Linus has been to several different foster families in his short life and at his current family he feels lucky to have three good meals a day without anyone trying to beat him up or pushing him for sexual favors. At school he's just trying to stay under the radar and not noticed - as much as one can when one is the only black kid in a all white school. Then there's the fact that he's gay but not out. He figures if people found out it would hurt his comfortable foster family life. But late at night he does take time communicate online with other gay teens. Through these online chats he meets Kevin, another gay teen just one town over. They meet face to face and are instantly attracted to each other. As they become closer, Linus' world is altered when a video of him and Kevin having sex is posted online. Linus is forced to come out to his foster family and is very worried that he may be shipped off to a new family. Lucky Linus is a quick read and will work great in high school libraries.

This is the first book I’ve read by Gene Gant and I am not disappointed at all. Lucky Linus is one good book that I’ll probably recommend to all of my friends because it speaks volume despite the simple storytelling. I loved that the drama was heavy, and very much so (realistically) for a 14-year-old boy yet the writing isn’t too complex.

Fourteen-year-old Linus Lightman has bounced through the foster care system since he was six-years-old when he was taken away from her neglectful mother. With his newest foster family, the Nelsons, Linus didn’t really want to get too close because he’s very much sure that they will let him go once they found out he’s gay. Building a friendship online with Kevin Mapleton, young love blossoms between them until a sex scandal involving the two was discovered that may very well cost Linus’s new home and sense of belonging.

You just got to love how the author delivered the story in such a way that is more telling than showing. I think the style was very apt with the age of our main protagonist Linus. Here, we watch Linus as he goes with the flow of the system with a foremost aspiration of getting adopted – finally belonging. There is a line that cause me much a bit of heartache when Linus was narrating it.

“The chances of finding forever parents shrank as foster kids got older, especially for those of color or with disabilities.”

The kid just wanted to belong and I feel like giving him a warm hug and adopting him myself. So obviously, there’s a lot of heartbreaking details about our little Linus but perhaps, it could only get better in time…

When the storm passes and Linus thought that it’s the end for him, we’re gifted something that is so beautiful. In a rather hopeful tale albeit heartbreaking at the beginning – we see Linus getting his own personal rainbow. Despite everything that he went through his young life, Linus discovered how strong he was more than he could hope for to be… Linus is lucky to finally be granted his wish and readers will be lucky to be on a journey with him.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This is a book, which deals with child abuse. But instead of going into detail about the horrible things, that Linus had to endure, if focuses on his present and future.

While reading I felt really bad for the main character at times. And then his hope and delight got through to me and I had no choice but to share his thrill about his first love, share his fear of discovery.

Lucky Linus is a fast, emotional read with a rather sudden but nonetheless satisfying end.

This review will be published on my blog and on amazon on July 24th. Links will follow.
It can be found now on goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1342329661?book_show_action=false