SEARCHING FOR LUCKY #3002

In this series starter, Ben and his dog, Blue, attempt to track down Ben’s father.

Ben is dreading an upcoming assignment that requires students to give presentations about their families; his mother has always shut down his questions about his father. When she finally explains that she “found [his father] in a bank,” Ben is mystified, though adults will understand that Ben was conceived using donor sperm. In an effort to change the subject, Mom suggests they get a dog. They adopt Blue, a droopy-faced basset hound with three ears. The two quickly bond and, with Ben’s best friend, Cooper, try to find Ben’s father. A woman named Pearl who claims to be Blue’s old owner pops up periodically, but her story doesn’t add up. Who is she, and why is she following them? Ben eventually learns what it means to be donor-conceived, and though the book offers much-needed validation of nontraditional families, the message is delivered clumsily, with dialogue that feels more like talking points than organic conversation. Some may wonder why Ben’s psychiatrist mother consistently leaves a clearly confused Ben with vague information about his origins. Still, humor shines throughout, and the subplot involving Pearl is well crafted, with effective foreshadowing and a satisfying twist. Most characters are white; descriptions of characters of color occasionally feel patronizing.

An absorbing mystery that grapples earnestly but awkwardly with questions of identity and family.