Review of "Lucky's Adventure: The Saratoga Rescue" by Elizabeth Macy

Score: 93+/100 (9.3+ out of 10)

Has your beloved pet ever gone missing? Have you ever wondered what they might have seen? Who they might have met? What they might have done?

Lucky's Adventure: The Saratoga Rescue is a fictionalized story based on true events surrounding the life and adventures of Lucky, an anxious little Yorkie–Affenpinscher mix, and her owner ("Mom"), presumably the author herself.

The book is a middle-grade chapter book with black & white illustrations by multi-time award-winning illustrator Anthony Richichi. The illustrations definitely accommodate rather than distract from the story.

The book follows Lucky Charms, a once abused dog who begins life as “Bailey” in the South, where she is yelled at, hit, and finally dropped at a shelter. There she meets Miss Peaches and learns what “rescue” means as she waits for a family, until she is transported north, placed in a foster home, and finally meets the woman who becomes “Mom,” along with Hershey Kisses the cat, who slowly shifts from “annoying furball” to true sister.

The middle of the story shows Lucky and Mom building a life together in Saratoga Springs, complete with dog park friends, hikes, ice cream, and cozy bedtimes. At the same time, the narrative quietly underscores how much Mom needed Lucky too, setting up the “who rescued whom” theme. The big turning point comes when Mom travels to Kansas City and Lucky stays for a sleepover at Casey’s house. A loud truck startles her, her collar snaps, and she bolts into the woods. From there the narrative splits between Lucky’s on the ground adventure and Mom’s increasingly frantic search with Casey’s family, friends, and eventually what feels like the whole town, complete with posters, social media alerts, and near misses.

As Lucky wanders, she basically takes a tour of Saratoga, following a rainbow to the state park to bathe in a geyser, riding Longshot the Moose’s antlers at SPAC, trotting downtown with ducks, tasting the sulfur heavy water at Hathorn Spring, spinning on the carousel, snacking at the farmers’ market, napping in a compost pile near Spring Run Trail, hiding from a snake, bunking at the Oklahoma horse barns, and even riding Olivia the racehorse in a big race before heading to the lake with her old friend Baelish. Each stop brings new animal and human helpers, though she keeps just missing Mom.

The story alternates between Lucky's point of view and Mom's, and that structure really works. From Lucky's side, we feel the confusion, fear, and curiosity of a little dog who suddenly finds herself on her own in a big, unfamiliar world. From Mom's side, we see the very human panic of a pet parent who is trying to hold it together while doing everything possible to bring her fur baby back home. The dual perspectives raise the emotional stakes in a way that is still kid friendly and accessible.

As Lucky wanders through Saratoga, the book doubles as a kind of love letter to the town. She visits parks, trails, the farmers' market, horse barns, and more, meeting new animal and human friends at nearly every stop. Local readers will enjoy spotting familiar landmarks, while readers from elsewhere will still get a clear feel for a tight knit community that rallies around a missing dog. The little map and list of locations help sell that sense of place even more.

One of the strongest aspects of this book is how it balances worry and safety. The situation is serious. There are cold nights, loud noises, and moments when Lucky is hungry, wet, or plain worn out. Still, the tone never gets too heavy, and Lucky almost always finds a helper or a safe spot to rest. That mix of real tension with reassuring comfort makes it a great choice for sensitive readers who love animals but might be easily overwhelmed.

If there is a minor drawback, it is that Lucky's journey includes a lot of start, stops, and side characters. At times, it can feel a bit like a "Saratoga highlight reel" on top of the main lost dog storyline. However, many readers, especially kids who enjoy meeting new characters and discovering new places, will see this as a feature rather than a flaw. Each encounter adds another small lesson about kindness, courage, and community.

The beginning does feel a bit like an info dump. The explanation that Lucky's name used to be "Bailey" seems a bit unnecessary and might be confusing or overly complicated for young readers. There are also times when this book just seemed a bit flat and mundane. There are sections of this book that seem like slice-of-life scenes/moments that don't really advance the plot and seem superfluous/unnecessary. You don't want to tempt readers—especially young readers who have a short attention span—to close or put a book down. If you keep changing the subject, the side characters, and the focus, it becomes tempting to do so.

Then again, you don't necessarily have to read the book in one sitting. It's a chapter book, afterall. You can read it one chapter and one night at a time. That could work.

You might also have to suspend your disbelief and remind yourself that this is a fictionalized retelling of real events, meaning there are definitely fantastical elements including a ghost-like character in Maple, Lucky's "guardian angel," and moments like when Lucky talks to people (like she's a human who speaks English) and when she rides on Olivia (the horse's back) during a race. Obviously, those types of things are fictional.

Ultimately, though, this book is a powerful testament of the beautiful bonds between pets and their humans. They save us as much as we save them.

Check it out on Amazon!