Beat the Odds

The Contest #2

by Megan Atwood

The $10 million
The Be the first to complete ten tasks assigned by the Benefactor. Do not ask questions. Do not tell anyone what you're doing. Do not fail.
The Unknown

Ana has three One, stay with her abusive foster parents and watch her little sister, Izzy, get hurt. Two, expose their abuse and risk being separated from Izzy. Or three, join the Contest, win the prize money, and escape together. No matter what Ana chooses, the odds are against her.

But the Contest may turn out to be the most dangerous option of all.

104 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

Megan Atwood lives and works in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she teaches creative writing at a local college and the Loft Literary Center. She has an M.F.A. in writing for children and young adults and was a 2009 Artist Initiative grant recipient through the Minnesota State Arts Board. She has been published in literary and academic journals and has the best cat that has ever lived.

Reviews

[Selivia]

Ana River and her little sister Izzy in Beat The Odds by Megan Atwood, are adopted by a wealthy and powerful family. Ana and her little sister seem to be lucky to have that live, however, their foster parents make their lives unbearable. Ana has managed to get proof that, she hopes, will expose them. Meanwhile her main goal is to escape, and she has saved almost enough money to get away. Until when she encounters an online contest run by an anonymous “Benefactor” that promises to pay her $10 million if she can be the first of the contestants to complete 10 tasks, she enters. And one of the rules was that she can't tell anyone about this contest.
She has three choices she has to choose from: staying with her abusive family and watching Izzy get hurt, exposing the abuse, or winning the contest and escaping with her sister. But this third option might be so dangerous especially because she didn't know the consequences. You have to read the book to know what Ana will do. If you really like books full of adventures, drama, and intrigue and want to know what option she chose, I would recommend reading this book for you.
In this book Ana shows her responsibilities toward her sister, and in each decision she wants to make, she puts her sister in first place. It is important to feel the responsibility toward one another because this connects us with others as human beings, and by showing responsibility we are also showing love. I can connect to this book, because like Ana who wants to make sure of each decision that she makes, that her sister will be safe with her, I have a younger brother and in each decision that I make, I always want to make sure that this won't affect him or his life negatively. In the real world outside my family kids in foster care or even those who are being adopted by families sometimes don't receive the care that they deserve, and they have to go through a lot of hardships like Ana and Izzy.

[Shyla Colt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great short story. Full of adventure, drama, and intrigue. It does have a cliff ending but it's a series and they all connect, so it makes sense. I was shocked by how much I enjoyed book 1 when I picked it up, and I'm motoring my way through the rest.

[Dr Rose]

Beating the Odds soon became an interesting and engaging story for my 9th and 10th graders. However, reviews by most students indicated disappointment with the end, with most thinking the problems were unresolved and there should be a series that follows characters beyond the initial story.

[Steve Shea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Darby Creek hi-lo book for tweens and teens in the Contest series - this one continues the high-tension suspense format of the first book, Stay in the Game, and reveals more of the backstory. There's plenty left out of sight, however, and three books left to complete the cycle. I checked the levels online; Lexiles come in the higher part of 3rd grade complexity, and ATOS (AR Quiz) levels are mid-4th. There's a strong kids-vs-unfair adults / the system vibe - appealing to rebellious teen worldview, and also a lot of class-conscious thinking (though not all one-way). I can see teachers using these to draw reluctant readers into rich conversations.