Lucky Girl

by Jamie Pacton

Overview

A hilarious and poignant reflection on what money can and cannot fix

58,642,129. That’s how many dollars seventeen-year-old Fortuna Jane Belleweather just won in the lotto jackpot. It’s also about how many reasons she has for not coming forward to claim her prize.

Problem #1: Jane is still a minor, and if anyone discovers she bought the ticket underage, she’ll either have to forfeit the ticket, or worse . . .

Problem #2: Let her hoarder mother cash it. The last thing Jane’s mom needs is millions of dollars to buy more junk. Then . . .

Problem #3: Jane’s best friend, aspiring journalist Brandon Kim, declares on the news that he’s going to find the lucky winner. It’s one thing to keep her secret from the town — it’s another thing entirely to lie to her best friend. Especially when . . .

Problem #4: Jane’s ex-boyfriend, Holden, is suddenly back in her life, and he has big ideas about what he’d do with the prize money. As suspicion and jealousy turn neighbor against neighbor, and no good options for cashing the ticket come forward, Jane begins to wonder: Could this much money actually be a bad thing

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781645672081
Publisher:	Page Street Publishing
Publication date:	05/11/2021
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	1,123,932
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Jamie Pacton is the author of The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly (Page Street). She grew up minutes away from the National Storytelling Center in the mountains of East Tennessee. She adores architecture, gardens, art museums, beaches, cake, and whiskey. She even kind of likes getting stuck in airports if she has a good book. Currently, she lives in rural Wisconsin with her husband, their two kids, and a dog named Lego. Find her on Twitter @JamiePacton.

Editorial Reviews

Lucky Girl is for every person who has ever felt unable to help those they love, stuck and yearning for a better life, and unwilling to give up on themself - or others.”
-Noelle Salazar, USA Today bestselling author of The Flight Girls

“With heart, humor, and honesty, Lucky Girl explores what it truly means to have enough. Jamie Pacton has written another smart, relatable heroine readers will rootfor to the last page (and beyond!).”
—Joy McCullough, author of Blood Water Paint

“With a fresh take on the many forms of love and grief, Pacton brings readers a unique dramedy about a girl and her lotto ticket.”
—Jennifer Dugan, author of Hot Dog Girl and Verona Comics

From the Publisher

04/01/2021

Gr 8 Up—Jane might just be the luckiest girl alive. At least, that is what people might assume after a throwaway dollar turns into the sole winning ticket for a $58,643,129 lottery jackpot. But things are never so simple. Jane technically bought the ticket when she was a minor, which means she needs to get an adult to claim the money for her. She could give it to her mom, but ever since her dad died, her mom has started collecting other people's junk. Jane's ex-boyfriend is legally an adult, and he seems to want to get back together—maybe he is an option? Meanwhile, Jane has to keep everything top secret because her best friend Bran is determined to figure out who in their small town had their life changed by a lucky ticket. Jane is a relatable protagonist and the reasons for her drawn-out decisions are logical (if sometimes frustrating). Her relationship with Bran holds the book together while also centering a strong platonic friendship across genders. Pacton falters a little in her handling of Jane's mother's mental health—Jane struggles to talk to her mom for so long that it feels unlikely that one conversation would push them so far down a healing path. Jane is white and bisexual and Bran is Korean. VERDICT A sweet, thoughtful, and quick romp, perfect for readers wanting some laughs while also looking for answers to some of life's biggest questions about love, death, self-worth, and, of course, money.—Annamarie Carlson, Westerville P.L., OH

School Library Journal

2021-05-27
Financial fortune isn’t always fun.

Seventeen-year-old Fortuna Jane Belleweather just won the lottery: specifically, a $58 million jackpot. Bewildered would be an understatement. Her mother’s been playing the lotto religiously for five years—one of the many habits she picked up in her grief over losing Jane’s dad. Jane just purchased a ticket on a whim. Two weeks shy of turning 18, she’ll need to convince a trusted adult to claim the winnings or be guilty of a criminal misdemeanor. Her hoarder mother is not an option; neither is her nonmaterialistic hippie grandma. Unfortunately, Brandon Kim, her best friend, is also 17—and he’s determined to figure out who the lucky winner in their small Wisconsin town is. Could her jerk of an ex-boyfriend be the answer? Not if she can avoid it. Excerpts from Jane’s journal, The Big Book of Lotto Winner Fails, document unlucky winners’ experiences and offer insights into her inner thoughts. Media clips and social media posts, like the Lakesboro Community Facebook group and Bran’s Instagram, show the growing buzz and obsession in town. Pacton captures her protagonist’s anxiety and the deliberation with which she approaches her dilemma. A fast last act ties up the various threads but leaves some emotional arcs underexplored. But readers will find in Bran and Jane’s dynamics a welcomingly strong, supportive friendship. Jane is White and bisexual; most characters are White, and Bran is Korean American.

An enjoyable story of family, friends, and failed first love. (Fiction. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews