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Lucky You  By  cover art

Lucky You

By: Carl Hiaasen
Narrated by: George Newbern
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Publisher's summary

Grange, Florida, is famous for its miracles - the weeping fiberglass Madonna, the Road-Stain Jesus, the stigmata man. And now it has JoLayne Lucks, unlikely winner of the state lottery.

Unfortunately, JoLayne's winning ticket isn't the only one. The other belongs to Bodean Gazzer and his raunchy sidekick, Chub, who believe they're entitled to the whole $28 million jackpot. And they need it quickly, to start their own underground militia before NATO troops invade America.

But JoLayne Lucks has her own plans for the Lotto money - an Eden-like forest in Grange must be saved from strip-malling. When Bode and Chub brutally assault her and steal her ticket, JoLayne vows to track them down, take it back - and get revenge.

The only one who can help is Tom Krome, a big-city investigative journalist now bitterly consigned to writing frothy features for a midsized central Florida newspaper. With a persuasive nudge from JoLayne, Krome is about to become part of a story that's bigger and more bizarre than anything he's ever covered.

Chasing two heavily armed psychopaths down the coast of Florida is reckless enough, but Tom's got other problems - the murderous attention of a jealous judge; an actress wife who turns fugitive to avoid divorce court; an editor who speaks in tongues; and Tom's own growing fondness for the future millionairess with whom he's risking his neck.

The pursuit takes them from the surreal streets of Grange to a buzzard-infested island deep in Florida Bay, where they finally catch up with the fledgling militia - Chub, Bode Gazzer, a newly recruited convenience-store clerk, and their baffled hostage, a Hooters waitress.

The climax explodes with the hilarious mayhem that is Carl Hiaasen's hallmark. Lucky You is his funniest, most deliriously gripping novel yet.

©2013 Carl Hiaasen (P)2013 Random House Audio

What listeners say about Lucky You

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Not Hiaasen's best work

If its your first go at Carl Hiaasen, try something else. Striptease or Skinny Dip, maybe.

His genius is making flawed characters lovable, so you end up rooting for them all the way.

There's none of that here. No redemption for the bumbling villain. Hero and heroine are unlovable. No real social comment. Racist bad guys and scamming zealots: too easy. I just didn't enjoy it.

He's one of my favorite audiobook pleasures, but Hiaasen missed the mark with this one.

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20 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A Timely, Funny Take on Lotto

As I write this the national lotto is north of 9 billion dollars. Now even those of us that refuse to play are wondering what we would do with such a staggering sum. So Hiaasen's book tells the tale of two winning tickets to a 28 million dollar prize.

One lucky holder is an eccentric, beautiful black woman who has plans to conserve a large plot of land she loves for its beloved wildlife. The other ticket is held by 2 dimwitted white supremacist who plan to start the nations biggest militia. The problem as they see it is that they must have the complete 28 million dollars in order to be successful. So they set out to steal the ticket from the eccentric black woman.

It a nutty story filled with ridiculously crazy characters in even more absurd circumstances. But its funny and just plain fun. If you need a lift this is a quck fix for my re than a few chuckles.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Made me want to play the lottery

Which scene was your favorite?

When JoLayne opens the envelope with the lottery ticket in it.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, this was a can't stop... one more chapter in the driveway kind of book!

Any additional comments?

A Hiaasen book is twisted humor... guaranteed

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Funny and enjoyable

I enjoyed the book. The narrator does a terrible woman's voice. If you like Southern novels you will enjoy.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

boring

boring to the fullest, to many different characters in the book, lost in story

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Comical plot with biting social commentary

Entertaining but also enlightening about Florida ecology. The humerous but uncannily real characters help one to understand why our country is regressing.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

It's your typical Carl Hiaasen book.

It's your typical Carl Hiaasen book full of crazy backwoods characters and a wild storyline!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great !

I can listen to this book again and again and again and again....
Very well worth the credit.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Not Lottery fever

If you could sum up Lucky You in three words, what would they be?

Just a shade off Carl Hiaasen's normal

What did you like best about this story?

the overall story had it's points

Which character – as performed by George Newbern – was your favorite?

Sinclair

If you could rename Lucky You, what would you call it?

Lucky You is ok

Any additional comments?

Was a bit disappointed, really. Not one of his best, but still a very good listen

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Lucky? Who?

Would you try another book from Carl Hiaasen and/or George Newbern?

Yes, but with a different narrator. Loved the humor.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Amber - a voice of reason in an strained plot.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

It was painful. Only the content kept me going past the first chapter. Sounds like this was his first read and needs to listen to Scott Brick to see how a professional performer does it.

Could you see Lucky You being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

No.

Any additional comments?

The Week book review moved me to listen to this book. I will stop taking views from The Week seriously. The producer of the Audible book should review his/her notes as to
why this narrator was hired....and learn from their mistake.

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1 person found this helpful