Dumb Luck

Gr 9 Up—Brandon is almost 18, aimless, an average student, and a loner. But after a fall from a tall tree doesn't kill him—a feat that his doctor describes as amazing good fortune—he decides to test his luck and buy a lottery ticket…and wins! Three million dollars later, the teen is mostly enjoying the attention from his classmates and the power he feels over his parents. Even beautiful strangers are reaching out to him. Predictably, though, Brandon's lack of direction and newfound wealth results in a series of bad decisions, including investing in people who are using him. What follows is Brandon's journey through the early mistakes of instant wealth as he begins to realize who he is, what people are capable of, and who really cares about him. What is interesting about this story is that even at the end, Brandon's journey is just beginning, and he remains incapable of seeing himself as anything other than the same directionless young man he was before, lost and alone, only wealthier. Choyce clearly appreciates the complexities of growing up by refusing to wrap up the story in a neat little bow. Instead, the author offers some reflections on the hard decisions we all have to make in order to live a fulfilled life. What those choices should be for Brandon is left up to readers to decide.—Jennifer Miskec, Longwood University, Farmville, VA