Would I recommend this book?
- Do you like reading about underrepresented characters?
- Do you like reading about characters who might struggle with mental disorders/anxiety?
- Do you like reading about stAKES?
- Do you like reading about heartbreak and suffering with the angst that comes along with it?
- Do you like having a good time?

If your answer to any of these questions is a resounding YES, then I'd say go for it. On December 29, 2020. Which is when this book is going to be released.

Until then, you can stare out your window longingly as you wait for the day to come. ;)

**I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! Thank you to Random House for gifting me this beauty.

This book was described to be like Dear Evan Hansen, which is my favorite musical and a 5-star book for me, so I was left kinda disappointed after reading this. It’s definitely not a bad book, but the marketing tactic of comparing it to DEH was not a good move since it will draw fans in, then make them upset. 3/5 stars.

Leo is a great character for young men to read about. He's not macho. He likes knitting. He doesn't fit the mold of what a "guy" should be. And yet, he has self-assurance at times. He's not afraid to look weak, and usually, not to admit he's wrong. I loved getting to know Leo, and seeing a sensitive guy who was actually appreciated by those around him in the end. Get this book right away!