Author: Jennifer E.Smith ⬥Series: Standalone ⬥Published: 2nd May 2017 ⬥Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary ⬥Format: E-ARC ⬥Source: Netgalley
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Synopsis
Alice doesn’t believe in luck—at least, not the good kind. But she does believe in love, and for some time now, she’s been pining for her best friend, Teddy. On his eighteenth birthday—just when it seems they might be on the brink of something—she buys him a lottery ticket on a lark. To their astonishment, he wins $140 million, and in an instant, everything changes.
At first, it seems like a dream come true, especially since the two of them are no strangers to misfortune. As a kid, Alice won the worst kind of lottery possible when her parents died just over a year apart from each other. And Teddy’s father abandoned his family not long after that, leaving them to grapple with his gambling debts. Through it all, Teddy and Alice have leaned on each other. But now, as they negotiate the ripple effects of Teddy’s newfound wealth, a gulf opens between them. And soon, the money starts to feel like more of a curse than a windfall.
As they try to find their way back to each other, Alice learns more about herself than she ever could have imagined . . . and about the unexpected ways in which luck and love sometimes intersect.
At first, it seems like a dream come true, especially since the two of them are no strangers to misfortune. As a kid, Alice won the worst kind of lottery possible when her parents died just over a year apart from each other. And Teddy’s father abandoned his family not long after that, leaving them to grapple with his gambling debts. Through it all, Teddy and Alice have leaned on each other. But now, as they negotiate the ripple effects of Teddy’s newfound wealth, a gulf opens between them. And soon, the money starts to feel like more of a curse than a windfall.
As they try to find their way back to each other, Alice learns more about herself than she ever could have imagined . . . and about the unexpected ways in which luck and love sometimes intersect.
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My Rating
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My Review
This is the first book I've ever read by Jennifer E. Smith and I am absolutely kicking myself for it. I was browsing through Netgalley one day when I saw this book (the cover is what initially attracted me, I'm not going to lie), but then I read the synopsis and I thought it sounded so cute and fun. It was only after I was approved for it that I realised I'd heard of this author before. I remember some of her books such as 'This is what happy looks like' and 'the geography of me and you' being popular a while back but I never ended up reading them. WHAT A FOOL I WAS.
This is definitely a character driven book, and I'm completely fine with that. I think that's generally the case with a lot of contemporary's anyway. The main thing I loved about this book was how all the characters were so developed. Alice was the main character yes, but there were a host of other characters that the book just wouldn't have been the same without.
Let's talk about Alice. I have to say that even though she was the narrator of the book, she wasn't my favourite character. There was nothing wrong with her and I did enjoy the character progression I saw throughout the book, but I just found myself gravitating towards other characters more...mainly Teddy. I would have LOVED if we had some chapters from Teddy in there. I think it would have been so interesting to read from his perspective, seen as he was the one who won the lottery.
The love aspect of this book I'm completely on the fence about. I don't want to say too much because I don't want to spoil it, but I'm just not sure how I feel about it, in some ways I love them and in others it feels kind of forced. I'm not sure...
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I didn't expect this but I actually feel as though it taught me a few life lessons, and it was surprisingly impactful. The writing style of Jennifer E. Smith is beautiful and I will 100% be picking up more books by her. Windfall was a cute contemporary with beautifully written characters and a unique story and I would definitely recommend it!
This is definitely a character driven book, and I'm completely fine with that. I think that's generally the case with a lot of contemporary's anyway. The main thing I loved about this book was how all the characters were so developed. Alice was the main character yes, but there were a host of other characters that the book just wouldn't have been the same without.
Let's talk about Alice. I have to say that even though she was the narrator of the book, she wasn't my favourite character. There was nothing wrong with her and I did enjoy the character progression I saw throughout the book, but I just found myself gravitating towards other characters more...mainly Teddy. I would have LOVED if we had some chapters from Teddy in there. I think it would have been so interesting to read from his perspective, seen as he was the one who won the lottery.
The love aspect of this book I'm completely on the fence about. I don't want to say too much because I don't want to spoil it, but I'm just not sure how I feel about it, in some ways I love them and in others it feels kind of forced. I'm not sure...
Have you read any of Jennifer E. Smith's other books? What did you think of them? I am officially intrigued.
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