Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas

Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas

Chad Lucas attempted his first novel (on a typewriter) in the sixth grade. It may have taken a while, but his debut novel, Thanks a Lot, Universe, is well worth it! Although it was written for middle grade kids, it deals with some heavy topics such as bullying, mental illness, panic attacks and disorders, abandonment, and a suicide attempt.

Brian wakes up on the morning of his birthday to find his world completely flipped upside down. His father is gone (no one knows where) and his mother has to be hospitalized. Queue the "happy birthday" song. Things get worse from there as Brian and his little brother are sent to foster care until his mother is well enough and deemed fit to care for the two of them. Ezra, a popular kid on Brian's basketball team, is dealing with his own issues. His friends that he's had forever are growing up and growing apart, sometimes he thinks that's a bad thing and sometimes maybe it's not so bad. He sees Brian struggling and decides to reach out a kind hand, but he's nervous if he gets too close to Brian that people might realize his big secret. Ezra has a crush on him.

If you know me, you know that I don't read dust covers or short synopsis before starting a book. I am a get recommendations from my friends and family, judge a book by its cover, sort of girl. I chose this book as part of a genre reading challenge and I absolutely thought this book was going to be a cute little pallet cleanser that was well needed after some more laborious works. So imagine my surprise when Brian and his brother go to foster care within the first few chapters. Let it also be stated: I am a grown woman. I have two children. I am, cough, WELL past by middle school years. I loved this book. I found it absolutely delightful. I read it so quickly. Chad Lucas does a great job of pinpointing the awkwardness of becoming your own person. The characters were so cute, so loveable, even if they were sometimes a touch on the too good to be true side. Was it a literary masterpiece, no. But it was a book that I think a lot of gawky middle schoolers can identify with that broaches subjects that are not easy to think, let alone talk, about.

I'm giving Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas 4 stars out of 5. I can't wait to read the sequel, You Owe Me One, Universe!

For more from Chad Lucas, visit https://www.chadlucaswrites.com/

Pairs well with Jamaican jerk chicken and a personalized music playlist, proof that flirting as a middle schooler never really changes even if the chosen medium does.