Book Review: Jackpot by Nic Stone
This is the one ARC I got from bookcon back in the spring. I’m sad I didn’t read it before the book was officially released (October), but it still feels super cool to have a special copy. Also, I really liked the book, so there’s that too.
Note: I received an advanced copy of this novel at BookCon in New York City, New York on June 1, 2019. This novel was actually released in October.
There are few things worse for a poor kid than working up the courage to hope and then having that hope pulverized down to subatomic particles beneath the weight of (another) disappointment.
— i.
People see the lotto as this Holy Grail that’ll solve all their problems, but it’s really nothing more than an ugly system preying on the hope of the poor and destroying lives.
So when I met Nic Stone back in June, I wasn’t expecting to get an ARC of her latest novel, so that was really cool. I had recently finished Dear Martin at the time, and I absolutely adored that book. I finally started on Jackpot this fall, and even though it was super late, I wasn’t disappointed. To skip to my overall thoughts, scroll to the bottom!
This book is about a girl Rico Danger (pronounced DON-gur), a senior in high school, who spends her life either at school or working at the local gas station to help her mom make rent, as she comes from a poor family. The lottery rolls around, and it’s $217 million dollars, and it turns out one of the winners bought the ticket at the gas station she works at. Rico realizes one of the customers she sort of ‘bonded’ with may have purchased the ticket, so she enlists the help of super rich classmate, Zan Macklin, to help her track down the woman. Along the way, they both learn a lot about each other, and (maybe? this is debatable) come to an understanding on rich vs. poor (and by debatable, I mean debatable on Zan’s side).
— ii.
I know I ain’t been cranked in a while so I’m gettin’ a little rusty, but I still think it’s downright shameful the way working-class folk get treated round here.
So I think we should start with my absolute favourite part of the novel. I know this is the only second book of Nic Stone’s I’ve ever read, but I find that, so far, she always introduces a unique element to each of her books which really completes the story. In Dear Martin, it was the letters. In Jackpot, it’s the personification of essential objects (by essential I mean, they all play key roles to developing the story). Some memorable objects include Rico’s bonus (a stack of $100 bills), an impounded taxi, an empty house, a fidget spinner, the lottery ticket that Rico’s trying to find, and Rico’s prom dress. There’s tons more, but these were probably my favourites to read about. And yes, the quote I just used for this section is from one of the objects I listed. I just think the personification brings a whole new aspect to the story. If it wasn’t there, it would probably feel like there was something missing. This alone already made me want to give this book at least 3.5 stars, because I just loved it that much. I don’t really know how else to explain it. YOU’LL JUST HAVE TO READ IT YOURSELVES.
— iii.
“It’s just funny that the boy who’s never wanted for anything has all this shit to say about people who spend most of their lives with next to nothing.”
And there’s that calculating look that gets under my skin.
“You have no idea what it’s like to be poor, Zan.”
Now for the characters and relationships. I liked the diversity here, and not just because Rico is a person of colour. But Zan is a quarter Mexican (and is pretty much raised speaking Spanish). Also, I liked how there was diversity among the social classes, too. Rico’s neighbour, one of the most popular girls at school, is white and poor. Her boyfriend, Zan’s best friend, is super rich, and a person of colour. I think in novels that talk about current social issues (in this case, money/class), it’s important to really spread the diversity across the story, but to also keep in mind that there are racist and misogynistic elements to poverty. I mean, Nic Stone even made a comment at the beginning of the novel, of how she grew up having food on the table, but money for her family was really tight, and she went to a school where most of the kids were wealthy (Rico also goes to a school where a huge chunk of the students are wealthy). Personally, I grew up in an upper middle class family, in a neighbourhood that ranged from middle class to wealthy. So I do have a class privilege, and to read (even if it is fiction) Rico’s story, where the author herself grew up in a family where money was always tight, I think is really important. We talk a lot about racism and gender inequality, and I don’t think there are enough novels that discuss wealth inequality, or how the gap between the wealthiest and the poorest grows even bigger as we speak. And it’s definitely a conversation we need to keep having. And I just realized this section was supposed to be about characters and I went off on a tangent. Okay, there’s always the next one.
— iv.
I still feel weird when he buys me stuff or pays for me when we go out on dates. I just choose not to let it rule me, you know? I know like . . . society or whatever suggests otherwise, but my value as a human being has nothing to do with money.
I guess here we’ll talk about characters and relationships, since this review is already getting pretty long. Other than the diversity element to both characters and relationships, I really liked the depth added to the characters. I think the complexity is what makes Rico and Zan understand each other a little more. Zan comes from a multimillionaire family, but if he doesn’t follow in his father’s footsteps, he’s cut off from every single penny, so he’s obviously scared about starting from scratch, even though, as Rico, points out, that’s what most of society does. Rico is usually super uncomfortable accepting Zan’s help, even though he wants to help her, especially since he has the means (and not by throwing money, but by giving her rides, food during work, watch her younger brother, etc.). Even the secondary characters, Zan’s friends, were pretty cool too. I find that, especially in standalone novels, secondary characters are hard to develop, especially in the span of 300 pages, but Nic Stone did an amazing job with that. It made the story so much better, too.
— v.
It’d be pretty sad to miss out on a good thing because of a bunch of bullshit, wouldn’t it?
Just a quick couple of things that I guess I wasn’t a huge fan of? This is a personal thing, but for me, I prefer longer chapters, because it’s easier for me to concentrate on reading, and the chapters were pretty short. Not the end of the world, just a personal preference.
I also didn’t really know what to make of the ending? Probably because I understand absolutely nothing about finances and trust funds and stuff like that, but I had to read the last chapter a few times before understanding what happened. Also, the twist towards the end—I thought it was really cool, just thought I should mention it, even though it’s the wrong section to do so.
— vi.
That’s the problem with you rich people. You think the way you live is normal. Like, great, you worked at Daddy’s company and made enough money to buy yourself a nice car, but you have no idea what it’s like to have to work to keep a roof over your head or clothes on your back or food in your stomach. My family is on the brink of losing all of those things, and this whole time, you’ve had that ticket. Were you gonna cash it behind my back? Get yourself some choices? Some financial freedom? A way off a path you don’t wanna take, but are anyway because you’re too used to your lavish life to really start from the bottom?
Overall, I really enjoyed the book, and learned a lot about class differences, just like Rico and Zan did. I think it’s an important story to tell, so I hope more people read the book. The diverse characters and relationships, as well as their complexities, really brought the whole story together. And of course, my favourite element—the personification of essential objects to the story. Now, go read this book, even if you think you know everything about class stuff, I’d still recommend it.
Once you read the book, please let me know what you thought of it in the comments below! I know it’s a tough conversation to have, but that’s exactly why we should be discussing it.
Rating: ★★★★ | GoodReads
