Dumb Luck

by Lesley Choyce

As he approaches his 18th birthday, Brandon DeWolf knows he is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. He failed a grade in an undistinguished school career, and is contemplating spending two more years in school when most of his friends will be graduating at the end of the academic year. He tends to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, has no real ambitions, and seems to be at a dead end. Among the few happy moments of his life are the ones he spends with his good friend Kayla, a girl he's known from childhood, another misfit. Two days before his birthday, however, everything changes for Brandon. First of all he falls out of a tree - and survives intact. On his birthday, savouring his lucky break, he picks up a lottery ticket, and discovers he's won three million dollars. Suddenly everyone's his good friend, and his parents - a discontented frequently squabbling pair - rejoice in anticipating all that this sudden bonanza will buy them. The school's hottest girl becomes Brandon's coach in this new unaccustomed life he has to adapt to. His old friend Kayla realizes their friendship is withering, and Brandon doesn't have the capacity to do much about that. Plunged into a world that is completely new to him - and without any real moral compass to follow - Brandon flounders and eventually is brought down in disgrace, spending a night in jail after being caught drinking and driving. There is no happy ending for Brandon, just a solemn understanding that he cannot recover his old life and needs to find the integrity to map out a new one. This is the latest in the series of provocative and thoughtful young adult novels by Lesley Choyce. Lesley enjoys portraying teenagers at those uncomfortable and challenging moments as they approach the cusp of adulthood with all its dangers and possibilities.

Genres: Young Adult

232 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2011

About the author

Lesley Choyce is a novelist and poet living at Lawrencetown Beach, Nova Scotia. He is the author of more than 80 books for adults, teens and children. He teaches in the English Department and Transition Year Program at Dalhousie University. He is a year-round surfer and founding member of the 1990s spoken word rock band, The SurfPoets. Choyce also runs Pottersfield Press, a small literary publishing house and hosted the national TV show, Off The Page, for many years. His books have been translated into Spanish, French, German and Danish and he has been awarded the Dartmouth Book Award and the Ann Connor Brimer Award.

Lesley Choyce was born in New Jersey in 1951 and moved to Canada in 1978 and became a citizen.

His YA novels concern things like skateboarding, surfing, racism, environmental issues, organ transplants, and rock bands.

Reviews

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if you, as a teenager, won three million dollars in the lottery? What would you do with the money? How would your life change? The premise of this book revolves around Brandon who buys a lottery ticket when getting out of the hospital. He has had a head injury after falling out of a tree. Brandon considers himself a loser because he has only one friend, does poorly in school, and has no talents, in his opinion. Now he wins millions of dollars and his luck has changed or has it? There are details in the story that should have been included, such as, one has to pay taxes on a lottery win and does not receive the windfall right away; investment hounds, illegal bankers, and others would descend on his home first as well as call his phone. They would not have access to his personal e-mail account until after he answered various solicitations.

Brandon is trying to mature without parental guidance or support apart from a vice principal at his school. He allows his parents, new fake school friends, investment bankers, and casual internet
friends to control his life. His only true friend, Kayla, accepts him as he is. He can see that she is depressed but does not recognize his own depression. He desperately needs professional help but no one pushes him towards any positive goals except for Kayla. The end of the novel is disappointing because Brandon has made little progress in his new life. The strong idea for this plot could have been developed better, giving the reader a true picture of life changes and how one could seek positive help for the future.

Recommended for mature readers, 14+

[Samantha Meyer]

The book Dumb Luck is about a boy named Brandon. He has always had really bad luck with things. His best friend Kayla and he decide to climb up a big tree because they both love climbing trees. Brandon having no good luck falls out of the tree. On his 18th birthday, his luck changed he won the lottery. Little did he know that his life wouldn’t be the same after this. Everyone wanted to be his friend. A girl named Taylor decided to help Brandon and he became a different person. He started to skip school and lie to his parents about where he was. He ended up in jail for drunk driving. Brandon started to regret the decisions he had made.

[Kira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review of by Lesley Choyce
tells a story of a lucky guy named Brandon who used to be a loser in his life. One day, after he was kissed by his only best friend Kayla on a tree, he was shocked and fell. To celebrate his recovery, he bought a lottery and unbelievably won five million dollars. Everything changes in his life, he gets popular in his school and society and all the people around him or even those who did not know him started trying to get close him and use his money. Brandon himself also changed: he turned to a harsh guy and begins to live in a luxury life. He rented a fancy apartment, bought a BMW; drinks, parties and girls become a part of his life. He did not realize his mistakes and stupidity until he was caught by police and charged for diving under the influence of alcohol. He felt lonely as he was in the jail after one of his girlfriends Stephanie betrayed him and leave him alone. He started to change his mind but his loss will never get back.

Though this story is actually a little bit boring which means there is no surprise about the plot or the end, it is still a fine one to read. Since the language of this book is simple for young children and those people who are beginner level of language learner like me, I have to say it is basically a nice and easy book to read and think about.

The themes are actually clear and valuable as well. All of the reader of this book may think about this question: what will you do after winning five million dollars? There would not be a common response because everyone has their own thoughts and judgement about their money. However, this story is a worst situation: the winner finally becomes a loser. As a novel, it is the most predictable plot we can image, and that is why I said read this book is like visiting a supermarket to see all the things you already know.

However, the development of character in this book is quite remarkable. We can clearly see Brandon’s drop after receiving his windfall money. I can still remember those moments: his happiness and excitement when he wins the lottery; his loneliness in the prison. In the end, he was so despair “‘Just go through today,’ I told myself. ‘don’t think about the future. Not even tomorrow. Find one small thread to hold onto for now. Hang onto that until you’ve had a rest and can think straight.’” His words just remind me: if you do not prepare and plan well, your life will play you.

[Debbie Reads]

NOPE DNF, I can't even read the DNA of you and me. I seriously cannot do this anymore:(

[Nancy Ye · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dumb Luck is told in first-person from Brandon’s point of view. The story is about an eighteen-year-old high school student Brandon buys his first lottery ticket and wins three million dollars. Then he suddenly becomes popular with people who have never spoken to him. Life should be sweet now, right? But his salesman dad wants his own dealership, and his mom wants new furniture and hot girls at school want him for his cash and become famous by dating with a millionaire guy. Taylor, who is the hottest girl in school totally changes Brandon and drags him in to the trouble. The ending is not surprising me, Brandon gets punished by drove drunk and loosing all his friends.
Before I start to read the novel, the pictures on the cover of the book have no relation with each other, which are a tree, a guy, and a lottery ticket. The first few chapters of the novel have too many chapters about how Brandon falls out of a tree, then the novel start to rush and the relationship between Kayla and Brandon is lacking in details. Therefore, it is hard to compare the relationship between Taylor and Brandon, and the relationship with Kayla. I think this is an ordinary novel with a common story, because many winners of lottery ended up loosing everything and having no hope of life and tells us “money doesn’t buy happiness”. The story flows very well, however, at end of the novel, the story becomes hastening. Brandon’s friends are planning a party that comes from no where and the girl called Stephanie just pops up from the story and leads him in to the wrong path. The part that I like about the book is how author writes about the emotion changes in Brandon. I suggest that readers that are more interest in realist novel to read Dumb Luck, however, other readers might find this is the most boring book they had ever read.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this YA offering is a new riff on the old adage "Money doesn't buy happiness". Brandon DeWolfe who is your average 18 year old teenage slacker falls out of a tree on to his head and quite remarkably survives. His doctor suggests with that kind of luck that he should buy a lottery ticket. He does and he wins three million dollars! Pretty soon, Brandon's life is turned upside down and he must find some kind of a moral compass to deal with all the people in his life and their new expectations of him. "Dumb Luck" is peopled with a fine cast of characters, some of whom deserved less caricature and more depth, particularly Kayla who has the insight that Brandon lacks. While appropriate, the ending is ambiguous. But, like life, you don't always get what you root for.

[Marion · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tells the story of an unambitious, not particularly smart, high school boy who wins the lottery. Suddenly he has to deal with wealth, "friends", beautiful girls, parents and decisions he doesn't have the moral training or experience to make. This is quite realistic, and as a result quite depressing. I didn't particularly enjoy the story, but it could serve as a real wake-up to those who think winning the lottery is the answer to all their problems.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This YA book addresses those ideas of too much fortune too quickly and the power expectations have over us.

[Arctic · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cute, nothing special but a cute little getaway

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was a good read. It took me no time to finish it. It's a great book for any avid reader.

[Stella]

Overall I really enjoyed the book Dumb Luck my Lesley Choyce. The book was alway interesting and I
never got bored once. The book always had something new for me to think about and I constantly found myself wondering what happens next throughout the day. The book could relate to everyone so anyone could find this book interesting. The book dumb luck is about a boy named Brandon whos luck isn't the best. Brandon has bad luck with school, his parents, and his social life and this is the way it been his whole life. until one day Brandon falls out of a tree. Somehow Brandon didn't get hurt and the doctor considers him a "lucky kid". When Brandon wins the lottery is when everything changes, he I more popular at school, he can suddenly make his parents happy, and he no longer feels alone. One of the most popular girls in school starts taking to Brandon but actually trying to help him and Brandon life suddenly becomes way more interesting.