lyza_reads's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like this book but, alas, here we are.
I think I give this book like a 2.25⭐️ rating - I didn’t hate it, it was just really predictable & I knew what the ending was going to be within the first chapter. Also this book kind of put me in a reading slump? It took me almost a month to get through it & I found myself picking up other books instead.
We get ittttttt she loves whales & she has a shitty bf who tbh is a criminal for trashing her stuff, yet for some reason she thinks maybe he’s still good? I like YA books, but the mentality of the main character was too childish for me.
Also, I found myself really sympathizing with the mom and her issue with hoarding. The mc would speak so poorly of her mom at times & it honestly made me like her less and less. Like she’s acknowledging that her mom needs help for it yet she’s tearing her down in the process. Idk it just didn’t sit well with me. Does this mean I’m getting older? When I sympathize with the adults over the kids? Wow. How about that lol.
Like I said, I didn’t hate the book, it just wasn’t the book for me.
I think I give this book like a 2.25⭐️ rating - I didn’t hate it, it was just really predictable & I knew what the ending was going to be within the first chapter. Also this book kind of put me in a reading slump? It took me almost a month to get through it & I found myself picking up other books instead.
We get ittttttt she loves whales & she has a shitty bf who tbh is a criminal for trashing her stuff, yet for some reason she thinks maybe he’s still good? I like YA books, but the mentality of the main character was too childish for me.
Also, I found myself really sympathizing with the mom and her issue with hoarding. The mc would speak so poorly of her mom at times & it honestly made me like her less and less. Like she’s acknowledging that her mom needs help for it yet she’s tearing her down in the process. Idk it just didn’t sit well with me. Does this mean I’m getting older? When I sympathize with the adults over the kids? Wow. How about that lol.
Like I said, I didn’t hate the book, it just wasn’t the book for me.
mrsherrera's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Toxic relationship, and Grief
fionak's review against another edition
4.0
Decent bit of feel-good fluff that's eminently predictable; a comforting sort of read where everything gets neatly tied up at the end.
preethijoseph's review against another edition
5.0
Fortuna Jane a 17yr old girl from a small town in Wisconsin wins a lotto for $58 millions ! Did you just say wow ? I did too but here comes the problem ! She is a minor and she cannot even reveal that she is the winner let alone cash the ticket because this is illegal .. Okay so what is the problem you say , she can ask someone to do it for her , yes right except that there are only three trustworthy ppl in her life who are over 18 and for different reasons she cannot ask any of them (keeping it non-spoiler) ! Can she keep the secret ? Can she get someone to cash it , if she does what would she do with that huge a amount? To know all this and more you gotta read the book !
There are so many books on mental health and depression and this book (I had no idea) dealt wit it too.. The grief of loosing a loved one is never easy, is it ?? The world does not stop , it pulls us along to move forward with it but sometimes we don’t ! We are stuck in the past , a part of us , the best part of us , looking for traces of the loved one , wishing for one last word, one last hug, one last kiss to say thank you or to say sorry only to realise its too late .. ! I still carry a 100 rupee note that my Grandmother gave me 7yrs ago on the morning she died . Such is life such is grief !
When I read the blurb I thought this was going to be a fun read, just cute and sweet sophomore novel but boy was I wrong .. The last few chapters of the book were soo emotional I cried heaps !! Honestly its been a long time since I put a book over my chest and cried over it at 2:45 AM in the morning .. The relationship Jane shares with her mentally stressed mother , her dead father , her bff Bran all of it was soo beautifully portrayed ! The coping mechanism that Jane’s mom takes on to hide the pain and loss of her husband had my empathy !
The characters were sweet and felt real that closing the book felt like having to say a goodbye to friends .. Also Bran and Jane are BFF goals !
Thanks @jamiepacton for writing this book and for sending me across this copy !!
There are so many books on mental health and depression and this book (I had no idea) dealt wit it too.. The grief of loosing a loved one is never easy, is it ?? The world does not stop , it pulls us along to move forward with it but sometimes we don’t ! We are stuck in the past , a part of us , the best part of us , looking for traces of the loved one , wishing for one last word, one last hug, one last kiss to say thank you or to say sorry only to realise its too late .. ! I still carry a 100 rupee note that my Grandmother gave me 7yrs ago on the morning she died . Such is life such is grief !
When I read the blurb I thought this was going to be a fun read, just cute and sweet sophomore novel but boy was I wrong .. The last few chapters of the book were soo emotional I cried heaps !! Honestly its been a long time since I put a book over my chest and cried over it at 2:45 AM in the morning .. The relationship Jane shares with her mentally stressed mother , her dead father , her bff Bran all of it was soo beautifully portrayed ! The coping mechanism that Jane’s mom takes on to hide the pain and loss of her husband had my empathy !
The characters were sweet and felt real that closing the book felt like having to say a goodbye to friends .. Also Bran and Jane are BFF goals !
Thanks @jamiepacton for writing this book and for sending me across this copy !!
missprint_'s review against another edition
3.0
Fortuna Jane Belleweather has always been good with numbers. As the only winner of the most recent lottery jackpot, Jane know there are 58,642,129 to claim the ticket. And every one of them includes a dollar sign.
Unfortunately, Jane can also see four big problems that stand between her and the big prize:
Jane is still seventeen for two weeks. This isn't terrible since she has 180 days to claim the ticket. Except if anyone finds out she bought the ticket as a minor it's a criminal offense. So aside from being in big trouble, she wouldn't be able to claim the winnings.
The most obvious solution is to give her mom the ticket to cash. But after her father's death, Jane's mother has started hoarding other peoples' possessions (and their memories, whatever that means) so Jane isn't sure she can trust her mother with that much cash. Or really any cash.
Jamie's best friend Brandon Kim is determined to reveal the big winner on his website, Bran’s Lakesboro Daily, to better prove his chops as an aspiring journalist and land a coveted internship at CNN.
Then there's the biggest problem: Jane's ex-boyfriend Holden is back on the scene with a lot of ideas about spending Jane's winnings. And trying to claim them for himself.
Winning the lottery should be the luckiest thing to ever happen to Jane, but as she struggles with keeping her big secret and figuring out how to claim her winning's she wonders if this is a case where a strike of luck is more bad than good in Lucky Girl (2021) by Jamie Pacton.
Jane narrates this standalone contemporary. Jane, like most of the small Wisconsin town residents, is white. Her best friend Brandon is Korean. Jane is bisexual.
Pacton packs a lot into a short novel as Jane comes to terms with her life-changing win and figures out how to claim her winnings (or if she even should). While this decision understandably drives most of the plot, Jane and her mother are also still grieving the death of Jane's father and dealing with the aftermath (isolation for both of them and hoarding for Jane's mom).
While some of the plot--particularly everything to do with Holden--can feel heavy-handed, Pacton delivers a very sweet slice-of-life story focused very squarely on Jane and her support system. Jane's friendship with Brandon (and Brandon's long-distance girlfriend who is in Australia) nicely centers this story and, once Jane comes clean, proves that she has more people in her corner than she realizes.
Lucky Girl is a fun bit of escapism that also thoughtfully tackles heavier themes of grief and loss. Recommended for readers seeking a change of pace in their next read.
Possible Pairings: Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith, Jackpot by Nic Stone, Lucky in Love by Kasie West
*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*
Unfortunately, Jane can also see four big problems that stand between her and the big prize:
Jane is still seventeen for two weeks. This isn't terrible since she has 180 days to claim the ticket. Except if anyone finds out she bought the ticket as a minor it's a criminal offense. So aside from being in big trouble, she wouldn't be able to claim the winnings.
The most obvious solution is to give her mom the ticket to cash. But after her father's death, Jane's mother has started hoarding other peoples' possessions (and their memories, whatever that means) so Jane isn't sure she can trust her mother with that much cash. Or really any cash.
Jamie's best friend Brandon Kim is determined to reveal the big winner on his website, Bran’s Lakesboro Daily, to better prove his chops as an aspiring journalist and land a coveted internship at CNN.
Then there's the biggest problem: Jane's ex-boyfriend Holden is back on the scene with a lot of ideas about spending Jane's winnings. And trying to claim them for himself.
Winning the lottery should be the luckiest thing to ever happen to Jane, but as she struggles with keeping her big secret and figuring out how to claim her winning's she wonders if this is a case where a strike of luck is more bad than good in Lucky Girl (2021) by Jamie Pacton.
Jane narrates this standalone contemporary. Jane, like most of the small Wisconsin town residents, is white. Her best friend Brandon is Korean. Jane is bisexual.
Pacton packs a lot into a short novel as Jane comes to terms with her life-changing win and figures out how to claim her winnings (or if she even should). While this decision understandably drives most of the plot, Jane and her mother are also still grieving the death of Jane's father and dealing with the aftermath (isolation for both of them and hoarding for Jane's mom).
While some of the plot--particularly everything to do with Holden--can feel heavy-handed, Pacton delivers a very sweet slice-of-life story focused very squarely on Jane and her support system. Jane's friendship with Brandon (and Brandon's long-distance girlfriend who is in Australia) nicely centers this story and, once Jane comes clean, proves that she has more people in her corner than she realizes.
Lucky Girl is a fun bit of escapism that also thoughtfully tackles heavier themes of grief and loss. Recommended for readers seeking a change of pace in their next read.
Possible Pairings: Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith, Jackpot by Nic Stone, Lucky in Love by Kasie West
*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*
thereadingchallengechallenge's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a lovely contemporary about a girl trying to decide what to do after she accidentally wins the lottery. Jane was a sweet character and it was so easy to empathise with her complicated situation, especially with her mother. And I loved the incidental bisexuality representation. My only qualm with the entire book was the horrible Australian accent in the audiobook. Americans need to stop trying to sound like us, y'all just can't get it right.
dame_samara's review
5.0
Trigger Warnings for Parental Death (Off Page), Parental Mental Illness, and Hoarding.
This book captured the feeling of living in the midwest (especially in a small town) incredibly accurately, and Jesse Vilinsky honestly made my workday with her Midwestern accent. (Even if the Australian accent was grating)
This book was honestly probably my favorite book I've read this Summer. I enjoyed it from beginning to end, and towards the end had me tearing up to the point I had to go hide in the break room to ensure no one saw.
I enjoyed the growth of Jane shown throughout this book. She constantly works to be a better person. She also has some amazing friends as support throughout this book. I also liked the fact that the way Jane's Mother's Mental Health is shown felt real for me.
This book is honestly fun from beginning to end, and I would recommend it full-heartedly. Jane is bi and while the romance is shown isn't of the gay variety. But I have the urge to deep it "It's Gay, and It Slaps" Because just because you're with a guy doesn't make you not bi.
This book captured the feeling of living in the midwest (especially in a small town) incredibly accurately, and Jesse Vilinsky honestly made my workday with her Midwestern accent. (Even if the Australian accent was grating)
This book was honestly probably my favorite book I've read this Summer. I enjoyed it from beginning to end, and towards the end had me tearing up to the point I had to go hide in the break room to ensure no one saw.
I enjoyed the growth of Jane shown throughout this book. She constantly works to be a better person. She also has some amazing friends as support throughout this book. I also liked the fact that the way Jane's Mother's Mental Health is shown felt real for me.
This book is honestly fun from beginning to end, and I would recommend it full-heartedly. Jane is bi and while the romance is shown isn't of the gay variety. But I have the urge to deep it "It's Gay, and It Slaps" Because just because you're with a guy doesn't make you not bi.
megs_s's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0