The Windfall App

by Teresa Richards

[sstaley]

This cute new novel by author Teresa Richards is a combination of modern life in San Francisco, a dream come true of winning the lottery, a mystery involving many people around her, and some romance thrown in for good measure.

The story starts with 18 year old Marina Berghman finding out she won the lottery; a $5 Million dollar prize! Her parents aren't happy about it, especially her father. So Marina decides to move away from home and that's when weird things start to happen. She's getting mysterious texts from someone who happens to know her every move. She also finds out why her father so strongly opposes her taking the winnings.

I really liked main character Marina. She has a cute, unique style, is very talented, but she sometimes lacks the confidence in herself. I also really loved the beautiful descriptions of San Francisco when Marina was taking her new friend, Sean, on a tour of the city. It makes me want to go there even more now.

Even though this story centers around a lottery winner, the main theme is about Marina finding out who she really is, despite what her parents expectations had always been for her. Her mom always wanted her to excel at everything. All people in her life wanted her to compete to be the best or compete against her. You could truly feel the pressure on this poor girl. This is a coming of age story quite like what we all ultimately go through as a young adult...without the mystery thrown in of course. I laughed at one particular conversation between Marina and Sean.

Marina said, "So we're in the same boat about not knowing what to do with out lives. Or, maybe in the same life raft. I don't feel like I'm in anything as solid as a boat."

Sean answered, "Nah, I'm hanging onto a rotted piece of driftwood. You're in a paddle boat doing circles around me."

I loved Marina's reply, "Maybe I could pull you in with me." He replies, "Yeah. I'd like that."

These two are very cute together, but still there is a lot of mystery surrounding Sean. This book is fun, exciting, mysterious, and a true thrill-ride until the very end. The writing and story flows so well that it is hard to put it down. I recommend it to older teens and adults looking to piece together truly what is going on in this novel, and to see how true friends and family are ultimately the most important things in life. It all may surprise you in the end.

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