The Lucky One Review and Discussion Questions

February is the month for romance and our book club pick- The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks- definitely fits that bill!  It weaves together the stories of Logan Thibault, Beth Green, and Keith Clayton.  Thibault, an Iraq war veteran, finds a picture of a girl while in Iraq and it changes his luck for the better.  He starts winning at poker and it saves his life on more than one occassion.  Once he gets back to the States, he sets out to find the girl in the photo.  She turns out to be Beth Green, a divorced elementary school teacher living in Hampton, North Carolina.  Beth's ex-husband is Keith Clayon.  Clayton is from the family that runs Hampton and is definitely sleazy.  He follows Beth around and has run off any man that dates her.  He's also not a very good father to their son, Ben.  When Thibault comes into town, he starts working at Beth's family kennel and slowly he and Beth fall in love.

The Lucky One is an easy read, and fairly enjoyable if you like books like these.  The main problem I had with the novel was that there was a lot of build-up for very little pay-off.  Most of the book dealt with Thibault and whether or not he was going to tell Beth about the photo, and when the inevitable confrontation occurs, it's all over in a matter of a few pages.  The other thing about this book, and all of Nicholas Sparks' books in general, is that it was very predictable.  The books all seem to follow a formula.  Those who like his books might find this to be a positive, since you're always guaranteed an enjoyable story.  However, I feel that this makes me less likely to read his other books since I already know, for the most part, how they'll end.

Discussion Questions (provided by publisher)

• After Thibault finds the photo of a girl wearing a shirt that says lucky lady across the front, his best friend Victor convinces him that the photo is his lucky charm.  Do you believe in lucky charms?  Do you think the photo is Thibault's lucky charm, or is his good luck just a coincidence?
• Do you find it odd that Thibault walked across the country to find the girl in the photograph, a woman he knew next to nothing about?  Why is Thibault so compelled to find this woman?
• Thinking about how difficult marriage is, Beth remembers her grandmother's saying: "Stick two different people with two different sets of expectations under one roof and it ain't always going to be shrimp and grits on Easter."  Do you agree?  Do you think marriage is worth the hardship that often accompanies it?
• Compare the main male characters in the novel- Thibault, Clayton, and Drake.  How are they different and how are they similar?
• Thibault, we learn, was a soldier in the Iraq war, but when we meet him he looks and acts nothing like a soldier.  How has the war affected Thibault and in what ways are his actions in this novel determined by his time spent in Iraq?
• Victor seems to think that Thibault is in love with Beth even before he's met her.  Do you think it is true?
• Beth is somewhat guarded and she doesn't allow herself to fall in love with Thibault easily.  What, besdes her past romantic failures, makes her initially wary of Thibault?
• What role does Nana play in bringing Thibault and Beth together?
• Why doesn't Thibault reveal the truth about himself to Beth earlier?  Do you think he cted dishonestly and do you think Beth is right to be upset when he finally tells her the truth?  Should she have forgiven him?
• Do you think Thibault and Beth are destined to be together?  Do you believe in fate?
• What do you make of Clayton?  Do you dislike him?  Do you understand why he behaves the way he does?  Is he a good father to Ben?  Does your opinion of him change by the end of the book?
• What role does Zeus play in this story?
• Describe Ben and Thibault's relationship.  How does Ben change as he and Thibault become close?