Despite being a light-hearted read, this book gave me anxiety. Imagine, if while in your high school class you find out that you won the lottery. What would you do? Would you tell everyone immediately or keep it to yourself? I found myself relating to Jane and her anxiety about what to do wholeheartedly.

This is a great light-hearted read that manages to be serious about topics such as hoarding and poverty. LUCKY GIRL has a HEA and knows its' worth.

I’ve never read a book about a character winning the lottery but I really enjoyed this unique plot!

Fortuna Jane, but goes by Jane, has won big money from a lottery ticket she bought spur of the moment. This causes her to go into panic mode as she decides what to do with it but more importantly, how she will even get the money if she isn’t eighteen.

I enjoyed getting to know Jane and the life that hasn’t been easy for her. Even though it’s been five years since the death of father, it can still be a hard thing to process. I have never lost a parent but I do know grief from losing my grandmother. Death sucks. I think Jane handles it well but her mother is another story since she decides hoarding is the best medicine. This not only impacts her mother but it also affects Jane as she has to live in a house filled with everything that her mother collects.

Jane is also going through the emotions of a past break-up as her ex comes back into the picture suddenly. This type of situation can definitely take a toll. Been there multiple times! It was easy to relate to her as she maneuvered through it all. Besides her friend being in a relationship and talking to his girlfriend, who is also friends with Jane, there isn’t much when it comes to romantic relationships and honestly, I love books like this where a character doesn’t have to fall in love to find themselves. I also liked seeing a great relationship between a boy and girl who are friends and good ones at that! Bran is such a good guy.

Besides hoarding, this book also deals with the outcome of winning a lottery and what money/greed can do to people. It talked about “the lottery curse” but it also talked about how money can be used for good. I liked seeing both sides of the coin and it all gave Jane a better perspective to make her decision on what to do. It also doesn’t help that she has a close group of people to help her along the way.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was a unique plot with important topics that was easy to read as I finished it in one sitting, haha.

Review will be available on my, The Reading Fairy, on April 17th, 2021.

TW: Hoarding, parent’s mental health, grief , death of a parent (mentioned), fire (mentioned)

Rep: (Ownvoices) Bisexual MC, Black side characters, Korean side character

"His words cut through me, but somehow they don’t hurt quite as much as they would have a few days ago. Maybe my heart is healing. Maybe I have better armor. Maybe I finally see him for who he is."

Disclaimer: I received an ARC via Netgalley from the author, in exchange for participating on her Street Team. This does not affect my opinion. All thoughts are my own.

I have been aware of this author since last year ever since her debut, Kit Sweetly had came out. That book has been on my TBR still despite owning a copy of it. I knew a few things about this book especially from the whale-watching, and save the ocean. I basically saw this book on GR and just added the book to my TBR without even reading the synopsis so yeah, I went along with it and squashed whatever I thought about it before because THIS BOOK WAS AN ABOSLUTE DELIGHT.

This book is also on the short side about 240 pages according to Goodreads. Right from the start, we are introduced our MC-Fortuna or Jane winning the lottery. The only problem, she is underage, her best friend is setting an investigation to find out who won it, and her ex is back in the picture.

She was really relatable in my eyes. She felt like an authentic teenager dealing with her hoarder of a mother and her breakup with her ex. The words that were used was defiantly one a teenager would say (source: I’m a teenager). Jane felt so real and authentic that I can’t believe that she is simply a fictional character. She lives in a small town in Sothern Wisconsin and honestly I kinda want to live there, because it sounds so cool. She’s also so passionate about saving the whales and Whale-Watching that I just loved every minute whenever that came up.

We all know, I die HARD for a book that has no romance, explores various relationships like friendship and family. Yes publishers, we promise it’s okay to publish books that doesn’t have romance. My aspec heart always loves the books. Jane has an awesome friend circle who knows how much of a jerk her ex-Holden is, and his gaslighting skills that he uses at times. Like they just stick up for her despite Jane trying not to fall in love with him all over again. HE’S AN EX FOR A REASON.

But how complicated family relationships is just…. Chefs Kiss. Her mother is a hoarder who constantly goes through people’s trash and finds anything that has value, or anything that has a story behind it so it won’t be forgotten. Jane knows how much her mom is, and loves her for it so she can’t tell her about the lottery ticket because she knows what might happen if her mom knew about it.

Lucky Girl explores mental health around grief. Grief was so well explored and there is no one way on how to handle with grief. Jane sends messages through messenger to feel connected with her dad. Meanwhile, her mom becomes a hoarder because she’s so afraid of things being forgotten and it was one of the ways to cope with the emotional distress that the death from Jane’s dad caused.

There are a couple of Easter Eggs in this book, but also-Jane has some really good taste in books.

This fun and hilarious story with a unique premise will have YA readers quickly turning the page until the very end. Paxton has proven herself to be an expert at creating relatable and engaging characters that reflect the concerns and sensibilities of YA readers. Highly recommended.

Luck isn't the reason why Lucky Girl by Jamie Pacton is one of my most refreshing YA reads of the year. Pacton begins with a simple premise and expands it to a nuanced commentary on grief and healing. When Jane Bellweather wins the lottery underage, she has a few options. Find someone who's willing to cash in the money or burn it before anyone figures out its her. With a best friend set on finding the winner to use as leverage for a prestigious CNN internship, an ex boyfriend with a history of abuse talking to her again, a grandmother who hates worldly possessions, and a mother who hoards other's memories out of grief, it doesn't look like the 58,642,129 dollars will be hers anytime soon.

What begins as a personal dilemma about becoming rich soon evolves into a greater message about overcoming grief. As Jane tries to find people to confide in, she finds herself writing private messages on her late father's Facebook page. It's then we learn the true driver of this story. Jane bought the winning ticket on her father's birthday (committing a misdemeanor in the process). Her mother hoards discarded objects and clothing to fill the void of the husband who has since passed away. As we continue to follow Jane, we realize the real issue in this story is that Jane's home is still learning how they can move on from a tragic accident.

While the pace of this book is slow and the conflict is driven by lack of communication, this story shows readers a believable situation where talking is truly difficult. Despite Jane feeling alone in this story, it was heartwarming to see the moments where Jane opens up and sees that she has a supportive network of family and friends. Healing is a long process, and Lucky Girl doesn't shy away from the fact money helps but does not solve everything. The ending of this book ends on a hopeful note which is a welcome addition at a time where the real world appears so dark and gloomy.

To say that this book hit me out of the blue would be a gross understatement. Here I was, thinking I could read a chapter of this before going to bed and boom, it’s three hours later and I have a new YA contemporary favourite.

Lucky Girl follows Fortuna Jane Belleweather after she finds out the ticket she—kinda illegally—purchased won the jackpot and is now worth $58 million dollars. This is both epic and awful in equal measures, considering Jane’s problems could probably all be solved with that kind of money but that she can’t cash it in because purchasing a ticket if you’re under eighteen is a misdemeanour. Add into the mix that her small town in Wisconsin is basically turning the search for the ticket holder into a witch hunt and the fact that her mom is a hoarder who’d probably spend the entire money on stuff they don’t need instead of food, and you have yourself one heap of a clusterfuck.

Lucky Girl encompasses everything I want and need in a good YA contemporary—fast-paced narration without forfeiting fleshing out characters, conundrums that make you think about your own choices in life, and plunging into emotional topics that will have you reeling.

From the first page, Jane struggles with the “responsibility” that comes with her ticket. Her best friend Bran, who’s an aspiring journalist and makes it his mission to find the lottery winner, offers up horrid stories about lottery winners whose lives went downhill after becoming rich. Jane already knows that she can’t ask her mom to sign the ticket for her so she can claim the money; her grandmother would give it away without a second thought, which leaves only one person in Jane’s life who’s eighteen to sign the ticket. Holden, her ex-boyfriend who wants nothing more than to be filthy rich and who’s been wanting back into Jane’s world.

I loved how to the point this story was with everything we learn about Jane, her family and her relationships tied in really well with the overarching lottery win. Not to mention the in-depth look we get a mental health when it comes to Jane’s mother who is a hoarder and doesn’t really know how to stop—Jane enabling her is the least of their problems and I think that relationship and those issues were dealt with incredibly well considering how short this novel is. 

The narration is impeccable as Pacton takes us from the initial euphoria of thinking about what that kind of money could do to the slow but steady paranoia that everyone is on to you straight down to the panic you imagine yourself to feel when someone in your life would do anything to take that money from you because you “don’t deserve it”. I loved the way this book revealed what money can do to people—from being worshippers at the altar of greed to those who would use it to save the environment—really, this book offered so many paths people take when they think there’s something to gain. The angst and anxiety really dripped off the pages and it left me an absolute mess by the time the climax rolled around.

I don’t want to spoil anything because I think this book is best read without too much info but let me say this: it’s hard finding people you can trust and though blood is thicker than water, there are always going to be people who value money over friends and families. The tough thing is to find out the people you know will stick by your side, money or not. And Lucky Girl is a nail biter when it comes to this topic.

Fast-paced and compulsively readable, Lucky Girl is a poignant and revelatory reflection on what money and greed can do to people—and that the best things in life are truly priceless.

Jamie Pacton’s second book, Lucky Girl, is a fresh look at contemporary YA, detailing the unexpected trials and tribulations that come with a mammoth underage lottery win. As main character Jane contemplates what to do about the $58,643,129 she is now worth, she also must deal with her money-hungry ex-boyfriend, her mother’s hoarding problem, and a law that says lotto jackpots can’t be cashed by underage buyers. Now, this is a story!

In a small town, everyone knows everything, which means that everyone DEFINITELY knows about it when somebody hits the $56 million jackpot. Now they just need to find WHO the lucky winner is. Lucky Girl’s small-town setting provides the perfect backdrop for Jane’s prize-money uncertainty. Whether she’s at school, at work, or scrolling on the local Facebook group chat, she can’t escape the rumours and curiosity. This offers plenty of room for Jane’s growing anxieties about unhappy, unsuccessful lotto winners and even those betrayed by supposed loved ones for their winnings.

Jane’s relationships form an important part of the Lucky Girl story. Her friendships strengthen in the face of unlikely adversity, and her relationship with her ex-boyfriend moves through the ups and downs of his newfound (and inconveniently timed) obsession with becoming a billionaire. Importantly, Jane also learns to better support her mum through her hoarding. Throughout the course of the book, Jane matures and becomes the kind of person who might just be able to handle the burden of over $50 million.

Lucky Girl tackles themes of money, family, friendship, responsibility, and more. If you’re looking for a unique YA and enjoyed Jamie’s first book, The Life of Medieval Times of Kit Sweetly, this might be the book for you!

4 stars

_Lucky Girl_ surprised me in a very good way.

Jane, the m.c., is a high school senior who is dealing with a number of challenges. The most unexpected of these challenges is that she has recently and secretly won a $58 million lottery jackpot! Because she is underage when she purchases the ticket, and her state considers this a misdemeanor, she has added complications. Along with this awesome and confounding situation, Jane also lost her father at a young age and is continuing to deal with related grief. Her mother manages this grief in a different way: hoarding. She is so busy collecting other people's memories (aka their discarded and donated items) that she does not realize how much everything and everyone around her are suffering. Oh, and Jane also has a real trash bag of an ex-boyfriend.

I enjoyed Pacton's first novel, _The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly_, but I struggled with some lacking development of the character there. My reaction to this novel is totally different. Both novels center on interesting premises, but Jane's story here is so much better tied together. She comes with so many lessons, and she is also strikingly easy to root for since - despite her given name and her big win - she seems to have the odds against her so frequently.

This is a speedy and enjoyable read, and for me, there's a freshness to the character and the focal points. I'll be recommending this one to students and colleagues -

WHAT A FANTASTIC STORY WITH A GREAT PREMISE! I LOVE Jamie's writing. Her writing style mimics my own. Her descriptions, imagery, and character development are so well done. The reader could tell how much research went into this story.

I thought this was a sweet, fun, easy contemporary YA read. The story itself was pretty straight forward but explored some pretty relatable issues throughout the novel. I think that this is definitely worth picking up if you're looking for something light and easy to power through over a day or two.

What a lovely, heartwarming book! I read it in a matter of hours -- it was so compelling and I had no idea what Jane would choose to do in the end.

Jamie Pacton's treatment of grief and heartbreak felt so refreshingly honest. I loved that Jane talked to her dad through his Facebook messages, which felt like a very real representation of loss in today's world. Jane's relationship with her best friend, Bran, was so nice to read, and I really enjoyed how the book handles teenage love and breakups. Overall, it was such a delightful book, and I can't wait to see what Pacton writes next.