Author: Jamie Pacton
Publication Date: 11 May 2021
Publisher: Page Street YA
Page Count: 240
Reading Method: Physical ARC [Thank you to Page Street Publishing]
Synopsis:
58,643,129. That’s how many dollars seventeen-year-old Fortuna Jane Belleweather just won in the lotto jackpot. It’s also about how many reasons she has for not coming forward to claim her prize.
Problem #1: Jane is still a minor, and if anyone discovers she bought the ticket underage, she’ll either have to forfeit the ticket, or worse…
Problem #2: Let her hoarder mother cash it. The last thing Jane’s mom needs is millions of dollars to buy more junk. Then…
Problem #3: Jane’s best friend, aspiring journalist Brandon Kim, declares on the news that he’s going to find the lucky winner. It’s one thing to keep her secret from the town, it’s another thing entirely to lie to her best friend. Especially when…
Problem #4: Jane’s ex-boyfriend, Holden, is suddenly back in her life, and he has big ideas about what he’d do with the prize money.
As suspicion and jealousy turn neighbor against neighbor, and no good options for cashing the ticket come forward, Jane begins to wonder: Could this much money actually be a bad thing?
Review:
Last summer I had the pleasure of reading The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly by Jamie Pacton, so I was majorly looking forward to reading Lucky Girl.
Plot:
I absolutely love the idea of this story. Teenage girl, down on her luck, wins the big jackpot – what more could you want? How about a ride-or-die best friend, a pumpkin patch, rekindling an old flame (maybe?), and a mom who is struggling through a really tough time. Throw in some fear of punishment for purchasing a lotto ticket underage, breaking and entering, and the history of lottery winners and that’s basically Lucky Girl in a nutshell. This story took us on unexpected turns and fun adventures, with a bit of healing and learning to find yourself.
Characters:
Our MC, Jane (Fortuna Jane if you want to be technical), has a problem. Well, multiple problems. She experiences real growth throughout the story and I loved watching her relationships with those around her change and develop. While she makes a few mistakes along the way, and has a tendency to become a *touch* redundant with her doubts and worries, I didn’t think it was anything a normal teenager might experience. God knows I was insufferable as a teen.
Other noteable characters are her bestie Bran – an aspiring journalist who would do anything to figure out who won the lottery, her mother – who has taken up hoarding since the passing of Jane’s father, and Holden – the potentially douchey ex-boyfriend who might be the key to cashing in the ticket. It was fun to see how all of the relationships changed throughout. Each character surprised me a little by the ending.
Writing:
Pacton does a fantastic job of telling exciting stories that are full of feminism, equality, and inclusivity. The writing is so fun, without any dull moments. I particularly loved the inclusion of the facts about past lottery winners and their misfortunes. I haven’t actually looked them up to see if they are true (though I bet they are a work of fiction based on reality).
Overall:
I enjoyed Lucky Girl. I took it with me to my little sister’s graduation party and can confirm that it is an excellent choice of reading material while trying to avoid conversations.
