The Children’s Book Review | April 3, 2017
Get to know Alice from Jennifer E. Smith’s gorgeously written and moving novel Windfall.
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
Literally? My dog. Figuratively? The promise of a brand new day!
I see you have a bag with you. Will you tell us what you keep inside of it?
Nothing terribly exciting, I’m afraid. My wallet, which I’ve lost twice in the last six months and has come boomeranging back to me both times. Cherry chapstick, because I’m very sophisticated. My phone, because I can’t live without it. A book, because I hate getting caught without one. And a pack of bubblegum, because I’m apparently eight-years-old.
Are you hungry right now? Can we fix you anything to eat? Maybe we could make you your favorite dish?
So nice of you to ask! My favorite meal is probably tacos, but I’m fine with whatever you have. Maybe just an apple or something?
Here’s an apple to munch on while I fix up some tacos. Mmmmm!
Do you like to read?
This will probably come as a shock to you, but yes. Yes, I do. Very much.
Do you have a favorite song?
This is a tough question. It’s hard to pick! I’m more of a song-of-the-moment kind of person, but if this was a do-or-die situation and I could only listen to one song for the rest of my life, I’d probably have to go with a classic, maybe something like “Shelter from the Storm” by Bob Dylan or “In My Life” by The Beatles or “Graceland” by Paul Simon.
Are you a rule follower or rule breaker?
Definitely a rule follower. Whenever I pass a policeman, my face gets red even though I haven’t done anything wrong. Just the idea that they might look over and think I’ve done something wrong is enough to make me look guilty.
When was the last time you felt embarrassed?
I can’t think of one, not because I’m rarely embarrassed, but because I’m embarrassed so often it’s stopped being noteworthy.
If you weren’t answering the questions in this interview right now, what would you be doing?
I’d like to say that I’d be out on the town or at least reading a book, but most likely I’d be catching up on my DVR.
Do you have any secrets you would like to share with us before you go?
Sometimes I like to juggle when I’m stressed.
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Windfall
Written by Jennifer E. Smith
Publisher’s Synopsis: This romantic story of hope, chance, and change from the author of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is one Jenny Han says is filled with all of her “favorite things,” Morgan Matson calls “something wonderful” and Stephanie Perkins says “is rich with the intensity of real love.”
Alice doesn’t believe in luck—at least, not the good kind. But she does believe in love, and for some time now, she’s been pining for her best friend, Teddy. On his eighteenth birthday—just when it seems they might be on the brink of something—she buys him a lottery ticket on a lark. To their astonishment, he wins $140 million, and in an instant, everything changes.
At first, it seems like a dream come true, especially since the two of them are no strangers to misfortune. As a kid, Alice won the worst kind of lottery possible when her parents died just over a year apart from each other. And Teddy’s father abandoned his family not long after that, leaving them to grapple with his gambling debts. Through it all, Teddy and Alice have leaned on each other. But now, as they negotiate the ripple effects of Teddy’s newfound wealth, a gulf opens between them. And soon, the money starts to feel like more of a curse than a windfall.
As they try to find their way back to each other, Alice learns more about herself than she ever could have imagined . . . and about the unexpected ways in which luck and love sometimes intersect.
Ages 14+ | Publisher: Delacorte Press | May 2, 2017 | ISBN-13: 978-0399559372
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About Jennifer E. Smith
Jennifer E. Smith is the author of seven novels for young adults, including The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. She earned a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and her work has been translated into thirty-three languages. She lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter at @JenESmith or visit her at jenniferesmith.com.
This interview with Alice, a character in Jennifer E. Smith’s Windfall, was conducted between Jennifer E. Smith and Bianca Schulze. For similar books and articles, follow along with our content tagged with Character Development, Romance, and Young Adult Fiction.
