JUST OUR LUCK

After losing a fight, a Greek American high school junior confronts both anxiety and an old family curse.

Angeleno Leonidas has never been a people person, especially not after the recent death of Yia Yia, his beloved paternal grandmother who came over from Greece to help raise him after his mother died when he was 4. Leo barely talks to his dad, who wants him to be more manly and quit pursuing artistic hobbies like knitting and photography. After his dad enrolls him in an intimidatingly macho self-defense class, Evey, who works at the gym, helps Leo secretly switch to hot yoga. She also pulls him into a plot of her own—and Leo breaks Yia Yia’s cardinal rule that he should steer clear of Evey’s Greek family due to a curse her family put on his. Actually, Evey’s quest for vengeance using Leo’s photography skills dovetails handily with Leo’s wish to feel comfortable in his own skin. Leo’s singular voice keeps pages turning and chuckles coming but also communicates a wealth of insight on topics from mental health stigma to toxic masculinity. Shared in the form of journal entries, the first-person narrative carefully manages readers’ emotions while sharing Leo’s own. The growth of Leo’s unlikely connection with his erstwhile bully illuminates the vulnerable humanity that can bloom when the veil of knee-jerk stereotypes falls away.

A masterpiece and a delight.