Windfall

Gr 9 Up—What would you do if you won the lottery? A question almost everyone has contemplated becomes a reality for high school senior Teddy, who receives a winning ticket from his best friend, Alice. She bought the ticket on a whim, and it sends them down a much different path than either had anticipated. Both have had their share of struggles. Alice, an orphan, has moved to Chicago to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousin. Teddy's father is a gambling addict who left Teddy and his mother penniless. Winning millions of dollars seems to be the best thing that could have happened to Teddy, but Alice knows that more money means more problems, and she sees how the money changes Teddy and how others begin to behave around him. As Teddy continues to be oblivious to Alice's hopeless love for him, she finds herself battling old ghosts—and her heart. Smith weaves a poignant tale of teens coping with loss and change as they balance on the verge of adulthood. A story that could have easily skimmed the surface of emotions plunges head-on into the complexities of grief, loss, and love. Healthy doses of humor and small victories for the main characters keep the atmosphere from feeling too heavy, and Smith creates more gentle tension as readers wait to see if love blossoms and if Alice will do something just for herself.