Lucas on the Line follows Lucas Sinclair through the events surrounding Stranger Things Season 3, starting with his first day of high school and continuing all the way to the cemetery scene where Max is nearly killed by Vecna. The story stays close to the show’s timeline while diving much deeper into Lucas’s internal world, his fears, hopes, and the quiet weight he carries.
As I’ve already established in my recent reviews: I love everything that comes out of the Stranger Things universe, and this book was no exception. It felt especially meaningful, as it explores his growing awareness of what it meant to be Black in a small town in the 80s, and his longing to change his fate, to stop being seen as one of the “freaks” or “geeks” and maybe, for once, be popular.
What stood out the most was how deeply the book explores his sense of abandonment by his friends. We see hints of this in the show, but here it’s more layered and emotionally resonant. His loneliness, his internal conflict, and his struggle to balance who he is with who he thinks he should be felt incredibly real.
I also loved seeing how thoughtfully Lucas handled his breakup with Max, and how consistently caring and selfless he was when it came to her. His quiet strength and emotional maturity really shined here.
The author does a wonderful job translating all of this onto the page, making Lucas’s thoughts and feelings feel authentic and heartfelt. At this point, I can’t get enough of this world or these characters - and yes, I might have a problem, but I’m fully embracing it. 👀🖤⚡