PanThe Pittsburgh Post-GazetteLucky Boy explores how innocent lives, especially those of children, can irrevocably change because of reckless decisions and complicated systems … This erroneous portrayal of the foster care and adoption process is only one example — albeit a significant one — of how Lucky Boy is rife with generalities and stereotypes. The novel’s plodding and stilted prose is laden with melodrama, flat metaphors and odd phrasing … Although Soli and Kavya’s experiences and losses evoke a reader’s compassion and sympathy, Lucky Boy doesn’t find its focus and footing to succinctly convey how different paths and obstacles to motherhood shape one’s identity.
Emma Straub
PanThe Pittsburgh Post-GazetteWhile Modern Lovers” plot starts off promising, it quickly stumbles and loses its way, much like its unhappy, self-centered and mostly unlikable characters who react with melodrama in the face of life’s minor problems ... Marketed as a breezy summer beach read for the Generation X demographic, Modern Lovers clearly fits that bill ... However, Modern Lovers doesn’t break new ground while exploring this familiar terrain of middle-aged induced angst. Despite all their advantages, Ms. Straub’s characters still fall prey to wistful nostalgia and the manipulative influence of others while overlooking their literal and figurative good fortune.
