12/05/2016
Seventeen-year-old Oklahoma native Chelsea Knowles has grown up playing cards with her single father, and with their financial situation in a very dire place, she puts those skills to the test, sneaking into a local casino, where she wins big at poker. Suddenly, Chelsea has money to spare, and she begins to see playing poker as a means to help her father pay the bills and to afford the clothes and social opportunities she’s only dreamed about. Thus begins a gambling spree with all the highs and lows that come with the territory, as well as a romance with Nate, an attractive casino worker a few years her senior. Debut author Dill paints a visceral portrait of the way financial pressures take a toll on a family, particularly on teenagers who don’t necessarily feel as though they can anything about it. Chelsea’s tender if fraught relationship with her father, given extra depth through flashbacks, and the electric thrill she gets as money starts coming in, will make it easy for readers to understand why she embarks on such a risky path. Ages 13–up. (Feb.)
"A sly, insightful close-up of risk-taking’s seductive, addictive appeal." - Kirkus Reviews
- - Kirkus Reviews
DILL, Julie. Bluff. 250p. Amberjack. Feb. 2017. pap. $10.99. ISBN 9781944995058. Gr 9 Up–In this cautionary tale of a cheerleader’s descent into poker addiction, 17-year-old Chelsea is one of the less privileged members of a cheer squad filled with rich girls. She has an absent mother and a deeply depressed father, her family’s bills don’t always get paid on time, and there’s certainly not enough money for the necessary squad fees. Her first visit to the casino is altruistic: to make enough cash to keep her family going. But quickly the thrill of the games—and the presence of handsome security guard Nate—draw her to the table night after night. In an unusual departure from more frequently seen settings of teens coping with addiction, Dill places her drama at the smoky poker tables of unglamorous casinos, where Chelsea struggles with her inner demons while surrounded by senior citizens with bouffant hairstyles. Her burgeoning romance with Nate is always shown as sweet, a bright light amid her downward spiral. Both poker lovers and cheer fans will appreciate the detail included about both worlds, though previous knowledge of either is not necessary to enjoy the story. VERDICT The engaging style, fast pace, and unusual settings make this a solid choice to recommend to reluctant readers.–Ann Foster, Saskatoon Public Library
- - School Library Journal
Seventeen-year-old Oklahoma native Chelsea Knowles has grown up playing cards with her single father, and with their financial situation in a very dire place, she puts those skills to the test, sneaking into a local casino, where she wins big at poker. Suddenly, Chelsea has money to spare, and she begins to see playing poker as a means to help her father pay the bills and to afford the clothes and social opportunities she’s only dreamed about. Thus begins a gambling spree with all the highs and lows that come with the territory, as well as a romance with Nate, an attractive casino worker a few years her senior. Debut author Dill paints a visceral portrait of the way financial pressures take a toll on a family, particularly on teenagers who don’t necessarily feel as though they can anything about it. Chelsea’s tender if fraught relationship with her father, given extra depth through flashbacks, and the electric thrill she gets as money starts coming in, will make it easy for readers to understand why she embarks on such a risky path. Ages 13–up. (Feb.)
- - Publisher's Weekly
12/01/2016
Gr 9 Up—In this cautionary tale of a cheerleader's descent into poker addiction, 17-year-old Chelsea is one of the less privileged members of a cheer squad filled with rich girls. She has an absent mother and a deeply depressed father, her family's bills don't always get paid on time, and there's certainly not enough money for the necessary squad fees. Her first visit to the casino is altruistic: to make enough cash to keep her family going. But quickly the thrill of the games—and the presence of handsome security guard Nate—draw her to the table night after night. In an unusual departure from more frequently seen settings of teens coping with addiction, Dill places her drama at the smoky poker tables of unglamorous casinos, where Chelsea struggles with her inner demons while surrounded by senior citizens with bouffant hairstyles. Her burgeoning romance with Nate is always shown as sweet, a bright light amid her downward spiral. Both poker lovers and cheer fans will appreciate the detail included about both worlds, though previous knowledge of either is not necessary to enjoy the story. VERDICT The engaging style, fast pace, and unusual settings make this a solid choice to recommend to reluctant readers.—Ann Foster, Saskatoon Public Library
2016-10-19
An Oklahoma teen turns her poker prowess into a source of income then finds it exacts a price.Chelsea, a small child when her mother left, lives with her amiably negligent father, whose job doesn't cover expenses. Chelsea negotiates payment with creditors, shops at Goodwill, and searches available (minimum-wage) jobs, while oblivious classmates brandish designer accessories. Her best friend lends her money, but Chelsea's tired of being the needy one. Desperation sends her to a Cherokee Nation casino, where she uses a fake name and, passing for 18, staves off insolvency playing poker. Soon she's a regular. Gambling exhilaration energizes her—likewise Nate, the hot casino employee who asks her out. Winning funds a major shopping spree; losing means pawning her father's gun. Lying further fuels the adrenaline rush. Keeping her identities separate is complicated; avoiding exposure demands lies to cover lies. Outside the casino, her world seems drab to readers and to Chelsea herself. Too little's at stake—which is precisely the point. Only at the poker table, where players read one another, lay bets, and risk what they can't afford to lose, do they feel fully alive, and it's their closely observed sessions that bring the novel to suspenseful life. The way Chelsea objectifies her fellow players (Red Head Lady, Cute Mafia Guy, Asian guy) makes it clear that both Chelsea and the novel's default are white. A sly, insightful close-up of risk-taking's seductive, addictive appeal. (Fiction.14-18)
