Spoils - Hardcover

Stein, Tammar

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0375870628 ISBN 13: 9780375870620

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2013

Synopsis

When Leni's family hit the lottery, life got . . . well, strange. Leni's parents built a mansion fit for royalty; they enrolled their daughter in the fanciest, most expensive private school in Florida; and they even bought Leni a dolphin for her 12th birthday (she made them take it back). But all of that extravagant living has caught up with them and the lottery money is about to run out—except for the large trust fund Leni will inherit on her 18th birthday, now only a week away. Leni is prepared to give her parents the money until her sister, Natasha, confesses a shocking secret—one that threatens to destroy their entire family. Leni has been ordered to fix it, but how?

About this title

About the Author

TAMMAR STEIN is the award-winning author of the young adult novels Kindred, High Dive, and Light Years, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. She lives in Florida with her family and bilingual dog.

From School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up—In this stand-alone companion to Kindred (Knopf, 2011), Leni's family is in trouble. Several years ago they won 22 million dollars in the lottery, but now it has all been spent, except for the million dollar trust fund that Leni will receive when she turns 18 in a few days. She can tell that her parents expect her to give them the money, but as she watches how they spend in anticipation of the windfall, she worries that she really can't solve their problems. Her deeply troubled older sister blames herself for all that is wrong with the family and warns Leni to get rid of the money. An angel named Michael appears and tells Leni to "Fix it." She must figure out what "it" is that she's supposed to fix. Stein's strong writing and well-drawn characters make this titles one of those novels that seem to have it all: a little romance, intrigue, both an angel and a devil, family disaster and love, a strong female character, and a fast -moving, smooth plot. Subtlely infused themes of being careful what you wish for and that money can't buy happiness give the novel an added intensity. The thoughts of characters not directly related to the main plot who dream of how an infusion of money would solve their problems add depth to the story. A satisfying read.—Janet Hilbun, Texas Women's University, Denton, TX

About this edition

• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0375870628
• ISBN 13: 9780375870620
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 272