The Children’s Book Review | October 29, 2017
Windfall
Written by Jennifer E. Smith
Age Range: 12 and up
Hardback: 432 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press
ISBN: 978-0-399-55937-2
What to expect: High School, Lottery, Friendship, Love
When Alice’s best friend Teddy turns eighteen, she buys him a lotto ticket. She doesn’t believe in luck, especially since she’s had what most people would consider the world’s worst. Her parents both passed away within a year of each other, and she was left an orphan. But Teddy only turns eighteen once, and what harm can a little lotto ticket do?
That is, until Teddy wins the jackpot. Even split amongst other winners, it’s more money than any reasonable person can expect to spend in a lifetime. Alice is thrilled for him – he and his mom are no stranger to misfortune, and could use the money. Secretly, Alice has been harboring huge feelings for Teddy for years, and had hoped to finally confront him about her growing crush. But now that Teddy is the man about town, showing up on every morning show and being wooed by every hot girl in the school, Alice seems farther from him than ever.
So when things start to go downhill for Teddy, Alice tries to help him. Who knew that money could bring on such bad luck, too? From forgotten, long lost relatives to school torments, Teddy starts to see the down side of having it all. Can Alice reveal her true feelings and help Teddy navigate these troubling waters?
This is a great beach read, perfect for fans of contemporary romance and authors like Sarah Dessen. Jennifer Smith’s writing is well-executed and engaging, and you instantly sympathize with Alice and her hidden love for Teddy. Alice is a great, personable character whom everyone will root for. WINDFALL perfectly illustrates how sometimes getting everything you want can be a bit of a curse. But amid all the twists and turns and ups and downs, Alice has her happy ending, and readers of contemporary fiction will eat up Smith’s dreamy romance.
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About Jennifer E. Smith
Jennifer E. Smith is the author of seven novels for young adults, including The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. She earned a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and her work has been translated into thirty-three languages. She lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter at @JenESmith or visit her at jenniferesmith.com.
Windfall, by Jennifer E. Smith, was reviewed by Denise Mealy. Discover more books like Windfall by following along with our reviews and articles tagged with Friendship, High School, Jennifer E. Smith, Love, and Romance.
