Member Reviews

3.5/5

I really enjoyed this novel. I think it's a really feel-good YA, and I got through it so quickly which was an added bonus. It's a real dreamy book - both in the way of winning the lottery, and the way it was written! I felt so relaxed reading it, although I was completely unable to put it down.

I thought that the characters were really well put together. Although it says in the blurb what happened to Alice as a young child, I'd forgotten all about this, so it was really nice to have it revealed slowly because it says a lot about the character. Alice's character development was beautiful throughout the novel.

I also loved her adoptive family! They were so sweet, and her parents were so funny and embarrassing - aka very relatable! Leo, her adoptive brother, was so awesome. I actually think he was my favourite character of the entire book. He was really down-to-earth and so lovely, and I loved his boyfriend too. LDRs are something I have personal experience with, and although I thought the ending was a little, uh, not real, I think it's really sweet to leave the novel with a lot of hope.

Now to talk about Teddy. He was the HUGE downfall of this book for me. He is the friend to whom Alice gives the lottery ticket, and all he cares about is the money. OKay so there is a slight redemption arc, but I just didn't like him. I thought he was an odd character, and someone I would probably avoid in real life if you get what I mean. I think we were meant to idolise Teddy and Alice, but I really wanted her to end up with another character and it left a bitter taste in my mouth that she didn't.

Overall? This novel was a really quick and enjoyable read. Jennifer E Smith has definitely improved in her writing since the last book I read of hers was THE GEOGRAPHY OF YOU AND ME and her characters have become a lot more complex since then. To be honest, it's not a great work of the ages, but it's a fun, quirky, unique and lovely little read that I would recommend to all stressed students who are looking towards university - or winning the lottery.

Was this review helpful?

Windfall - Jennifer E Smith

If you've stumbled across this blog before and any other reviews I've done for books by Jennifer E Smith there may be a touch of repetition involved here, sorry not sorry. The thing is, I LOVE Jennifer E Smith's writing style, I love her stories, they are cute, fluffy balls of YA goodness and lets be honest, everyone loves a comforting romance story now and again and she is the queen of comforting, cute, fluffy, YA romances.

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.

Much like I said before and in literally every other review of Smith's books I've done before, (she isn't a relative. At least I don't think so... Anyway, the point is that there is no bias here.) I might have to reel in the fangirling and much like her other books, this is similarly a romance between two teenagers facing a bit of adversity with some fluff thrown in for good measure.
This time around, we have troubled teens Alice and Teddy. Alice, an orphan who has been living with her aunt and uncle and cousin, Leo, for the past nine years during which time, she has befriended and subsequently fallen for her best friend, Teddy. Who, in typical Smith fashion, has his own baggage. He is currently living in a cramped one bed apartment with his mum following his dad abandoning the pair of them with huge gambling debts.
The story begins on Teddy's eighteenth birthday, Leo and Alice both buy him gifts that can only be legally used by eighteen year olds, a pack of cigarettes and a lottery ticket and that lottery ticket, well. That's when the excitement begins.

I don't know if you've noticed, but I am attempting to keep the inner fangirl under wraps. I don't know how much I am able to express how much I love this woman's books BUT as much as I enjoyed this, I have to be honest, it isn't my favourite of hers (I think This is What Happy Looks Like will always hold that title), but don't let that put you off, this had so much going for it. The teen romance and angst is there and the connection between Alice and Teddy is slow building and then there is the added drama of being a high school kid with nothing suddenly getting a ridiculous amount of money and how they handle that situation. Storywise, there is a lot going on here and in some ways, Windfall has a bit more substance than some of her previous stories, because of the different elements being presented, I guess, there just isn't as much fluff as usual and I do love me some Jennifer E Smith fluff. So if like me, you love the cute romances of This is What Happy Looks Like or The Geography of Me and You, then be warned that Windfall isn't on the same level.

Windfall had a lot of serious issues that were dealt with well, survivor's guilt, death, coming into money and trying to process what to do with it, plus there was the whole unrequited love with your best friend thing.... These three main characters had a really wonderfully written friendship, I love stories about friendship and watching relationships blossom and Jennifer E Smith does these so well!

Basically, I love this woman, I love her books, this wasn't what I thought it was going to be but I enjoyed it anyway, so check it out! Windfall is published at the start of May, so keep a look out!

Was this review helpful?

3.5* This is a very typical contemporary book - the MC loves her best friend who doesn't realise, there are obstacles throughout the book, everything works out in the end. It doesn't sound like the kind of book I would enjoy very much. However, it's the writing that makes this book really special. There are passages sprinkled throughout that just stand out and that I kept going back to reread because they were so good.
The characters in this book are a bit of a mixed bag - Alice, the main character, is bland and very self-righteous, but she makes some mistakes along the way and never even thinks twice about hurting people. Teddy is an annoying teenage boy who is too cocky and doesn't think before he acts. Leo is my sweet son and he should have been the main character. I appreciated the inclusion of a gay Latinx boy, but I wish he had been in the book more. I also wish Sawyer had been treated better, since he didn't actually do anything wrong.
The way Alice's parents' deaths are treated is really well done. They're never used as an excuse for Alice to make mistakes, and I loved that she eventually came to an acceptance that they were real people and not the perfect specimens of her nine-year-old memories.
Overall there were a lot of things in this book that I enjoyed and a few things I didn't, but I enjoyed reading it and I would probably read it again if I needed something light and fast.

Was this review helpful?

I have read a couple of books by Jennifer E. Smith in the past and I liked them a lot, so I was very excited about Windfall and I'm happy to say I was not disappointed :)

Alice, Teddy and Leo have been best friends forever, but things changed a couple of years ago for Alice - she fell in love with Teddy. She's sure that Teddy doesn't feel the same and she doesn't want to ruin their friendship, so she keeps her feelings to herself, but things are about to change anyway. It's Teddy's 18th birthday and Alice gets him a lottery ticket as a joke, but the impossible does happen and suddenly Teddy is a millionaire. Coming from a family that struggles with money, Teddy is determined to enjoy his newfound riches, making stupid decision after stupid decision and turning into some sort of celebrity much to Alice's dismay.

Mild spoilers ahead!

I loved every single character in this book. Alice's family is just wonderful, loving and supportive. Leo and Max are cute beyond words. Alice herself is awesome, sweet and strong and level-headed, and I loved that she was able to call Teddy on his bullshit despite her love for him (yes, I know that this shouldn't be a surprise, but most YA female MCs would just put up with it or make impossible excuses to justify his appalling behaviour). The one character I didn't particularly like was Teddy himself. He was an idiot even before winning the lottery, and I get that they have history and he's always been supportive of Alice, but I just don't see his appeal.

As with previous books, family relationships here are just as important as romantic ones. Both Alice and Teddy have complicated pasts and I enjoyed a lot reading about their struggle with their respective family situations and seeing them grow as they come to terms with the reality of their lives. It's wonderful to read a YA in which the characters are are actually young adults! Even if he was not my favourite, Teddy's behaviour and reactions felt the most real and believable (seriously, who wouldn't buy a sports car or two after winning the lottery?)

I was thinking about giving this 4 stars but in the end I decided to go for 3 because I didn't really buy into Alice and Teddy's relationship - it might not be instalove, but I still don't get why Alice fell for him in the first place, much less why he would return her feelings when there was no hint at all through the book that he might also see Alice as more than a friend. Also, the ending was way too cheesy for my liking, but I would still totally recommend this book to anyone in the mood for a cute story with a more mature twist and lovely characters :)

Was this review helpful?

This is the best book Jennifer E Smith has ever written. It's even better than The Statistical Probability Of Love At First Sight and This Is What Happy Looks Like. That's because in Windfall, the stakes are even higher. With an adorable teen romance at the core of the story, the plot revolves around a point of change with college and the future lying ahead. The decisions these characters make now will affect the rest of their lives.

Windfall is about a girl named Alice who buys a lottery ticket for her best friend Teddy to celebrate his eighteenth birthday. It transforms his life forever, but Alice has always been afraid of change. She's had a difficult life so far and doesn't want to lose her crush to his new fortune. Balancing love with self-discovery and coming-of-age, Windfall is a story ultimately about growing up and experiencing change.

I loved all of the quirks, including Teddy and Alice's nicknames for one another and the references to their previous lottery fantasies. Although, their romance came a bit out of nowhere. Alice talks about how Teddy is completely not her type and she shouldn't like him, but the only reason suggested for why they have feelings for one another is that they've been friends for so long and know each other so well. Leo and his boyfriend Max seem to actually talk and have conversations, but Teddy and Alice seem to just feel and smile and kiss. I guess that sort of inexplicable connection to someone is real and valid, but I would have liked more Teddy and Alice moments during the middle section to really see them develop.

The idea of winning the lottery and the money being both a gift and a curse was done so well. I found myself frustrated with Teddy but also so sympathetic for him. I just wanted to shout do the right thing! but, really, what is the right thing? I think the book sent a good message with the idea that the right thing is different for everybody and there can be a balance of living the luxury life and doing kind things for others. There is a way to do both.

On that note, although the story is told from Alice's point of view, I think it conveyed Teddy and Leo's lives really well. Teddy's relationship with his dad was so heart-breaking to watch and Leo's relationship troubles really moved me. It gave the novel an all-round feel and I could imagine it to make an excellent film adaptation.

Beautifully written with short, punchy chapters, Windfall expresses exactly what it feels like to want to hold onto the present moment and how the future can hold even more magic.

Forget the odds, the world has infinite possibilities.

Was this review helpful?

Review will be available on my blog closer to the release date!

Was this review helpful?

I remember reading a book about a girl who won the lottery when I was 14 or 15 and loving it. However, it was very tragic and basically the money ruined her life. This takes a similar premise but puts a much more optimistic spin on it - with a very hopeful look at humanity and human kindness.

Teddy was a wonderful character - flawed but trying very hard to be kind, very self aware, and a lot of fun. I had a bit more trouble with Alice, who seems a little odd at times - I couldn't really understand her character. She has a very strict moral code, but at times seems to go against her own opinions. At one point Teddy works very hard to try to do something he thinks she will approve of, only for her to twist her strong opinions to something different.

However, I loved her family and cousin/brother Leo. It's really nice to see someone with such a tragic backstory - the death of both her parents - still be so happy in her life, while continuing to struggle with her loss. Her grief was very nuanced, and felt very real.

Leo and his boyfriend were a lovely little bit of diversity too - it's nice to see an LGBT established relationship, struggling with long distance and staying together, rather than just getting together.

Overall a really good read.

Was this review helpful?

I cried while reading the book more than once, it was heart aching at times and interesting at the same. It is a story about friendship, family and what happens when you have the little hope inside you for a change and at the same you know you don't want any change at all, and you are not ready for any change at all, but it's impossible to let the world freeze around you and control other person's views and influences.

It is heart warming and I love the final ending, thank you so much! Will try to write spoilers free - Alice has been living with her aunt and uncle and her cousin since her parents died and although she has really enjoyed the friendship with her cousin Leo and their friend Teddy she longs the city she used to grow up, she longs the life she had back there, she longs her parents so much.

Alice are having a secret crush for Theodore for years now and he is her best-friend at the same and she is terrified and have tried her best to hide it all this time. Teddy on the other hand is macho when it comes to the girls from school, he usually dates 3 months and that's where it stops, she knows this and knows he doesn't feel the same about her at all.

It's Teddy's birthday and all classmates are there for the birthday party, Alice gives her gift - a lottery ticket and a card reveling her feelings, by accident or maybe meant to happen the gift giving situation is not exactly as Alice has planned it and party is different too... What happens next is a wheel spin, the ticket has actually won the absurd and impossible has happened.

I think the book gives us an example of staying who you and what your values are, not getting carried away because of lucky or unlucky events life gives you, staying honest and letting go, will it come back that's another story, but giving your best when you believe in something and finding own way when growing up....

The book is my new favorite, as it allowed me to cry and have a joy at the same when the characters had them.

Was this review helpful?

A fun and enjoyable read on the age old theme - what would you do if you won the lottery? We track the highs and the lows that follow a huge win after Alice gives Teddy, her best friend - and secret crush - a lottery ticket as a joke 18th birthday present.

Was this review helpful?

Windfall... It is exactly what it says on the tin. Alice is helplessly in love with her best friend, Teddy. And she gives him the best present without even realising it, a winning lottery ticket. But as things start to look up for Teddy, their relationship suffers. All Alice wanted was love, she got a windfall instead.

When I first started this book, I was convinced I would hate it. However as I continued reading, falling deeper into the characters lives, and I slowly fell in love with the simplicity and purity of this book. When it comes down to it, this book is about love. Love between family, friends. The story curved and although the ending is slightly predictable, it doesn't take the path you think it would.

Alice has a a heavy past, with her parents death, is left staying with her Aunt and Uncles. Throughout this novel, she realises the love they have for her, and though she can't help but miss her parents, she sees the family that is standing right in front of her.

Teddy is a sweet, impulsive character. It is hard at times to understand the infatuation Alice seems to have with him, but there are moments where he makes my heart swell.

A beautiful read about friendship, grief, and finding yourself.

Was this review helpful?

Full review on mygoodreads.co.uk

A heart-warming tale about love, friendship and coming to realise just what matters to you. When Alice buys best friend Teddy a lottery ticket for his birthday she doesn't imagine how it will change their lives. But it does...hugely. There's an element of wish-fulfilment watching Teddy spend the money which I think many readers will identify with, but this was definitely a story about learning to recognise and appreciate those who are important to you.

Was this review helpful?

(I received a copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review)

I've never read one of Jennifer E. Smith's books before but have heard great things about them so I am so glad that I finally did and I was not disappointed. Windfall follows three best friends ; Alice, Teddy and Leo and their journeys when Teddy wins the lottery.

I've never read a book about about winning the lottery and the decisions one might make and the potential changes and challenges which may come with it. I loved the three main characters as they felt real and I enjoyed reading about all three of their journeys both separately and together.

The romance was frustrating at times however I'm glad that it was a slow burner. Overall I really liked this story about friendship, love, family and ultimately luck. I read this in a day and already I want more! Would definitely recommend picking up!

Was this review helpful?

I read this in one day, I enjoyed it so much. Yes, it's a light read, but the characters were all so likeable, and the writing was so believable I was sad to finish it. I'll definitely look up more from this author.

Was this review helpful?

I actually want to give this book 3.5 stars, but there is no way to do this here.

I feel like this book ended in the middle. That is to say, there is definitely more to the story, and I would have loved it to continue.

I feel it was maybe laid out a little awkwardly. The lotto win came quite soon into the book and I would have liked this pushed back maybe a little so we could have time to know and meet the characters in this story.

I had hoped the ARK aspects of it would appear more often in the story. I'd loved to have seen more of them.

Overall, a great story but perhaps with a little more to give.

Was this review helpful?

I raced through this book in an evening. What would you do if you won the lottery with a ticket given to you on your birthday? What if you were still in high school? Jennifer E Smith has written yet another great teenage book.

Was this review helpful?

For eighteen year old Alice, buying a lottery ticket for the first time she was shocked to hear just how much you could win, way, way up in the Millions.
Growing up since age nine with her cousin Leo's family after her parents passed away, Leo is like a brother and she looks out for him through all his boyfriend issues alike he looks out for her back with her college application and her huge crush on Teddy their other friend whom she buys the lottery ticket for as it's his eighteenth birthday.

The next day after the draw all their lives have changed and a kiss between Teddy and Alice keep us rooting for their budding romance.

Teddy does buy a lot and get swept up into the media spotlight and for a start, his gambling father reappears however Alice can spot trouble ahead after all the bad in hers and Teddy's pasts.

The novel was beautifully written and showed the good and bad of a young lottery win but proves that romance can hide itself well until situations reveal the real you to each other and you support each other through huge life changes.

It's heartwarming and a lovely read about the issues of gambling, luck, love and loss.

Many thanks to the publishers allowing me to review it for them

Was this review helpful?

Absolutely adorable tale of a boy and a girl, and winning the lottery.

Review to come on blog closer to publication date.

Was this review helpful?