Lucky Girl

An exhilarating, darkly funny debut novel about the absurd and fleeting nature of childhood fame, and the ever-evolving desire for family and forgiveness.

Lucy Gardiner felt like she was put on earth to dance.

Amid the chaos of her Massachusetts upbringing—her loving, erratic brothers; her overburdened mother—twelve-year-old Lucy is discovered and cast on a new dance reality show. When its popstar judge, Bruise, takes an obsessive interest in Lucy’s raw talent, Lucy’s life suddenly becomes what she’s always wanted—or has it? In the whirlwind of talk shows, movie sets, and extravagant Hollywood parties of her teenage years, Lucy slowly grows more alienated from her family. And when a series of youthful mistakes comes back to haunt her, she finds she must free herself from Bruise’s world of fame and all its trappings, and decide where her home truly is.

With lively prose and a rich cast of supporting characters—including a retired parrot actor traumatized by his former career—Lucky Girl is an unparalleled coming-of-age story that explores the sparkling highs and heartbreaking lows of ambition, infamy, and the determination to follow a dream, wherever it might lead.
"Clever…. a canny tale of the vagaries of show business."—Publishers Weekly

"A rollicking ride of a debut novel about the weird world of teenage stardom….as binge-worthy as reality TV."—Kirkus Reviews

"What a completely fabulous debut! Allie Tagle-Dokus delivers us a witty coming-of-age story, with original characters and pitch-perfect dialogue. Lyrical and darkly funny, I adored it."—Annie Hartnett, author of The Road to Tender Hearts

"An absolutely killer debut. Lucky Girl is remarkably precise in its meditations on art, youth, sacrifice, and obsession. It is a tart, manic, and exhilarating read. Tagle-Dokus has created a haunting account of Hollywood horrors told with the thrill of a reality show binge." —Kiley Reid, author of Come and Get It and Such a Fun AgeAllie Tagle-Dokus is a writer and high school teacher. She received her BFA in writing, literature and publishing from Emerson College and her MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She currently lives in Gardner, Massachusetts, with her husband and dog.