Luck of the Titanic is an incredible book about family, friendship, and survival. The story focuses on Valora and her relationship with her twin Jamie and how they care deeply for each other despite their different temperaments. Valora, true to her name, is gutsy and ambitious, pushing forward in her goals despite the obstacles. Along the way, she makes some friends and unexpected allies and even a bit of romance. Even knowing that the Titanic sinks and ends in tragedy, I was still caught in a web of suspense created by the narrative tension and the possibility that maybe, just maybe, all the characters I like will survive. The ending was gut-wrenching and bittersweet. Once again, Stacey Lee gives a voice to Chinese people who are marginalized by history, writing them back into the narrative.

Impactful, engaging, and heartbreaking. This fresh perspective on a much known subject drew me in immediately with its vivid descriptions and beautiful familial storyline. And that gorgeous cover!
.
The British-Chinese Luck twins were once a brother sister acrobatic team, but now have gone their separate ways. Missing the only family she has left, Valora is determined to reunite with her brother who is working aboard the famed Titanic bound for America. Stowing away with plans for them to impress the renown circus owner aboard and start a new life in America, she must confront her familial past as well as present discrimination in order to move into the future. With the help of passengers she meets aboard the ship, Valora sets out to make her dreams come true until they abruptly change to ones of survival.
.
Beautifully told, author Stacey Lee, transports her readers aboard the sweeping beauty of the Titanic and engages with a viewpoint that is little known. I had no idea that the six Chinese survivors, unlike the rest who were welcomed into America regardless of descent in the aftermath of this tragedy, were promptly shipped off and vilified for taking seats from others. I love the way good historical fiction unearths little known stories that stir us to do both historical and heart excavation of our own.
4..5 stars

Six Chinese passengers out of eight survived the sinking of the Titanic, four of whom were in third-class. Less than 24 hours after arriving safely in America, they were deported underneath the terrible Chinese Exclusion Act. As attempts are being made to recover the stories of these men, Stacey Lee took this recently uncovered account and let it inspire this novel. Luck of the Titanic follows the perspective of a British-Chinese acrobat named Valora Luck who boards the Titanic in order to find her twin brother Jamie, so they can go to America together.
Yeah, so, um, there was a lot of crying as one might expect. This was just a heartwrenching story of family and female empowerment, with themes of racism and classism mixed in. Valora, or just Val, is a tenacious and talented young woman who’s sense of loyalty to both her fellow Chinese friends and her brother never waver. It was fascinating watching her wrestle with her own perspective of her dead parents, vs. her brother’s. Personally, I thought that both their characters have excellent arcs.

The subplots were all done very well, balancing different layers of story, all while streamlining the tragic story that we all know so well. I don’t know much about the actual layout of the Titanic, but the author clearly put a lot of research into it because everything was written in a very detailed manner. I could easily envision the sprawling decks, the extravagant staircases, and the stifling boiler rooms.

The dialogue was fantastic!! I very much adored the little sibling quips and the sense of camaraderie between both the Chinese passengers and the interactions between women. This is a character-driven novel, and the characters were extremely well-written with great emphasis on both class and race. I

I will say that I found it rather slow at times. However, it’s slow in the way that the film Titanic is slow: it takes place in a single location, focused mainly on two characters. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, rather, just understand the type of book you’re getting into. My other point that I wanted to touch on was the fact that my least favorite trope of ever (yes, it might be official now) was present. The insta-love is semi-understandable and doesn’t overpower Val’s ambitions, but that doesn’t stop it from feeling like an unnecessary addition at times. Still, I really enjoyed this!

Thank you to Penguin Teen Canada for sending me an ARC via netgalley. All opinions are my own
4/5 stars
This was a really good read. Luck of the Titanic is a story about family and the bonds between them. It’s a story about learning when to hold on tighter, and when to let go. It’s a story about love, loss, hope, dreams, ambitions, race, class, and discrimination. The author had a lovely voice for Valora throughout the book, and I felt that it flowed really well.
The pacing of the book was good. There’s this sense of anticipation hanging over the story not only because of Valora’s deceptions, but also because they’re on the Titanic and you’re waiting to find out how the disaster will play out for these characters. The whole book moved along well, but the ending seemed to move quickly and it was full of tension.
I liked Valora’s character, and I thought she provided an interesting look at race and class dynamics during the time. The discrimination that she faced was handled well by the author, and it made me feel frustrated for the characters.
I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a book with a girl determined to follow her dreams, heavy themes of family and race, and anyone interested in stories of the Titanic.

O.M.G. I just finished this like literally 5 seconds ago and wow. I am writing this through my tears so don’t mind a few spelling mistakes.

First of all, the atmosphere? Impeccable. I actually felt like I was on the Titanic, which was terrifying and amazing all at once. The writing style just drew me right in and it makes me want to read everything Stacey Lee has ever written and will ever write. Metaphors and descriptions I had never heard before but somehow knew exactly what they were? It was amazing. There was the perfect balance between plot events, descriptions, and Valora’s inner thoughts. Speaking of, she was so relatable at times and so so funny while also being so real. I love Valora so much.

This one also features an adorable found family, which is one of my favorite tropes. The cast of characters was vast and eccentric and I loved them all (except for Skeleton that guy can go die in a sinking ship, lol). Bo and Valora make the most amazing couple ever with all the chemistry. Also April? Marry me please. I love April so much! Let’s just say her and Anna Lightwood would be best friends. She’s a fashion icon and just iconic in general.

Even though I knew what was going to happen at the end of this book, the beginning was so fun and entertaining at times I forgot. And then, of course, I remembered. And got super sad. Even though you know starting this that there is no way all of your faves will survive, you find yourself hoping anyway.

And omg the way the sinking was handled made me so mad. Of course, I was supposed to be mad, but when they were launching half full lifeboats full of haughty, rich people and not allowing Valora and two children on I wanted to launch my book across the room (but I didn’t because I just had to keep reading).

Valora is one of my new favorite main characters. She’s got guts, that’s for sure. She so fiercely loves her family, both biological and found, and will do absolutely anything for them. And does. She is so funny and relatable, but also is absolutely fearless. Even when she’s not balancing on the railing on a moving ship (!), she is so brave in challenging anyone around her who makes assumptions.

Honestly I don’t really know what to say other than I loved this book with all my heart and I need anyone reading this right now to click away (just for a second) and go on to their preferred bookstore website and order a copy. I promise you will not regret it.

I was so surprised that I was still emotional about the ending even though... it's the Titanic.. of course it's going to sink! I got really attached to Valora and I loved that this story was about a powerful family/sibling bond. Valora is so stubborn and strong and I just loved reading in her perspective! the sprinkled bits of history, family, humor, and absolute devastation and frustration made this book a beautiful rollercoaster of emotion that I didn't fully expect and really enjoyed. I actually cried at midnight and it was just a beautiful sibling relationship that I truly appreciated.

Okay yall. I went in with major expectations because historical and Titanic, so I was hoping for something really good. And, honestly, this is really good. It had the right amount of anticipation going for it in the story while making the characters we were following feel real.

It took me a really long time to get into this book. I think that I would have enjoyed it more if I was more in the mood for this book. But the ending broke my heart into infinite pieces. Everything was so beautifully written and another great book by Lee.

Seems like Titanic stories should be done and over with but this on gives another fresh look at what happened on that fateful trip. More focused on relationships and prejudice we become involved with the brotherhood of the Chinese on the ship, the strong brother-sister relationship of Valora and Jamie Luck and the terrible treatment of the Chinese. One is pulled into cheering for Valora and her strength to overcome all that has happened. She has the biggest heart for the two younger Chinese boys, so great she is willing to save them over her own life. Valora and Jamie are befriended by two women in first class revealing not every one is a snob.

Oh my goodness, this book is so amazing! If there’s one thing that my friends and family know about me, it’s that Titanic is my favorite movie. So when I saw this novel by Stacey Lee, I knew I had to request an e-galley!

This beautiful book has a little bit of everything. First, Lee does an amazing job capturing the essence of the Chinese passengers aboard the ship. Although this isn’t a retelling of their stories, it still showcases the incredible will power and determination of those passengers.

Second, Lee tells the beautiful story of twins Valora and Jamie and the unbreakable bond they share. Their love for each other was so heartwarming and special.

Next, Lee intertwines fun, humor and even a little bit of romance throughout the book with her cast of characters.

All the while, she manages to perfectly capture the splendor, beauty and opulence of the Titanic itself!

I can keep going but I will end there and just say this book is a must read!

Loosely based on the historic disaster, Luck of the Titanic delves into the (true) story of the eight Chinese men aboard the doomed ship, bringing them to life with fictional narratives (after all, little is known about these men) and focusing especially on the racism and culture of discrimination they would have experienced. Stacey Lee seamlessly marries fact with fiction, weaving together the lives of actual passengers (Albert Ankeny Stewart, an investor in the Ringling Brothers Circus) and crew members (Captain Smith and J. Bruce Ismay) with those of her fictional characters. The most notable of which: the Luck twins, Valora and James.

Val and James arrive aboard the Titanic under different stars. Under the Chinese Exclusion Act, Valora can’t enter the US or board the ill-fated ship without special documentation. With her employer (Mrs. Sloan) recently deceased, gone are Valora’s chances of legally traveling in the 1st class cabin Mrs. Sloan had booked for their voyage. James wants nothing less than inside the US (a place even more hostile toward the Chinese than his home country Great Britain). Well, maybe James wants one thing less, a return to the acrobat life his sister so desires. James is a sailor and on his way to South America (with his mates) to fulfill a work contract.

Valora, though, will do whatever it takes (including sneaking aboard the ship) to convince her brother that he was made for something more than the boiler room. And as Lady Luck would have it, Albert Ankeny Stewart (just the man who can get them a permit into the US and a spot with the Ringling Brothers Circus) is aboard Titanic. Now, all Val needs is to orchestrate an audition—and convince her mule-headed brother that the future she envisions for them is better than the one he’s accepted for himself.

The pace is sharp with descriptive elements that will make you feel as though you’re walking along Scotland Road (the spine of the 3rd class deck). The reader can’t help but feel the looming countdown to the inevitable doom. Luck of the Titanic inescapably (because it has to) ends in disaster. Yet Lee’s focus is on the (excluded from history and true) story of the Chinese sailors and that of (fictional) siblings Valora and James. Making Luck of the Titanic, above all, a story that addresses and exposes discrimination, but also one of friendships, sibling bonds, and even hope found in dark places.

Luck of the Titanic shows invariably the tragedy of the historic disaster but even more so (and with a visceral punch to your emotions) it highlights the tragedy of racial discrimination. If you think you’ve read every variation of the Titanic story, Luck of the Titanic delivers something wholly new. I can’t say this enough, this book is not to be missed.

I have established that I love books about sibling relationships, especially with a historical fiction backdrop. The Titanic isn’t a historical fiction topic that I normally gravitate towards, but upon hearing that there were forgotten Chinese passengers on the ship, Lee pulled me in. The characters make this book. Not only does the book explore Valora’s and Jamie’s strained relationship but also the aspect of found family with the siblings connecting with the other Chinese laborers aboard the ship. The tropes here are all checking off for me.

I do have some gripes with the book. The bulk of the story is Valora’s stubborn attempts to get recruited into the circus, but also features a subplot of Valora encountering an aspiring fashion designer. Jumping between Valora interacting with her brother and his laborer friends, these fashion rendezvous felt disjointed from the rest of the book. I don't mind slow-paced, character driven stories, but the pacing felt uneven throughout the book. The book isn’t really plot-driven up until the last fourth when the Titanic meets its unfortunate demise, and we go from 0 to 100 in a matter of a few chapters. However, one can also argue that the abrupt change in pacing reflects everyone’s reaction upon discovering that the ship is sinking.

Overall, this book adds a new perspective to the well-known Titanic not featured in textbooks, and for that, I admire it and Lee.

Part of why I love historical fiction novels is that they teach you little snippets of history, particularly ones that aren’t as widely known. I picked Luck of the Titanic up a few days ago and I was totally sucked in from the first page.

Valora is a fantastic heroine and I love how Lee balanced her experiences in first class and in third class. The secondary characters were all delightful (particularly Olly and Wink). Plus, the female friendships were excellent! I also loved that the main relationship was between Valora and her twin brother Jamie, examining what those family ties meant and what each of them wanted to become. Lee did a great job with showing how everything that happened changed both siblings.

I would absolutely recommend Luck of the Titanic to fans of historical fiction! Also, make sure you read the author’s note at the end.

OKAY I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS BOOK.

I actually read this book in one sitting. I could not stop. I love all things about the tragedy of the Titanic and the fact that this was based on the Chinese survivors of it just really hit the nail on the head for books that pull me in. From the beginning of Valora smuggling herself onto the ship, until the very end which I refuse to spoil because it punched me right in the gut, I was intrigued and pulled into this story. This historical fiction was exactly what I needed, especially as an Asian American wanting to read more Asian stories, The race for survival as a nobody, facing racism on top of it all, was heartpounding. I cannot wait to buy the hardcopy!

Huge thanks to the publisher for allowing me early access to this title and for Netgalley for providing the e-arc!

This book had absolutely stunning story telling! I truly feel in love with Valora’s narration and definitely recommend this book to any historical fiction fans. I really enjoyed the point of view this book provided given how white washed so much of the historical fiction genre is.

Read if you like: untold historical stories, strong female characters.
-
I absolutely loved this book! I was always intrigued by the story of the Titanic, but this book focuses on the Chinese who were working on the ship. Our main character, Valora, wants to reunite with her brother, and thinks that the Titanic will get them to New York and let them start a new life.
-
Knowing what we know about the Titanic, this book was intense and made me want to keep reading to find out what happens to our characters. Valora was a fantastic protagonist; witty, brave, fun, and willing to take risks and fight for what she wants. I also thought the author did a great job of of describing life on board the Titanic. I felt like I was on the ship.
-
CW: racism, violence, death, sexual assault.

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-ARC of Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee.
As a fan of anything Titanic, I was eager to read this book. Stacey Lee introduces readers to a little-known fact about the Titanic, the 8 Chinese passengers aboard. Lee does a good job balancing fact and fiction; however, some scenes seemed a bit too far-fetched. Val, the main character, is well-defined and pulls the reader into her dreams and plans. This book will be an easy recommendation for teen and middle-grade readers.

Only Stacey Lee could tie together the Chinese Exclusion Act with the Titanic disaster, which she does with aplomb in her most recent young adult novel.

In April 1912, Chinese-British teenager Valora Luck is denied entry to the RMS Titanic because the Chinese Exclusion Act will prevent the newly orphaned young lady from disembarking in New York. Desperate to reunite with her twin brother, Jamie, who is aboard with other Chinese seamen ultimately bound for Cuba, Valora sneaks aboard. Using a veil to hide her Chinese features, she poses as her recently deceased employer, with whom she was supposed to make the journey in first class. Also on board is an American circus owner. If Valora can convince Jamie to show the circus man the acrobatic acts their late father taught them, maybe they can be allowed into the United States to start a new life. But Jamie proves hard to persuade, and, of course, the Titanic is bound for disaster.

By drawing inspiration from the ship’s eight real-life Chinese passengers (of whom an astounding six survived), Lee has provided a fresh take on the Titanic disaster. And in her usual style, she has used historical examples of racism that could have been drawn from the present. Readers will love Valora’s determination and the colorfast cast of secondary characters. The author’s note at the end tells readers what little is known about the Chinese men who survived the disaster, including how they were shipped away within twenty-four hours of arriving in America.

Luck of the Titanic tells a story of family, luck, and how society judges the value of a human being. As Valora says as she tries to board a lifeboat, “I… say a prayer that a woman who looks like me will still be worth saving.” Highly recommended.

"𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵, 𝘸𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦."⁣ ⁣

#LuckOfTheTitanic by #StaceyLee is another fantasic YA historical fiction novel. Valora Luck was born and raised in England but often faces prejudisism due to her Chinese ancestry. As lifelong trained acrobats, Val boards the Titanic in hopes that she and her twin brother can win over a passenger onboard who's part investor in the Ringling Brothers Circus. ⁣ ⁣

Lee has quickly become an auto-buy author for me as everything she writes is pure gold. I was so excited for this book to come out for months, yet was nowhere near emotionally prepared for it. I can't wait for my pre-ordered physical copy to arrive to add to my collection. ⁣ ⁣

𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘳: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 #PenguinTeen 𝘢𝘯𝘥 #NetGalley 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

This was a slow burning story about young Valora Luck; a Chinese British person who's trying to get to America and become an acrobat in the Ringling Bros Circus. While it was slow burning, I also remembered this story takes place on the Titanic and perhaps it was more the anticipation of what happens to the ship that made it feel slow. But it was definitely entertaining. Watching Valora pull off being a boy to hang out with her brother and his friends in third class to pretending to be Mrs. Sloane in first class, I loved seeing her dynamically navigate through those different worlds. It was also quite fun especially when she's fooling the rich folks that she's also rich and white.

It was interesting to see the dichotomy between first class and third class. Naturally, we've seen these class wars in movies like Titanic, but what Titanic failed to recognize was the level of discrimination people of color from third class were faced. It wasn't only Valora, Jamie, and the boys who are discriminated against and it made sense with the story. And although they were faced with a lot of discrimination, there were also people on board who looked beyond their ethnicity and befriended them. It made me happy to see a few allies in the mix.

I also loved that this story was loosely based off the six Titanic survivors who are of Chinese descent. It blew my mind reading the author's note at the end and seeing the inspiration for the story. Personally, as a Korean American, I never imagined someone who looked like me on board the Titanic. I think the biggest depiction of life then was that big blockbuster movie we all know and love. And in many ways, I was worried with the direction this story went. I was worried she would fall in love with some rich white guy and abandon her plans to be independent, but it didn't turn out that way! It actually made me so happy that she was so stubborn!

This book also deals a bit in grief/loss. When Valora boards the ship, there's a lot of recall to her mother and father who both tragically passed away. It fueled her determination to follow her dream especially since it was her parents that got her and Jamie into acrobatics in the first place.

The ending was definitely where all the action was. I mean, this is the Titanic and I don't think it's a spoiler with what happens to that ship at the end. But it was interesting to see this represented. I appreciate so much what Stacey Lee was able to do with this book. I loved the story and imagining myself in such a historical moment. Although, I am glad I wasn't on that boat in real life.