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lifeofaliterarynerd 's review for:
Windfall
by Jennifer E. Smith
“Life doesn’t bend to anyone’s will. And it doesn’t run on credit either. Just because the world stole something from me doesn’t mean it owes me anything. And just because I’ve stockpiled a whole lot of bad luck doesn’t mean I’m due anything good.”
Windfall is a fun and surprisingly emotional read about friendship, unexpected chance, and finding yourself. We follow Alice Chapman, who’s in love with her best friend, Teddy McAvoy, and gives him a lottery ticket for his 18th birthday - And everything changes when he wins. I thought this was a really great story that pack an emotional punch!
Things I Liked:
I found that all of the characters were exceptionally human. They all felt like real people; flawed and confused and struggling in the midst of a massive change. Alice is still closed off after the loss of her parents, but she wants to start living for herself instead of their memory. Leo is struggling between going to college with his boyfriend, or following his dream to art school. Teddy is coming out of an impoverished life and into the lap of luxury. Each character is struggling and growing. They made bad and stupid decisions and have regrets, but they are honest and care and try. They all just felt incredibly real to me, even if the situation is extravagant.
I also really loved all of the dynamics in the story. Alice and Leo have an incredible faux sibling relationship that’s so supportive , but includes some classic bickering. I loved her relationship with Uncle Jake, who like her is more closed off about the loss of his brother (her father), but they really help each other heal. I loved Alice tutoring Caleb and helping him have that support after he lost his parents. I love that Alice and Teddy have a rich history, that has the chance to face challenges and grow. Again, everything felt very authentic to me.
Things I Didn’t Like:
I feel like Sawyer turned into a friendzoned dudebro who was pissed that Alice didn’t like him, because she’d never have a chance with Teddy. He got all why don’t you like me like I like you, and it felt really annoying, especially after he was such a sweetheart the first few times we see him.
The penultimate chapter felt weirdly out of place. It honestly felt like it should have been the last chapter because of the wrap up style narrative with all of the characters.
I’m a character driven reader. I can trudge through a boring plot with a smile on my face as long as I care about the characters. And I really found these characters compelling. Yes, Teddy was annoying after winning and his exuberant spending made me roll my eyes. Yes, Alice was self righteous and judgemental about how Teddy was acting. Even through these little frustrations, I still felt like the characters were acting like real people. I believed their emotions and interactions. This was a really quick and fun read for me - and I love a good contemporary!