Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
I think we both wish we were in some sort of nineties cop show where she could open the drawer of her desk and pull out a bottle of whiskey and a couple of glasses. However, the sections narrated by Emily do not feel very authentic as to me she didn’t sound like s teenager in her language. Sure, in her actions she’s a teenager especially the spend, spend, spend ably assisted by Jake. Whilst I did like s lot of the story it is predictable and so there’s not much surprise. The ending came out of left field and though I understood it, what preceded it then didn’t make much sense.
Parks, Adele (27 September 2019). "My son is off to uni and I'm excited, not bereft... So why am I made to feel like a bad mother?". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 27 September 2019. But that all changes one Saturday night when the group gets into an argument and two of the couples decide they don’t want to play the lottery anymore, and it seems don’t want to even associate with Lexi and Jake. Heartbroken, Lexi and Jake decide to play the lottery numbers alone, and they win! But even before they get to enjoy the excitement of what comes with winning millions in a lottery, their friends decide they are entitled to some of the winnings. These so-called friends of theirs are a bunch of sharks. There are more holes in their stories than there are in my kitchen colander. For fifteen years, Lexi and Jake have played the same six numbers with their friends, the Pearsons and the Heathcotes. Over dinner parties, fish & chip suppers and summer barbecues, they've discussed the important stuff - the kids, marriages, jobs and houses - and they've laughed off their disappointment when they failed to win anything more than a tenner.
The story is largely about excess and avarice. The greed of some of the members of the Greenwood family, particularly of the father, Jake, is counterbalanced by Lexi’s determination to share their good fortune around. However, Lexi finds it impossible to put the brakes on the excessive spending and, against her better judgement, she is carried along with her family’s plans. For fifteen years, Lexi and Jake have played the same six numbers with their friends. Over drinks, dinner parties and summer barbecues, the three couples have discussed the important stuff—kids, marriages, careers—and they’ve laughed off their disappointment when they failed to win anything. But then the unthinkable happens. There’s a rift in the group. Someone is caught in a lie. And soon after, six numbers come up that change everything forever. friends have done the lottery for 15 years, 4 friends decide it’s too ‘common’ and want to stop playing with immediate effect Although the book featured several compelling twists and turns, author Adele Parks used waaaay too many words to tell her story.
For fifteen years, Lexi and Jake have played the same six numbers with their friends, the Pearsons and the Heathcotes. Over dinner parties, fish & chip suppers and summer barbecues, they’ve discussed the important stuff – the kids, marriages, jobs and houses – and they’ve laughed off their disappointment when they failed to win anything more than a tenner. WARNING: None of the characters are likable, although I did admire Lexi's desire to continue working and donate a portion of the lottery winnings to charity. I also felt that Lexi had many good lines -- even when she was at her lowest point. Stupendous! I read this totally compelling modern-day morality tale over a weekend – I couldn’t put it down. As ever, Adele Parks does not disappoint – you’ll love it’ Ruth JonesIn the book we follow Lexi and her daughter Beth. I found it interesting to see how friend dynamics change to both women. Lexi is older and understands where as Beth's is 15 in love and in trouble. Neither women want money to go before friends yet both women have major challenges. Meantime Lexi, a virtuous ( sometimes painfully so ) CAB advisor feels guilty having so much whilst Jake is throwing caution, himself and money to the wind and spending as much as he can, their 2 kids are equally loving it and helping him spend I used to think winning the lottery would be an amazing thing, however after reading this book, I have changed my mind.
Yes, author Adele Parks' new domestic noir tale about the dark side of wealth suffered from too much superfluous dialogue. For fifteen years, Lexi and Jake have played the same six numbers with their friends. Over dinners, they have discussed many important things over the years: kids, marriages, houses and jobs… But one Saturday night, there is an argument in the group. Someone is lying. And then, six numbers come up on the lottery that are about to change everything. Jake and Lexi are the most unlikely pairing conceivable and their opinions on everything differ making it difficult to swallow their twenty-five year history with Lexi a holier-than-thou do-gooder and impetuous Jake undermining everything she says. It is difficult to suspend disbelief and think that some of these issues they are faced with wouldn’t have cropped up before. The majority of the novel is narrated in the first-person by either Lexi or Emily, neither of whom I entirely connected with. Lexi is weak-willed and does very little to arrest the tide of Jake’s largesse and is more of a bystander to events than an active participant. Meanwhile Emily’s affected teen speak is so obviously penned by an older person that I found myself cringing. All in all, this is a decent read with some moments that will make you gasp and moments that will make you think. If you ever thought you wanted to win the lottery, this is a great book to let you know why you don't.
Shortcuts menu
Six people. Three couples. The same six lottery numbers for fifteen years to no avail. However, the group had some issues so Lexi and Jake played the numbers on their own - and won - to the tune of nearly 18 million pounds. Two questions come at play? What broke the group apart and do Lexi and Jake owe any of their winnings to their former friends? Imagine winning the lottery after you’ve just had a falling out with your best friends that you just happened to be in a lottery syndicate with the week before. Every week for fifteen years Lexi and Jake along with their four best friends, the Heathcote’s and Pearsons would partake in a lottery syndicate together and would also meet up socially for dinner and get-togethers most weeks with their families. Lexi and Jake carry on and BINGO ( and here as readers we need that pinch of salt ) the next week....they win!
The relationship between Lexi and Jake will begin to change, as they both will change during this period. This book is a perfect summary of what money may actually do to people and relationships, and how it may help them or destroy them completely. Lexi and Jake live in an ordinary house with their two children. They struggle to make ends meet. They struggle to give their children the best they can. They have a group of friends others would be enviable of. They have been through births, deaths, happy and significant times in each other’s lives. They even still get together once a week after all these years of friendship. They also play the weekly lottery together as a group and imagine what it would be like if they actually won. What they would buy? Where they would go and what they would give to charity?The moral of this story, if there is one, surely must, be “Don’t play the lottery; if you win it will destroy your life.” The tone is a bit all over the place, as the first 60-70% reads like a semi-light gossip drama with poignant scenes sprinkled in. After that, suspense emerges as things take a sinister turn and secrets come to light. I was pleasantly surprised by this direction, and appreciated the twists. I figured some of them out on my own, and others startled me. Most of the characters aren’t very likable with the possible exception of Lexi, but... A tasty, if not always tasteful, tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy. I dived into this book completely unprepared. I only knew that someone wins the lottery, but I wasn’t too familiar with the synopsis. And trust me – it was better for me to explore it all throughout the book. a b "Adele Parks: 'I think I am a really good writer' ". The Independent. 30 June 2012. Archived from the original on 2 July 2012 . Retrieved 23 November 2021.
Great Deal 
New Comment