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Lucy Clark Will Not Apologize
Lucy Clark has had it. After being bullied one too many times at the boarding school her parents enrolled her in, sixteen-year-old Lucy—who has been underestimated her entire life—retaliates. But when the fallout is far worse than she meant it to be, she gets suspended and sent to New York City, where she must serve as a full-time companion to the eccentric Edith Fox.
Once in Manhattan, however, Lucy discovers the glamorous, mysterious Edith is nothing like she expected. With Edith, Lucy learns to revel in the freedom of being herself. And though Edith’s world of hidden gardens and afternoon teas is magical and beguiling, there’s one other thing about her that makes her unlike anyone Lucy has ever met...she thinks someone is trying to kill her.
And Lucy has to find out who it is.
Once in Manhattan, however, Lucy discovers the glamorous, mysterious Edith is nothing like she expected. With Edith, Lucy learns to revel in the freedom of being herself. And though Edith’s world of hidden gardens and afternoon teas is magical and beguiling, there’s one other thing about her that makes her unlike anyone Lucy has ever met...she thinks someone is trying to kill her.
And Lucy has to find out who it is.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published May 11, 2021
49 people are currently reading
4885 people want to read
About the author
Margo Rabb
11 books162 followersMargo Rabb is the author of the novels Lucy Clark Will Not Apologize, Kissing in America, Cures for Heartbreak, and the Missing Persons series. Kissing in America and Cures for Heartbreak both received four starred reviews; Kissing in America was named a best book of the year by the New York Public Library, the Chicago Public Library, and the American Library Association, and was named to the Amelia Bloomer Project’s List of Recommended Feminist Literature. Her essays, journalism, book reviews, and short stories have been published in The New York Times, The New York Times Book Review, The Atlantic, Slate, Salon, Marie Claire, The Rumpus, Zoetrope: All-Story, Seventeen, Best New American Voices, New Stories from the South, One Story, One Teen Story, and elsewhere, and have been broadcast on NPR. She received the grand prize in the Zoetrope short story contest, first prize in The Atlantic fiction contest, first prize in the American Fiction contest, and a PEN Syndicated Fiction Project Award. She’s received fellowships from The MacDowell Colony, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, the Bread Loaf Writer’s Conference, and the Sewanee Writer’s Conference. Margo grew up in Queens, New York, and has lived in Texas, Arizona, and the Midwest; she now lives in the Philadelphia area with her family.
website: www.margorabb.com
Instagram: @margo_rabb
Twitter: @margorabb
website: www.margorabb.com
Instagram: @margo_rabb
Twitter: @margorabb
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
February 18, 2021
I wrote a new book! And I revised it DURING A PANDEMIC! With my children home all the time in remote school! It has cake and tea and food and flowers in it, and I hope you enjoy it if you read it, and I hope it offers an escape from the pandemic for a while, as it did for me while writing it. :) xo Margo
March 14, 2021
Lucy Clark Will Not Apologize was such an odd book. It was maybe one of the most strange books I've read in several months, and not in a good way, either.
The main strange thing about this book is that someone was trying to murder Edith, and everyone was so chill about it. The prevailing attitude here could be summarized as "someone is trying to murder Edith. We should probably get that sorted out." If someone is trying to murder you or your friend, you should be very, very nervous, and these characters absolutely were not. They took some sensible anti-murder precautions, sure, but there were not many nervous vibes at all. This book was supposed to be, like, fun. (I didn't find it fun, but it was clearly trying to be fun). A character was almost murdered on several occasions, and it was supposed to be fun. Sure, Margo Rabb, sure. I'm sure it's possible to write a fun book about murder, but this is not how you do it. I think it would have to be more darkly fun. Fun for the readers, but not the characters.
Another strange thing about this book was the inconsistencies in the criminal justice system. The police were reluctant to investigate the attempted murder, That's less strange and more just inconsistent. But there are other strange things.
- One character catcalled Lucy and then she and other characters had a brief discussion about how accurate the catcalling remark was.
- One teenage character kissed another (younger) teenage character, and then made a remark about how it was actually illegal in New York for him to be kissing her. What was the point of this statement? Who decided this was a good idea?
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- Lucy low key hit on a septuagenarian.
- Jack was fond of ferns, and this was seen as a ✨meaningful personal confession✨ that took a lot of courage to talk about because people might have considered it weird. How could anyone think fern enthusiasm is weird? Ferns are cool. In what universe do people thing a fondness for ferns is weird?
Lucy Clark Will Not Apologize exhibited significant unfulfilled potential. The author could have improved this book by ~25% if she had used more Incorrect Capitalization to illustrate Lucy's father's extreme Pretentiousness. I loved the Incorrect Capitalization. It was so fun. It showed Authorial Brilliance, in my Opinion. That would have been the main way to fulfill this book's Potential.
This book displayed a few redeeming qualities. The solution to the mystery largely made sense. Some of the characters were kind of fun. The author did a good job of making Nanette and Liliana seem extremely ridiculous. Clifford was a good character, too. Another redeeming quality was this typo in which Lucy meant to say, "Maybe someone else is after the diary, too," but instead said, "Maybe someone else is after the dairy, too." That was a good typo. I enjoyed that typo.
Oh, and another thing, there was a metaphor about how the characters' situation was like a frog being gradually boiled to death, and how they were immersing themselves in dangerous things that were eventually going to lead to their demise or something (I don't know; I didn't understand it), but ordinary frogs actually cannot be gradually boiled to death. They'll jump out of the vessel of water once it reaches 25 degrees Celsius (what is this in degrees fahrenheit? good question. i couldn't tell you). This guy from the 1800s did an experiment in which he tried to gradually boil frogs, and (ordinarily) he couldn't. If he removed the frog's brain, it would boil to death. But of course it did. It didn't have a brain.
The main strange thing about this book is that someone was trying to murder Edith, and everyone was so chill about it. The prevailing attitude here could be summarized as "someone is trying to murder Edith. We should probably get that sorted out." If someone is trying to murder you or your friend, you should be very, very nervous, and these characters absolutely were not. They took some sensible anti-murder precautions, sure, but there were not many nervous vibes at all. This book was supposed to be, like, fun. (I didn't find it fun, but it was clearly trying to be fun). A character was almost murdered on several occasions, and it was supposed to be fun. Sure, Margo Rabb, sure. I'm sure it's possible to write a fun book about murder, but this is not how you do it. I think it would have to be more darkly fun. Fun for the readers, but not the characters.
Another strange thing about this book was the inconsistencies in the criminal justice system. The police were reluctant to investigate the attempted murder, That's less strange and more just inconsistent. But there are other strange things.
- One character catcalled Lucy and then she and other characters had a brief discussion about how accurate the catcalling remark was.
- One teenage character kissed another (younger) teenage character, and then made a remark about how it was actually illegal in New York for him to be kissing her. What was the point of this statement? Who decided this was a good idea?
-
- Lucy low key hit on a septuagenarian.
- Jack was fond of ferns, and this was seen as a ✨meaningful personal confession✨ that took a lot of courage to talk about because people might have considered it weird. How could anyone think fern enthusiasm is weird? Ferns are cool. In what universe do people thing a fondness for ferns is weird?
Lucy Clark Will Not Apologize exhibited significant unfulfilled potential. The author could have improved this book by ~25% if she had used more Incorrect Capitalization to illustrate Lucy's father's extreme Pretentiousness. I loved the Incorrect Capitalization. It was so fun. It showed Authorial Brilliance, in my Opinion. That would have been the main way to fulfill this book's Potential.
This book displayed a few redeeming qualities. The solution to the mystery largely made sense. Some of the characters were kind of fun. The author did a good job of making Nanette and Liliana seem extremely ridiculous. Clifford was a good character, too. Another redeeming quality was this typo in which Lucy meant to say, "Maybe someone else is after the diary, too," but instead said, "Maybe someone else is after the dairy, too." That was a good typo. I enjoyed that typo.
Oh, and another thing, there was a metaphor about how the characters' situation was like a frog being gradually boiled to death, and how they were immersing themselves in dangerous things that were eventually going to lead to their demise or something (I don't know; I didn't understand it), but ordinary frogs actually cannot be gradually boiled to death. They'll jump out of the vessel of water once it reaches 25 degrees Celsius (what is this in degrees fahrenheit? good question. i couldn't tell you). This guy from the 1800s did an experiment in which he tried to gradually boil frogs, and (ordinarily) he couldn't. If he removed the frog's brain, it would boil to death. But of course it did. It didn't have a brain.
Want to read
October 13, 2020this cover is like a beautiful print you'd find at anthropologie and hang up in your entryway next to your delicate butterfly hook that holds your polene paris bag
February 2, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was so much fun and kept me on my feet the entire time! The mystery of the murderer surprised me, even though I was constantly guessing who it could’ve been or what might’ve been happening. I enjoyed every second of this book and found it so hard to put down. The blurb of this book described it as a “modern day version of The Secret Garden” and this book had so much of the charm and nature (literally) of that original story! All of the characters are so interesting and easy to like, even the ones that you’re supposed to be suspicious of. Lucy was such an interesting main character, as was Edith and their overall dynamic together and trusting of each other.
This book was so much fun and kept me on my feet the entire time! The mystery of the murderer surprised me, even though I was constantly guessing who it could’ve been or what might’ve been happening. I enjoyed every second of this book and found it so hard to put down. The blurb of this book described it as a “modern day version of The Secret Garden” and this book had so much of the charm and nature (literally) of that original story! All of the characters are so interesting and easy to like, even the ones that you’re supposed to be suspicious of. Lucy was such an interesting main character, as was Edith and their overall dynamic together and trusting of each other.
May 1, 2021
Lucy Clark Will Not Apologise is your run of the mill mystery YA. There’s nothing too special here but it is a cute little story a very interesting cast of characters.
I was really looking forward to this one as I love a good teenage girl detective lead YA mystery, with the likes of the Truly Devious series and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder being some of my faves. Sadly, Lucy Clark Will Not Apologise just didn’t quite get there for me. I was never fully gripped into the mystery of who was trying to kill Edith because the stakes never seemed high enough. This one maybe isn’t for the seasoned YA mystery readers, but a younger, newer reader to the genre will probably enjoy it.
The story as a whole aside, what I didn’t quite mesh with in this one is how the characters speak. It all felt really unnatural and I couldn’t picture anyone actually talking like that. This is most notable in Lucy’s parents, who in classic YA fashion are never around, and while I get that they had the whole ‘life coach’ schtick, they felt particularly clunky and robotic. Also, the strange interactions between Lucy and her love interest, Jack. Yikes, I was uncomfy. But! The characters themselves are all fun and you’re definitely not going to get confused (okay I did forget who Peter was when he showed back up at the end there but anyway).
Quirky book is quirky. Just, don’t take it seriously.
ARC provided by Edelweiss for an honest review
I was really looking forward to this one as I love a good teenage girl detective lead YA mystery, with the likes of the Truly Devious series and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder being some of my faves. Sadly, Lucy Clark Will Not Apologise just didn’t quite get there for me. I was never fully gripped into the mystery of who was trying to kill Edith because the stakes never seemed high enough. This one maybe isn’t for the seasoned YA mystery readers, but a younger, newer reader to the genre will probably enjoy it.
The story as a whole aside, what I didn’t quite mesh with in this one is how the characters speak. It all felt really unnatural and I couldn’t picture anyone actually talking like that. This is most notable in Lucy’s parents, who in classic YA fashion are never around, and while I get that they had the whole ‘life coach’ schtick, they felt particularly clunky and robotic. Also, the strange interactions between Lucy and her love interest, Jack. Yikes, I was uncomfy. But! The characters themselves are all fun and you’re definitely not going to get confused (okay I did forget who Peter was when he showed back up at the end there but anyway).
Quirky book is quirky. Just, don’t take it seriously.
ARC provided by Edelweiss for an honest review
May 24, 2021
Rating: 4.5 Stars
After "the incident", Lucy was sent to New York. Her punishment was to intern for the fabulous and eccentric Edith, who believed someone was out to get her. While other questioned Edith's mental capacity, Lucy set out to solve the mystery and made discoveries about herself along the way.
For a story driven by a search for a murder, this was a rather sweet and charming tale. Rabb did an amazing job keeping this on the lighter side while still exploring weightier topics. The book was filled with a fantastic cast of characters, plenty of humor, and lots of feels.
Things that delighted me:
• The characters were definitely the biggest draw for me. They were such an interesting group, and I enjoyed every second I spent with them. They were wonderful as individuals, but it was the group dynamic I loved most.
• The gardens sounded incredible. Rabb pulled me right into these whimsical and magical places. As a native New Yorker, I revel in those green spaces that exist alongside the concrete jungle. The physical beauty of these gardens came across clear as day, but there was more to it. It was about what these places gave back to those who worked in them or simply gazed upon their beauty.
• Edith's columns were really lovely. There were some snippets of columns Edith wrote for a garden publication, but they were more about how gardening related to life. Each of those columns shared some real wisdom, and I loved the way Rabb worked them into the story.
• It was gratifying to see Lucy find herself and her people. Lucy struggled with feeling accepted. Her parents left her to be raised by her grandmother, and then when her grandmother died, they sent her to a boarding school. Though she formed a few solid friendships there, Lucy struggled to fit in. New York was a whole new realm for her, and I delighted in seeing her find a place she was accepted as she truly began to accept herself.
This was fun, warm, and cozy mystery, which surprised me in the best way. I enjoyed following the trail and getting to the bottom of things along with Lucy, but I didn't expect to find those pieces about belonging, acceptance and family, or for the story to warm my heart so much. Overall, this was a satisfying mystery, which left me smiling and basking in the warm-fuzzies.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
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After "the incident", Lucy was sent to New York. Her punishment was to intern for the fabulous and eccentric Edith, who believed someone was out to get her. While other questioned Edith's mental capacity, Lucy set out to solve the mystery and made discoveries about herself along the way.
For a story driven by a search for a murder, this was a rather sweet and charming tale. Rabb did an amazing job keeping this on the lighter side while still exploring weightier topics. The book was filled with a fantastic cast of characters, plenty of humor, and lots of feels.
Things that delighted me:
• The characters were definitely the biggest draw for me. They were such an interesting group, and I enjoyed every second I spent with them. They were wonderful as individuals, but it was the group dynamic I loved most.
• The gardens sounded incredible. Rabb pulled me right into these whimsical and magical places. As a native New Yorker, I revel in those green spaces that exist alongside the concrete jungle. The physical beauty of these gardens came across clear as day, but there was more to it. It was about what these places gave back to those who worked in them or simply gazed upon their beauty.
• Edith's columns were really lovely. There were some snippets of columns Edith wrote for a garden publication, but they were more about how gardening related to life. Each of those columns shared some real wisdom, and I loved the way Rabb worked them into the story.
• It was gratifying to see Lucy find herself and her people. Lucy struggled with feeling accepted. Her parents left her to be raised by her grandmother, and then when her grandmother died, they sent her to a boarding school. Though she formed a few solid friendships there, Lucy struggled to fit in. New York was a whole new realm for her, and I delighted in seeing her find a place she was accepted as she truly began to accept herself.
This was fun, warm, and cozy mystery, which surprised me in the best way. I enjoyed following the trail and getting to the bottom of things along with Lucy, but I didn't expect to find those pieces about belonging, acceptance and family, or for the story to warm my heart so much. Overall, this was a satisfying mystery, which left me smiling and basking in the warm-fuzzies.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
September 22, 2022
I'm so glad I found this book! There's a fun mystery, quirky characters, and a girl who learns that she has worth and doesn't deserve to be treated as a burden. I found Lucy to be a great main character and I loved her journey to realizing that her parents are actually awful and she should get a say in her own life.
The older ladies, Edith and Mimsy, cracked me up. They didn't care what anyone thought of them and Mimsy was willing to dress up as various characters and make up stories to help the investigation. I wish I had some grandma friends to sleuth with!
The ending was the only part I didn't love. We end up having a lot of information just told to us instead of having Lucy figure it out with clues. I would have liked to see the pieces come together instead of an info dump.
Other than that, enjoyable read and I'll be looking into more books from this author.
The older ladies, Edith and Mimsy, cracked me up. They didn't care what anyone thought of them and Mimsy was willing to dress up as various characters and make up stories to help the investigation. I wish I had some grandma friends to sleuth with!
The ending was the only part I didn't love. We end up having a lot of information just told to us instead of having Lucy figure it out with clues. I would have liked to see the pieces come together instead of an info dump.
Other than that, enjoyable read and I'll be looking into more books from this author.
March 21, 2021
I have to say, I loved this book. Thank you to the publisher and Goodreads giveaways for the free advanced copy!
The mystery I couldn’t figure out. It was written in a way that was vague and left me wondering until it was finally revealed. Maybe others might find it an easy solve, but it wasn’t the case for me. I thought it made the book more enjoyable.
I loved the characters, a bunch of misunderstood underdogs. I especially loved Lucy, her journey of finding herself and understanding her life and her parents I found really captivating. There were times she was talking down to herself and I felt so akin to her troubled self-esteem. Her emotions were definitely real and the author wrote them perfectly.
I couldn’t put this book down once I got into it. The cover is also gorgeous, as is the art in the chapter headings. So pretty!
The mystery I couldn’t figure out. It was written in a way that was vague and left me wondering until it was finally revealed. Maybe others might find it an easy solve, but it wasn’t the case for me. I thought it made the book more enjoyable.
I loved the characters, a bunch of misunderstood underdogs. I especially loved Lucy, her journey of finding herself and understanding her life and her parents I found really captivating. There were times she was talking down to herself and I felt so akin to her troubled self-esteem. Her emotions were definitely real and the author wrote them perfectly.
I couldn’t put this book down once I got into it. The cover is also gorgeous, as is the art in the chapter headings. So pretty!
June 5, 2022
This was honestly such a fun mystery book.
It didn’t focus too much on the romance (which is something that quite a few contemporary ones do) and it had such an interesting and involving story.
I believe this has become one of my most favorite books. It has mystery, it isn’t in any way gory, or frightening, and it mostly keeps such a refreshing lighthearted tone to it. Of course, bad things happen, and tragic backstories are talked about, but they’re not the focus, and they don’t feel heavy to the reader.
Besides all that, this book has what I (who am not Jewish) believe to be GREAT representation!
Overall, GREAT story. Immersive journey. Fun characters. Cute Romance.
If you’re thinking about reading this one, I could not recommend it enough!
It didn’t focus too much on the romance (which is something that quite a few contemporary ones do) and it had such an interesting and involving story.
I believe this has become one of my most favorite books. It has mystery, it isn’t in any way gory, or frightening, and it mostly keeps such a refreshing lighthearted tone to it. Of course, bad things happen, and tragic backstories are talked about, but they’re not the focus, and they don’t feel heavy to the reader.
Besides all that, this book has what I (who am not Jewish) believe to be GREAT representation!
Overall, GREAT story. Immersive journey. Fun characters. Cute Romance.
If you’re thinking about reading this one, I could not recommend it enough!
Read
August 19, 2021DNF at 32% - just couldn’t get into it! Might try again later.
June 26, 2021
TW: Mobbing
Also gestört hat mich nichts wirklich, begeistern konnte mich die Geschichte aber leider auch nicht. :/ Bis zum Ende hatte ich Schwierigkeiten in die Story reinzukommen und mir hat einfach der Bezug zu den Figuren gefehlt. Ich mochte Jack ganz gerne, aber sonst war das ein ziemlich unspektakuläres Buch, das mir wohl nicht lange im Gedächtnis bleiben wird.
Also gestört hat mich nichts wirklich, begeistern konnte mich die Geschichte aber leider auch nicht. :/ Bis zum Ende hatte ich Schwierigkeiten in die Story reinzukommen und mir hat einfach der Bezug zu den Figuren gefehlt. Ich mochte Jack ganz gerne, aber sonst war das ein ziemlich unspektakuläres Buch, das mir wohl nicht lange im Gedächtnis bleiben wird.
June 18, 2022
5 stars of personal rating because this story touches on many aspects of how you can feel helpless and give up when you ask for help and no one believes you.
For me the epitome of losing power is when, no matter what you do, you can't change the situation or get anyone to help you or even believe you
It made me cry and understand many parts of my past and my relationship with my mother.
For me the epitome of losing power is when, no matter what you do, you can't change the situation or get anyone to help you or even believe you
It made me cry and understand many parts of my past and my relationship with my mother.
July 2, 2025
Too much telling, not enough showing.
Read
December 31, 2020I received a digital ARC of this book.
Okay, first of all a weirdo teen girl going to help a chic, eccentric, elderly lady solve a mystery is very much Abbey-bait. Of course I loved it. The beginning scenes at the boarding school didn't totally gel for me, but after reading the whole thing I liked them better in retrospect. Things really pick up when the story moves to New York. I loved the cast of characters, there is something so warm about reading about these rollicking group scenes.
I enjoyed the mystery for the most part, although
Where this story really shines is Lucy's relationship with her parents. Understanding that your found family can be better for you than your traditional family and that you have agency and are deserving of unconditional love. It's a powerful message uniquely told.
I can see recommending this to fans of "Ordinary Girls" by Blair Thornburgh.
Okay, first of all a weirdo teen girl going to help a chic, eccentric, elderly lady solve a mystery is very much Abbey-bait. Of course I loved it. The beginning scenes at the boarding school didn't totally gel for me, but after reading the whole thing I liked them better in retrospect. Things really pick up when the story moves to New York. I loved the cast of characters, there is something so warm about reading about these rollicking group scenes.
I enjoyed the mystery for the most part, although
Where this story really shines is Lucy's relationship with her parents. Understanding that your found family can be better for you than your traditional family and that you have agency and are deserving of unconditional love. It's a powerful message uniquely told.
I can see recommending this to fans of "Ordinary Girls" by Blair Thornburgh.
September 6, 2022
Rating: 3.5⭐️
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Aitäh raamatu eest, kirjastus Rahva Raamat!
•
Üldiselt võtaks ma selle raamatu kokku kui “ainult magustoidust koosnev eine”, aga ühe koogikese peale oli pisut pipart ka raputatud 😄 Ehk siis tegemist oli ühe armsa looga, aga kõigesse oli segatud väike krimilugu. See oli aga mu jaoks mõneti veits kummaline, sest olgugi et Edithit püüti mõrvata, siis keegi ei võtnud seda tõsiselt ja arvasid, et see on üks dementse vanamuti sonimine.
Kõige rohkem meeldis mulle selle raamatu juures hoopis selle kujundus. Alustades kaanepildist ja lõpetades raamatu vahelehtede (?) ning peatükkide algustega. Lihtsalt imeline!
Muidu üks kiire ja tempokas lugemine, mis mulle tegelikult ikkagi meeldis ja soovitan lugeda küll.
Mulle meeldis Lucy eneseareng selle raamatu jooksul. Aga korduvalt panid mind kulmu kergitama hoopis tema vanemad. Ja seda üldse mitte heas mõttes.
•
Aitäh raamatu eest, kirjastus Rahva Raamat!
•
Üldiselt võtaks ma selle raamatu kokku kui “ainult magustoidust koosnev eine”, aga ühe koogikese peale oli pisut pipart ka raputatud 😄 Ehk siis tegemist oli ühe armsa looga, aga kõigesse oli segatud väike krimilugu. See oli aga mu jaoks mõneti veits kummaline, sest olgugi et Edithit püüti mõrvata, siis keegi ei võtnud seda tõsiselt ja arvasid, et see on üks dementse vanamuti sonimine.
Kõige rohkem meeldis mulle selle raamatu juures hoopis selle kujundus. Alustades kaanepildist ja lõpetades raamatu vahelehtede (?) ning peatükkide algustega. Lihtsalt imeline!
Muidu üks kiire ja tempokas lugemine, mis mulle tegelikult ikkagi meeldis ja soovitan lugeda küll.
Mulle meeldis Lucy eneseareng selle raamatu jooksul. Aga korduvalt panid mind kulmu kergitama hoopis tema vanemad. Ja seda üldse mitte heas mõttes.
June 29, 2021
DNF at 23%
The amount of triggering that happened in the first 30-odd pages had me wanting my weighted blanket. Elder abuse. Bullying. Parental neglect. Family dysfunction. Gaslighting. Invalidation. Mental illness shaming. (Just to name a few)
SUMMARY:
Lucy’s parents are abusive fat-shaming narcissists and the head of her boarding school is an abusive authoritarian (a copy of Carol Burnett). Together they decide to suspend Lucy and force her to undertake an “internship” which involves her caring for an elderly woman. Lucy is told the woman is “mentally unsound” except to Lucy, she appears fine, save for that she is suspicious and thinks someone might be trying to kill her.
That’s as far as I got. I just couldn’t ✋🏼 🛑 with the horrible “parents”, nasty headmistress, and mean girls.
The amount of triggering that happened in the first 30-odd pages had me wanting my weighted blanket. Elder abuse. Bullying. Parental neglect. Family dysfunction. Gaslighting. Invalidation. Mental illness shaming. (Just to name a few)
SUMMARY:
Lucy’s parents are abusive fat-shaming narcissists and the head of her boarding school is an abusive authoritarian (a copy of Carol Burnett). Together they decide to suspend Lucy and force her to undertake an “internship” which involves her caring for an elderly woman. Lucy is told the woman is “mentally unsound” except to Lucy, she appears fine, save for that she is suspicious and thinks someone might be trying to kill her.
That’s as far as I got. I just couldn’t ✋🏼 🛑 with the horrible “parents”, nasty headmistress, and mean girls.
December 26, 2020
This is a fun mystery about Lucy, who leaves her fancy boarding school to live in NYC to take care of an elderly lady who believes that someone is out to get her. Is the old lady crazy? Is it dementia? Or is there really someone who is trying to get to her and why?
Yet another kids in boarding school book--it's getting really old and I can only hope for better in 2021.
Yet another kids in boarding school book--it's getting really old and I can only hope for better in 2021.
August 23, 2021
"To be nobody but yourself - in a world which is doing it's best, night and day, to make you everybody else - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting." ~ E.E. Cummings
January 1, 2023
Lucy Clark on noor neiu, kes oli kaotanud enda elus armastatud vanaema ja pidi elama ning õppima imelikus internaatkoolis.
Koolis teda kiusati ja selle tulemusel tekkisid ka n-ö kergemad pahandused, mille tulemusel saadeti ta New Yorki ühe rikka vanadaami abistajaks ehk ta saadeti sinna karistust kandma.
Tuli aga välja, et tegemist polegi tavapärase vanadaamiga ega ka piltlikult öeldes harilik karistuse kandmine. Vanadaam ei vajanud abi tavapäraste asjadega, vaid ta oli veendunud, et teda tahetakse tappa ja soovis Lucy abi tapja selgeks tegemisel. Algas põnev seiklus ja uute sõprussidemete loomine.
Ainuke asi, mis mind tohutult häiris kogu raamatu lugemise ajal, olid tema vanemad. Pidevalt tekkis tunne, et sellistel inimestel ei tohiks üldse lapsi olla ning selliste reeglistike tegemisel peaks nad v-b üldse vastutusele võtma.
Koolis teda kiusati ja selle tulemusel tekkisid ka n-ö kergemad pahandused, mille tulemusel saadeti ta New Yorki ühe rikka vanadaami abistajaks ehk ta saadeti sinna karistust kandma.
Tuli aga välja, et tegemist polegi tavapärase vanadaamiga ega ka piltlikult öeldes harilik karistuse kandmine. Vanadaam ei vajanud abi tavapäraste asjadega, vaid ta oli veendunud, et teda tahetakse tappa ja soovis Lucy abi tapja selgeks tegemisel. Algas põnev seiklus ja uute sõprussidemete loomine.
Ainuke asi, mis mind tohutult häiris kogu raamatu lugemise ajal, olid tema vanemad. Pidevalt tekkis tunne, et sellistel inimestel ei tohiks üldse lapsi olla ning selliste reeglistike tegemisel peaks nad v-b üldse vastutusele võtma.
October 5, 2021
3.75/5 🌟
“life is strange and messy and you are strange and messy. strange and messy is beautiful”
very cute story. i enjoyed reading it! i love lucy and jack and dyna and especially gertrude bad*ss.
(SPOILERS AHEAD)
i love how at the end lucy realized that she was being verbally and mentally abused by her parents. some people would not have noticed that, but it definitely makes the story much better.
however, just for me personally, i thought the story would move a little bit faster since it’s a “murder mystery” but you can tell the “coming of age” part of the book took over. definitely took me longer than i thought it would to finish.
anyways, pretty good book!
“life is strange and messy and you are strange and messy. strange and messy is beautiful”
very cute story. i enjoyed reading it! i love lucy and jack and dyna and especially gertrude bad*ss.
(SPOILERS AHEAD)
i love how at the end lucy realized that she was being verbally and mentally abused by her parents. some people would not have noticed that, but it definitely makes the story much better.
however, just for me personally, i thought the story would move a little bit faster since it’s a “murder mystery” but you can tell the “coming of age” part of the book took over. definitely took me longer than i thought it would to finish.
anyways, pretty good book!
June 7, 2023
3.5 - very endearing
July 11, 2024
It was such a fun book to read
August 16, 2022
Lucy Clark on üks südikas tüdruk, kelle elu on läinud veidi nukral toonil, sest vanemad on justkui olemas aga ei ole ka. Nad näitavad oma "hoolimist" üles eriskummalisel viisil. Seega Lucy peabki ise hakkama saama. Paraku aga teatud sündmuste tagajärel saadetakse ta internaatkoolist ära hoopis vanaldase daami juurde tööle. Too aga on toonud välja tugeva argumendi, et teda üritatakse tappa. Kas vanadaam on lihtsalt dementne või on tal alust tõsiselt nii arvata?
Selle raamatu puhul on mul arvamused nii ja naa.. See oli armas ja lihtne, veidi lapselik lugu, kus vanakesed ja noored on oma jõud kokku pannud ning üritavad lahendada müsteeriumi. Teisalt jälle tundus, et palju erinevaid teemasid oli kokku pandud ja sellest lugu tekitatud, kohati aga ma ei suutnud teemat tõsiselt võtta ning seal tulidki punktid alla.
Suur aitäh Rahvaraamatukirjastus raamatu eest!
Selle raamatu puhul on mul arvamused nii ja naa.. See oli armas ja lihtne, veidi lapselik lugu, kus vanakesed ja noored on oma jõud kokku pannud ning üritavad lahendada müsteeriumi. Teisalt jälle tundus, et palju erinevaid teemasid oli kokku pandud ja sellest lugu tekitatud, kohati aga ma ei suutnud teemat tõsiselt võtta ning seal tulidki punktid alla.
Suur aitäh Rahvaraamatukirjastus raamatu eest!
December 30, 2021
Ever since "the incident," things have not been going well for Lucy Clark. Her best friend was pulled out of their boarding school, her grandmother died, and her parents have been just as distant as ever. Following "the incident," Lucy is suspended and sent to live with her cousin in NYC, where she will assist an elderly woman named Edith. Life in NYC is nothing like Lucy expected, and to complicate matters, Edith is sure there's someone trying to murder her.
With a cast of eccentric characters (who sometimes felt flat), a beautiful garden setting, and a solid mystery, this was a pretty good book. The pace felt too slow up until the end when it finally picked up and I feel like it was maybe 75 or so pages too long. Overall, it was a solid 3.5 that I'm rounding up. I loved the cover art and the art on each chapter page!
Thanks to the publishers for sending an ARC!
With a cast of eccentric characters (who sometimes felt flat), a beautiful garden setting, and a solid mystery, this was a pretty good book. The pace felt too slow up until the end when it finally picked up and I feel like it was maybe 75 or so pages too long. Overall, it was a solid 3.5 that I'm rounding up. I loved the cover art and the art on each chapter page!
Thanks to the publishers for sending an ARC!
August 30, 2021
nothing but respect for my jewish horticulturists!
February 6, 2025
(This is gunna be a harsh review, btw). Messy. This book’s plot, pace, setting, and (most of all) characters are MESSY. There is way too much introduced in all the previously mentioned categories, and hardly any of it is flushed out. I can barely remember our main character's name even though it is part of the book's own title. Most of what happens is extremely unrealistic and I just very much did not enjoy it. However, it was very fun to dissect all the ways we didn't like it in Read Between the Spines w my teens!
March 16, 2022
Meh.
Took me forever to get through because I think it was just kind of boring. Clearly I wasn’t the target audience- I’d say it’s for middle grades. All the characters read younger than the ages they are supposed to be & are really exaggerated.
Sadly, I just didn’t care about what was going on in the book & now that I’ve finished it, I find that it’s slipped out of mind as quickly as I closed the cover. Probably should have been a DNF.
Took me forever to get through because I think it was just kind of boring. Clearly I wasn’t the target audience- I’d say it’s for middle grades. All the characters read younger than the ages they are supposed to be & are really exaggerated.
Sadly, I just didn’t care about what was going on in the book & now that I’ve finished it, I find that it’s slipped out of mind as quickly as I closed the cover. Probably should have been a DNF.
December 26, 2020
This is a fun mystery about Lucy, who leaves her fancy boarding school to live in NYC to take care of an elderly lady who believes that someone is out to get her. Is the old lady crazy? Is it dementia? Or is there really someone who is trying to get to her and why?
March 29, 2024
Love the cover! The book was just okay for me. There were cute elements: cozy mystery, found family, quirky old ladies, NYC setting- but I felt like the writing could have been a lot stronger, and overall I wasn’t very interested in the story as I was reading. Best for younger readers I would say!
June 25, 2021
OMG! This book was amazing! I definitely needed a good mystery! I was not expecting all the twists and turns this book had, but it made me want to keep reading! I would highly recommend for anyone!
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