As the saying goes; life's too short to be reading bad books. I won't regret my decision to give up on this one. ( )

Last year two of my favourite books were Keren David’s When I Was Joe and Almost True, I especially loved the way the teen characters she created were so real and believable. When I heard about the plot for Lia I was really interested to see how it would work. The idea of a teen girl winning the lottery jackpot certainly sounded like it could be a lot lighter and fluffier than the world of gangs and knife crime that had provided the backdrop for Keren’s previous books. I was sure though that it would be no less gripping a read and I certainly wasn’t disappointed.

The book is narrated by Lia, it begins just as she’s winning the £8 million jackpot. Initially it sounds like a dream come true, Lia’s dreamt of striking out on her own and escaping the ties of her family. Very quickly however she realises that everyone has an opinion on what she should do with her newly won fortune, from her new advisory team to her parents to Jack who bought her the ticket as a birthday present. Even the national press is getting in on the act, with tv interviews and newspaper features about her win. We watch Lia try to work out the right plan for her whilst at the same time attempt to carry on her normal life at school, including trying to find out more about the mysterious Raf.

Lia is an excellent character, as I was reading I could imagine various teen girls I’ve known in her role. I really like the way that whilst she’s a likeable character she’s also flawed, at times she’s really selfish and self-centred. I also loved her friend Shazia, I really found her viewpoint interesting – after I’d finished reading the book I found that I was still thinking about her story as much as Lia’s.

There was one moment within the first couple of chapters that I absolutely adored. I don’t want to talk about it too much because I don’t want to spoil it, but I will say that it made me feel very happy that teen girls are still comparing UK school life with US school life.

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. I started reading it feeling quite jealous of Lia’s lottery win, by the end I wasn’t quite so sure I’d actually want to win it myself. ( )

Last year two of my favourite books were Keren David’s When I Was Joe and Almost True, I especially loved the way the teen characters she created were so real and believable. When I heard about the plot for Lia I was really interested to see how it would work. The idea of a teen girl winning the lottery jackpot certainly sounded like it could be a lot lighter and fluffier than the world of gangs and knife crime that had provided the backdrop for Keren’s previous books. I was sure though that it would be no less gripping a read and I certainly wasn’t disappointed.

The book is narrated by Lia, it begins just as she’s winning the £8 million jackpot. Initially it sounds like a dream come true, Lia’s dreamt of striking out on her own and escaping the ties of her family. Very quickly however she realises that everyone has an opinion on what she should do with her newly won fortune, from her new advisory team to her parents to Jack who bought her the ticket as a birthday present. Even the national press is getting in on the act, with tv interviews and newspaper features about her win. We watch Lia try to work out the right plan for her whilst at the same time attempt to carry on her normal life at school, including trying to find out more about the mysterious Raf.

Lia is an excellent character, as I was reading I could imagine various teen girls I’ve known in her role. I really like the way that whilst she’s a likeable character she’s also flawed, at times she’s really selfish and self-centred. I also loved her friend Shazia, I really found her viewpoint interesting – after I’d finished reading the book I found that I was still thinking about her story as much as Lia’s.

There was one moment within the first couple of chapters that I absolutely adored. I don’t want to talk about it too much because I don’t want to spoil it, but I will say that it made me feel very happy that teen girls are still comparing UK school life with US school life.

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. I started reading it feeling quite jealous of Lia’s lottery win, by the end I wasn’t quite so sure I’d actually want to win it myself. ( )

A fun, easy read about a 16 year old snotty girl who wins the lottery.
Didn't find it very interesting, but it was humourous in places, and I think the kids will like it. What kid hasn't imagined what they'll do if they win a lottery> ( )

Lia's Guide to Winning the Lottery is a funny, absurd book that is perfect for a summer read.

Sixteen-year-old Lia, who lives in London, wins 8 million pounds in the lottery. Yes, you can win when you are 16 in the UK. If you are interested that's $16,491,355,288 in the United States. She, understandably goes off the deep end, and has difficulty with her new fame and fortune.

I really hated Lia throughout most of the book. Even before she won. She's only 16, but she's really nasty to her family, and her mother in particular. I know many 16-year-olds have a volatile relationship with their parents, but even though I didn't really like my parents much at that age, I didn't act like Lia.

When she wins the lottery, to me she only gets worse. Yes, there are a lot of funny parts, and you just cringe for some of the stupid stuff Lia pulls, and I did "get over" my thoughts about Lia. There are other characters that a worth mentioning. Lia's sister, Natasha who is cute (and younger, so not such a smart-ass.) Jack is the perfect best friend. Raf, who becomes the love interest adds a bit of mystery and some additional excitement.

Lia does begin to figure it out. She grows and matures, but it's a struggle. And her relationship with Raf is always interesting too. Let's just say he's from a very colorful family.

With a lot of humor, cute characters, and a dreamy plot (who wouldn't want to win the lottery?) Lia's Guide to Winning the Lottery will appeal to many teens, even if somewhat predictable. There are some Brittish slang words that I was unfamiliar with, but they weren't essential to the story. I do wish that when a book is published in the US there would be an explanation of these terms. I like to enhance my knowledge of different cultures. And, since I was reading an ARC, maybe that will be included in the final copy of Lia's Guide to Winning the Lottery. Give this book to Georgia Nicolson fans.