Lucky in Love

Actor Bouvard is perfect fit for the teenage protagonist of West’s latest YA drama. Maddie is a high school senior with a type A personality: studious, responsible, organized, anxious about getting into a good college, and constantly worried about lack of money and her dysfunctional family, whom she tries her best to manage and keep together. When she buys a lottery ticket on a whim and wins $30 million, she thinks it will solve all her problems. But a host of new ones arise: people try to scam her, acquaintances try to take advantage of her, and she gets her share of negative media publicity. Narrator Bouvard sounds by turns anxious, hopeful, and excited; her narration makes Maddie an even more human and relatable than she is in the text. Bouvard also creates distinct voices for the other characters, including a French saleswoman and a hilariously snooty Valley girl accent for Trina, the most popular girl in school. Anyone who’s ever fantasized about winning the lottery will enjoy this realistic and entertaining tale of an average girl hitting it big. Ages 13–up. [em]A Point hardcover. (July) [/em]