Review - The Lottery

In this homage to the late Robert Cormier's masterful novel, The Chocolate War (not to mention Shirley Jackson's creepy anthology standard, "The Lottery"), Beth Goobie's latest novel, The Lottery, movingly explores the damage that peer pressure can cause to those unlucky enough to be its victims. Saskatoon Collegiate is run not by its Student Council but a Shadow Council, members of a school elite that really runs the show. Everyone knows about Shadow Council, and everyone likes to pretend that Shadow Council isn't nearly as powerful as it is, but it insidiously works its ways into every possible aspect of school life. Perhaps most menacing of all its vicious aspects is the lottery that Shadow Council holds each fall to choose a student to be their gofer for the year. Being chosen by Shadow Council means that you're effectively alienated by everyone at school, even your closest friends, and treated either as a pariah or as if you just don't exist. Usually the victim is in Grade 11 or 12, but not this year. 15-year-old Sally Hanson, just starting Grade 9, is this year's lottery "winner."

Sally tries to resist Shadow Council's call but eventually buckles to the pressure. She can't even share the pain of being Shadow Council's dupe with her older brother, Dusty, or his friend Lizard, both of whom have their own Shadow Council scars. Goobie's novel tries to uncover what makes some kids bullies and some kids their victims, examines the power of friendships and the strength that can be found in family ties, and delicately looks at the secrets and lies that sometimes lurk behind kids' daily lives. Goobie creates an almost suffocating air of malice and pain around Sal's victimization, making The Lottery a powerful and provocative teen novel. --Jeffrey Canton

The Lottery by Beth Goobie
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Hmm. How do I review this book. I really can’t seeing as I couldn’t even finish it. Not that that’s stopped me from reviewing a book before. SO here I go. This review is basically a review to take apart this book. SO avert your eyes if you actually liked it. Are your eyes averted? If not then you must want to watch me take apart this book. Right here we go.


The Writing – First person (I think), not very memorable, not very catching, easily forgotten. I just couldn’t get involved in this book and when that happens I normally blame the writing, so here I am. Blaming the writing and if I had to grade it, I would give it a D-, yeah that’s bad people, I’d say it’s about 16%. NOT GOOD!


The Characters – Easily forgettable. I seriously can’t remember any of the characters names or what happens to them. I couldn’t connect with any of them. I just didn’t like them!


The Plot – Interesting Concept! The author did not pull it off. I cannot remember what happened all I know is that if the author had been able to pull off the concept, I would have been able to actually finish the book.


I recommend this to – Younger readers. Like... Year 2 – 5. Any one older and they won’t enjoy it, any one younger and they won’t enjoy it. And even people that age there is no guarantee that they will like it.



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