'A good example of sharp sassy fiction about urban girls...told with excellent comic timing. The details of how she obtained the winning ticket make a killer punchline.' Geraldine Brennan, The Observer
Lia Latimer is more than ready to take her future in her own hands when she wins eight million pounds in the lottery. She’ll drop out of school, buy a flat, leave her annoying family behind. What could go wrong?
Plenty, of course, and watching it unfold in this astringent, insightful satire is a major treat. Her father’s struggling bakery needs a cash infusion; her mother would like a boob job; sister Natasha longs for singing lessons. Jack (the winning ticket was his 16th-birthday present to Lia) wants an Italian motor bike; his mother demands half Lia’s winnings. Some seek support for worthy causes, but unlike Shazia, who won’t let Lia give her anything (Islam rejects gambling), most classmates expect presents. Financing their shopping spree (£7,000) doesn’t prevent a Facebook-fueled anti-Lia movement. Her romance with mysterious, gorgeous Raf is a bright spot—unless he’s just after her winnings. Lia (self-centered control freak, yes, but smart, honest and likable) makes a refreshingly assertive heroine for affluenza-ridden times, discovering that too many choices can be almost as immobilizing as having none. The text is peppered with British terms and cultural references, but readers raised on Harry Potter should have no problems.
Tart, funny and fast-moving, with a touch of rueful realism and a lot of heart.
Starred review in Kirkus.
'Hilarious....With money, teen life looks very different in this highly entertaining but also thought-provoking novel written in a convincing teen voice.' Julia Eccleshare Lovereading4kids
A thoughtful, salutary, well-researched tale. Susan Elkin, The Independent on Sunday
Lia's Guide to Winning the Lottery is wise, funny, ingeniously plotted and - like Lia and Raf themselves - deeper than far than its chick-lit exterior suggests. Angela Kiverstein Jewish Chronicle
A fun book, full of daydreaming what-ifs. The Bookwitch
Another winner from Keren David... It's serious, funny, realistic and light-hearted, which is basically everything I've come to expect from this author. It made me think about how money - however big or small the quantity - has such a bearing on our lives, and how people's perceptions and motives can easily change. It's a thought-provoking read, but a highly enjoyable one!
Wondrous Reads
Witty, compelling and thoroughly entertaining from start to finish. Author Luisa Plaja at Chicklish
The book provoked a lot of discussion about religion, money and the lottery in particular...a very enjoyable book. The Reading Group at Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School in Islington.
Lia's Guide is a wonderful book which I really enjoyed reading. It had just the right balance between light and serious, and gave a new insight into money and being rich and what not, and what it's like to have that sort of money thrust upon you at such a young age. Plus, I laughed quite a bit... And Raf and Jack were both quite nice... Cicely Loves Books A 14-year-old's book review blog.
Keren David has managed to pull off something rather clever here - the book is funny, laugh out loud at times, as Lia comes to terms with her Big Win and the changes it makes to her life and with everyone's attitude towards her BUT at the same time it raises serious issues about our attitudes to money, celebrity, gambling and, dare I say it, teenage sex. Our Book Reviews
I really loved this book, the plot was interesting and kept my attention throughout and the characters were all people I wanted to keep reading about. This book was nowhere near as fluffy as it could have been in another author’s hands, instead it was realistic and thought-provoking. Juniper's Jungle
