Jackpot

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

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.

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!

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.

*4.5 Stars*

I don't know where to start. I read this two weeks ago now but I still remember most of it (which is unusual for me).
It was really good, Nic Stone offers us layered and flawed characters who pull you in and then, she wraps it up nicely with a captivating intrigue and romance. I flew through the pages and found myself reading at 3am, not knowing where the hours had gone. Everything about this made me feel. I felt everything from beginning to end and the only thing that disappointed me was how curt the ending was...

THIS BOOK! ... I don't know what it is about Nic Stones writing but it always taps right into my emotions! I laugh when characters laugh, cry when they cry, and swoon when they swoon. I adore the discriptions of what's going on in Rico's mind, they feel so real that as a reader you can't help but empathise and feel conflicted and stressed along with her! I also loved the added asides from outside objects, it added a real uniqueness to the writing, allowing us to see more of each character without losing Rico's strong narrative voice.
Is the book the most original thing in the world, no, the cliche love story of the loner girl who never knew she was beautiful and blue blood boy with a warm heart is nothing new. It doesn't matter though, because you don't even care. Nic somehow takes these tired norms and breathes life into them.
Rico and Zan BOTH become better people through knowing each other, they support and challenge each other throughout the text. The slow, intimate build of their emotional connection shows a really healthy and positive basis for a relationship, which is a must for me in YA fiction.
Although my inner romantic was unsatisfied by the ending I loved its realism. Let's be honest, at 18 who knows what will happen in a love story but the ending of Jackpot leaves the reader sure that Rico and Zan will be there for each other regardless and this is another great outcome for young people to see. 5 stars!

Nic Stone never disappoints And this is no different. it’s honestly one of my favourite books I love everything about it the plot is beautiful the characters were beautiful It was written beautifully basically everything is beautiful

This book was an absolute treat to read. Even though, there are some heavier topics discussed, it is still very uplifting book.

The story revolves around a jackpot ticket, but in a more general way it is about money and the lack there of it. Rico's family lives from a paycheck to paycheck and because of that, she has to work part time and co-parent her little brother with her mother. The book shows not only the financial struggle, but also the frustration that comes with a situation like this.

I fell in love with both main characters and most of the side characters too, to be honest. I loved the family and friendship dynamics which were not always ideal but very realistic.

Zan was so charming, it should be illegal. Though, he is in a privileged position and he doesn't really realize his not so great behaviour until he is called out, he acknowledges the things he did wrong and tries to fix them. Rico on the other hand, was such a badass, in the way she helped her family, her relationship with her little brother Jax and how she was not afraid to call Zan out on things. I felt that the relationship between Rico and Zan had a great pace and it was so sweet despite the bumps in the road.

What took me by surprise are the chapters by inanimate objects. Though I didn't expect them, I quite enjoyed them. They filled up some blank spaces in the story that Rico couldn’t fill up herself.

It would be a five-star read for me, but I didn't enjoy the ending as much as I hoped.

A very well written and interesting read, once it gets its hooks into you, you won’t want to put it down. This book is a rollercoaster of emotions, both funny and sad, great insight and discussion into class, poverty, healthcare poverty and although it’s a difficult read at times, it always has a sense of hope. Wonderful.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

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!