"Mainstream fiction"

Lucky Luckovich flees his homeland in Europe after a confrontation with his step-father. He finds work on a boat to America and illegally enters the US where he is told that if he works hard, he will be rewarded. Lucky does not follow this advice, however, and appears to believe that he should simply be given wealth. In search of wealth, he heads from New York towards Silicon Valley, where they hand out stock options like candy.

Rather than working hard, Lucky uses his looks to get what he wants from women. Although he does appear to care for them, this does not keep him from treating them callously and using them while he searches for his lucky break. Lucky scorns those who work hard and are willing to start out at the bottom.

Conflict is provided when Lucky meets Heather, who has secrets of her own. A free spirited artist, Heather's values are the opposite of Lucky's.

The plot revolves around Lucky's quest for wealth. Although Lucky has the potential to be a sympathetic character, he quickly loses the readers' sympathy with his callous attitude and actions. His only redeeming quality is his love for his dead mother. Towards the end of the book the plot takes a trite and incredulous soap operatic turn to reach the desired ending.

Lucky is an unlikely candidate for a rags to riches story in which he achieves the American dream. In a way, this book seems almost like a satire of the American dream, although it is not billed as such. Lucky as acharacter has almost no redeeming qualities. Although it has potential as a character study, this is not the path Burr chooses. Even descibed as a parody of the American dream, SILICON SECRETS, to me, fails to be amusing atany level and leaves the reader lamenting the callous selfishness and lack of work ethics perceived in American life.

Reviewed by Bonnie Rock
Posted July 20, 2003

From Gardenia Press. Available at Amazon.com