Jennifer E. Smith

"Alice loves Teddy, her best friend, but has never told him. When she buys him a lottery ticket that turns out to be a winner, their lives are changed forever and their friendship is put to the ultimate test"--

Windfall

Sofie

I love how Smith writes some amazing YA fiction, without making the voices too young. That's a problem I've been noticing with a few of my favourite YA authors recently. I thought I might be getting too old to enjoy the genre anymore, but Jennifer E. Smith proves here that you can have a young adult romance novel that still has depth, great lessons, and a swoon-worthy love story.

Jelke Lenaerts

7th booktubeathon read (challenge: read a book outside, read a book you bought because of the cover)

Oh my god, I just realized I hadn't updated this yet. I finished this 3 days ago and really enjoyed it. A huge improvement from the last (and first) Jennifer E Smith book I've read.

full review: https://jelkelenaerts.blogspot.be/201...

Elize van Heerden

First off, whoever designed this cover was a genius, it pulled me in immediately and that was the main reason why I picked up this book. Secondly, this premise is one that will make anyone one run out and buy a lotto ticket. 

Alice who has been pining for Teddy, her best friend, buys him a lottery ticket for his birthday. To their astonishment, he wins $140 million, and in an instant, everything changes. 

This is probably everyone in the world's dream, to win so much money, but I believe the author captured the burden that comes with instant millions and what effects it can have on you and the people around you. 

The characters were well written, all of the characters have extremely well planned out backstories to show the reader how they got to where they are. And when this lucky win does happen you can’t help but feel elated for the characters. 

There was a small section where Alice really worked on my nerve, but probably just because I wouldn’t have made the decision she did. But other than that, this was a very enjoyable quick read. I might actually pick up one of the authors other books.

Nadia Leontescu

SUUUUUUUUUPER cute with very very good humor, and there were so many great parts that even had a little sadness and brokenness. I just loved it.

Lisa ✩ @lifeinlit

It's no surprise that a contemporary-loving reader like myself enjoys Jennifer E. Smith's writing. She's actually one of my favorite contemporary writers. I adore how she's able to keep a book on the light and fluffy side, yet address very real and sometimes difficult issues so effortlessly in the process. Windfall was exactly that.

Alice, Leo and Teddy... the Three Musketeers. Each struggling through his or her teenage years dealing with a boatload of stress. Alice lost both of her parents at the young age of 9 and was taken in by her aunt, and uncle and cousin Leo, where she's lived most of her life. Though it's been nine years since their death, Alice is still struggling to live the life they would have wanted her to live, making them proud at every turn. Teddy lives with his mom in a tiny apartment after his father, who suffers from a gambling addiction, took the family's savings and left them. Teddy feels a strong desire to always take care of his mother and do the best he can as a son. Then we have Leo, who is struggling to understand why he's had it so "easy" all of his life, compared to his two best friends. Even his process of coming out to his parents about his sexuality went smoothly and perfectly. So why is everything so easy for him when it's so hard for his besties?

From here, (as you can gather from the title and synopsis) Alice gives Teddy a lottery ticket as a birthday present on his eighteenth birthday. This just so happened to be the winning ticket... and Teddy won over 100 million dollars. (Can you even imagine?!) As you can imagine, life is going to change... for everyone in Teddy's life. This is where alllllll of the fun begins. ;)

These three were the best of friends, and I adored the friendship they shared. Always having each other's back through everything, whether they were on-board with the specific decisions or not. Friendship is STRONG in this story, and that's a major plus for me!

“[...] Sometimes, through good luck or bad, through curses or fate, the world cracks itself open, and afterward nothing will ever be the same.”

I loved how despite this being a very light and fun read, it addressed several very sensitive and emotional topics. I really enjoy when an author can bring in such important topics, yet not make them feel forced and inserted haphazardly into a story. The way these issues were addressed was really quite perfect. It never changed the tone of the story, yet had me thinking on several different issues and what I would have done in a similar situation. Any author that can make me think while making me smile is a gem!

“We have all sorts of words that could describe us. But we get to choose which ones are most important.”

This coming-of-age story is definitely one to add to your list. While I wasn't blown away by it, I was definitely touched, and I loved how it made me think so much. Life isn't perfect, we're all well aware of that... but having the hope that things WILL be okay is something I always try to remember. Whether you believe in luck or fate, I believe this story will leave a lasting impression on you.

 

  


(Thanks to Delacorte Press for the review copy!)

Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!

Kate

Windfall was an enjoyable contemporary read, with a depth to it I wasn't expecting. 

I think what made this such a pleasantly surprising read, was the fact that the romance wasn't the main focus. Instead the focus was on other aspects; such as family, friendship, love, loss, money and grief. I personally wasn't too invested in the romance itself (I personally would have much preferred it, had it been platonic) but what I did love, was the different family dynamics and the discussions on what family means. It was fantastic to have a cast of characters who, despite having been through a lot separately and not always seeing eye to eye, were all incredibly supportive and caring. Positive and warm family relationships in books get a big tick from me and the family dynamics in Windfall definitely warmed my heart. The variety relationships throughout this book was wonderful, making it an interesting and lovely read. Although I didn't entirely warm to the characters, I liked that they were each an individual, with their own troubles and not simply a vessel for a romantic plot. 

If you're looking for a cute but not so fluffy contemporary read; with discussions of family, grief, friendship and growing up, Windfall is something I'd definitely recommend!

Holly Hill

Avery Black

This romantic story of hope, chance, and change from the author of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is one JENNY HAN says is filled with all of her "favorite things," MORGAN MATSON calls “something wonderful” and STEPHANIE PERKINS says “is rich with the intensity of real love.” Alice has never believed in luck, but that doesn’t stop her from rooting for love. After pining for her best friend Teddy for years, she jokingly gifts him a lottery ticket—attached to a note professing her love—on his birthday. Then, the unthinkable happens: he actually wins. At first, it seems like the luckiest thing on earth. But as Teddy gets swept up by his $140 million windfall and fame and fortune come between them, Alice is forced to consider whether her stroke of good fortune might have been anything but. She bought a winning lottery ticket. He collected the cash. Will they realize that true love’s the real prize? Featured in Seventeen Magazine's "What's Hot Now" “Windfall is about all of my favorite things—a girl’s first big love, her first big loss, and—her first big luck.” —JENNY HAN, New York Times bestselling author of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before “Windfall is perfectly named; reading it, I felt like I had suddenly found something wonderful.” —MORGAN MATSON, New York Times bestselling author of The Unexpected Everything “Windfall is rich with the intensity of real love— in all its heartache and hope.” —STEPHANIE PERKINS, New York Times bestselling author of Isla and the Happily Ever After "If you’re looking for your next great read, then you’re in 'luck!'" —Justine Magazine

Windfall

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