If you have enjoyed Stone's other publications but want something a little softer, this is the book for you.

Jackpot is a story that looks at what happens when there is a complex clash of different socio-economic and racial backgrounds. When Rico, a senior who works to support her family paycheck to paycheck, needs the help of Zan, a well-off, privileged classmate, things obviously don't go smoothly.

As well as our main characters, we are also graced with the narration from various inanimate objects, offering a creative and unique insight to the lives of those in strikingly different backgrounds.

While this certainly is not my favourite Stone book, I can truly appreciate how she has managed to weave a much lighter narrative without forgoing the critical and tough themes which her books have become known for.

Yes, this is also a bit of a romance story, but a more complex one than I would say YA contemporaries typically portray. It is not quite an 'enemy-to-lovers' trope, rather a 'will-they-won't-they'. Personally it wasn't anything that blew me away but it keeps the story going and the reader guessing.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable book! If you are looking a lighter read which isn't necessarily 'fluffy' definitely check this one out!

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for supplying me with an ARC of this book*

What I liked:
- ZantheMan
- The diversity
- The portrayal of having to live from paycheck to paycheck
- Female friendship, Jess was a great friend

What I didn't like:
- Rico, how she was just so constantly mean. How she treated Zan throughout most of the book.
- The ending

It was a good book and I enjoyed most of it. But there were some areas that prevented me from really loving this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing and eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jackpot is my second Nic Stone book. I have read Dear Martin early this year and loved it, so I was over the moon when I received the ARC for this book. I thought, if it was in any way like the other book I've read, it would be a poignant story with a lot of commentary on some important subjects. I wasn't wrong.

Jackpot's main character, Rico Danger, doesn't come from much. Raised by a single mother, with a younger brother to support, she needs to work full time on top of her studies, to help her parent keep the family afloat. With a constantly busy schedule, she has no time for herself. No time for friends. While working at a petrol station on Christmas Eve, she sells 2 lotto tickets to an old lady. The woman lets her keep one. Later, she finds a winning ticket has been sold at her petrol station on Christmas Eve, and convinced the old lady still has it and has forgotten about it, she decides to do anything she can to find her. But to do that, she needs help... help from the most popular guy in school, Alexander Macklin.

I enjoyed Rico's character for most of the book. She is fierce and flawed. Her relationship with her family is perfect – unconditional and nearly motherly love for Jax, and lots of love but also resentment towards her mother. She is very guarded, and because of that she plays to a lot of stereotypes and views a lot of people as stereotypes of themselves. She is human and very much a teenager, which I enjoyed – finally a character that feels authentic in YA contemporary. I expected more of a development by the end of the book, but I'm not sure I fully got what I wanted – I don't know if she finally stops judging people based on what her assumptions about them are. I wish the development was a bit more clear.
This book is a breath of fresh air when it comes to romance. I feel like I say it in every single review I write - I'm not big on romance, it's usually what makes me enjoy the book I'm reading less. Jackpot has a lot of build up, a lot of back and forth “will they, won't they” and an unconventional conclusion, which made the book really enjoyable. Rico and Zan have a lot of chemistry, that's for sure, but they also work extremely well as friends.
I'm not sure about the structure and pacing of the plot. It keeps changing direction – from being purely about the ticket, to being about Rico and Zan's relationship, to, what I thought came too late – the big conflict. In my opinion it happens too late, and the resolve of it gives the book a really abrupt ending. A lot of people say they don't know how they feel about the ending and I second that - I'm just not sold on the money part of the ending (I'm trying hard not to spoil anything).
Jackpot provides a great commentary on socio-economic status, privilege that comes from money and appearances. It shows many different points of view and really makes you think about how money affects people and their lives. After all, not everyone who comes from a wealthy family is well off themselves and not everyone who looks rich is actually rich. I think the discussion this book brings up to the table is an important one.

Overall, I really enjoyed Jackpot and will definitely be picking up future Nic Stone books. I'm docking 1 star for some minor things, like the development and the ending not being to my liking, but those things are personal preference and not necessarily the book's fault. Do yourself a favour and pick it up when it's out. It's definitely worth a read.

J'ai beaucoup ce roman YA !
Les personnages sont très attachants, avec chacun leurs failles, leurs doutes.
Rico, jeune femme noire de 17 ans, doit bosser à temps plein en plus du lycée pour aider sa mère à joindre les deux bouts. A la recherche d'un ticket gagnant au loto qu'elle pense avoir vendu, elle fait appel au gars cool de la classe, qui lui est un blanc issu d'une famille très riche, héritier d'une industrie de papier toilette.
On ressent vraiment les problématiques (amplifiées aux USA) liées à la couleur de peau, à la pauvreté et aux inégalités sociales.
C'est très facile à lire (lu en 3 jours en anglais !), un vrai page-turner, et ça ne tombe jamais dans la mièvrerie, et surtout pas à la fin, que je trouve vraiment bonne (pas toujours évident de terminer une histoire de ce genre sans tomber soit dans le happy-end sirupeux soit dans son contraire).
Mon seul bémol : que, dans les 4 personnages principaux, les deux filles soient les pauvres, et que les deux garçons soient les riches... Ça m'a parfois donné l'impression d'un conte de fée bien genré - mais cette impression s'estompe au fil de la lecture.

This book was one of the YA reads that wasn't on my radar at all. I've never read any books by Nic Stone so this was my first. Thank You Netgalley for granting me an arc.

So this is the story of Rico who is a girl living with her mom and little brother working pretty much full time while going to school to help her mother make ends meet. Rico is trying to track down this old lady who she believes bought a winning lottery ticket at her gas station in hopes of getting that ticket and claiming the money for herself. See Rico is like a second mother to her younger brother and she just wants a life where she can provide for him and give him the world. Where they don't have to just barely make rent at the end of the month and do without. Where the rich kids at school won't bully them.

Rico's mother seriously got on my nerves. After her bad decisions she basically puts it all on her daughter to help take care of the family because she's too proud to apply for government assistance. But also insists on having them live in an area they can't afford under the guise of wanting better schools for her children. She never gets the dragging she deserves because bad parenting like that should've be excused.

Also one thing I found strange is that Zan asks Rico "What are you?" and he means that ethnically because she doesn't know a popular rap song. And it's acknowledged that it's offensive but we still go there anyway. The black girl with the high cheekbones and curly hair is of course mixed.

I will say this book's strongest point is the effortless chemistry between Zan and Rico. They are a classic YA rom com duo. Zan is the rich boy who comes across like a bad boy but it really a cool down to earth dude. Rico seeks him out because he was at that gas station that day and she heard some rumors that he's good with computers. He doesn't open up much and he's kind of intrigued by her since at school she talks to no one. Once he and Rico form a friendship he really tries to get her to open up and does what he can to make her and her brother's lives a little easier. I would've loved to hear more of his POV vs the random objects POV we heard instead. I found his family dynamic very interesting.

Not sure how I feel about that ending. It didn't end the way that I expected.

Actual rating: 3.5

I really loved Nic Stone's previous two books, and I actually got to meet her in April this year, which was super lovely. So I was very excited to already be able to read her newest book. And for the most part, I really enjoyed this one too. It's an important read for sure. I don't think I've read any YA books that handle the topic of class and the impact money problems have on your life this well, since this was the main focus of the book and it usually seems to be more of a side issue. This was very interesting, and, honestly, stressful, to read.

But unfortunately, I couldn't fully enjoy this novel either. It took me quite a long time to get into it, and even then, I just really didn't click with the writing style, There were some short chapters from the POVs of inanimate objects, which just really didn't work for me. And both the plot and the relationships between the characters were often so incredibly messy. To some extent, this worked really well as it breathed life into them and made them feel more realistic, but I would have preferred a more structured character development. I will say, I really loved Rico's little brother!

Rep: black MC, half Mexican side character

CWs: hospitals, financial problems, mentions of alcoholism, mention of panic attacks

Enjoyed this book more than I expected and this is a good thing. It is very hard to put it down one the action caught your attention. It is fabulous and very well written! I recommend!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy!

A touching story of two very different worlds colliding. and how perceptions of others can change. Jackpot is without a doubt a must read.