Jackpot by Nic Stone is a book I bought on a whim. I mean, I had absolutely heard of Nic Stone before (who hasn’t). However, the books I heard of were Dear Martin and Dear Justyce. I was randomly browsing in Barnes & Noble, when I saw this book for sale on the buy one get one 50% off, so I bought it without knowing anything about it except that I had really liked the cover. As it turns out, buying Jackpot was a great life choice. I LOVED this book.
Rico is the main character in Jackpot. She works at a convenience store and lives in a really small apartment in a great neighborhood with her little brother and her mother. Rico is working on Christmas Eve when she sells I think it was two tickets for the mega lottery jackpot. Also? This guy from school, Zan, who is super wealthy, shows up to buy something as well but she has her manager handle him.
Anyways, as it turns out, Rico’s convenience store sold the winning ticket. However, the winner, a little old lady, has not yet come forward to claim her winnings. Rico turns to Zan for help as he’s amazing with computer hacking and she needs to find the little old lady. Together, the two embark on a quest and along the way end up realizing they’re actually more alike than one would think.
I feel like in YA, a lot of the characters I read are basically middle class or rich and that’s something I hate. Or if they are characters who come from poverty, the portrayal just seems off. In Jackpot, I felt like the portrayal of Rico’s life felt so authentic. Then there’s also her neighbor, Jessica, who is poor as well, but she hides it so well. That also came across as authentic to me. Rico’s desperation felt honest and true. And well, I truly believe that financial security can change your life and that yes money does buy happiness. I liked that Jackpot didn’t shy from that or try to make it seem like poverty is some grand adventure.
Nic Stone’s Jackpot is a book you need to add to your TBR immediately. It’s got a wholly unique plot. The characters are raw and real. The plot kept me riveted. And also? If you still care about your Goodreads challenge, this is the kind of book you can read in a single sitting.
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