Lottery Boy

Starred review from December 21, 2015
In this adrenaline-charged page-turner, 12-year-old Bully, a homeless runaway in London, discovers a winning lottery ticket tucked into a cherished possession, his last birthday card from his deceased mother. With only five days to collect his prize before the claim expires, Bully needs to find an adult he can trust, because he’s too young to play the lottery. Told primarily from Bully’s viewpoint, the story reveals the world Bully sees, full of “zombies”—adults with “that getting-away look that zombies gave you... if you started trying to talk to them too much like they were human beings”—and menace, exemplified by a man named Janks, who breeds and tortures pit bulls, runs dog fights, “taxes” the homeless, and comes after Bully when he learns of the ticket. Relying on his well-trained dog, military tactics learned from his stepfather, and his own courage and ingenuity, Bully desperately tries to evade Janks’s army of street soldiers, with ever-worsening odds. Occasional kindnesses and acts of genuine compassion soften the impact of the neglect, cruelty, and betrayal Bully negotiates in this gut-wrenching, gripping debut. Ages 12–up.

February 1, 2016

Gr 5-8-An intriguing tale of survival and perseverance that will appeal to fans of Gary Paulsen's Hatchet and Jerry Spinelli's Maniac Magee. Twelve-year-old Bully lost his mum to cancer and was never accepted by her live-in boyfriend, Phil. Taking only his loyal canine companion, Jack, Bully would rather be homeless than share an apartment with Phil, his new girlfriend, his stepsister Cortnie, and the new baby. Bully learns the ways of the streets quickly. He forages for food through dumpsters or steals. The glimpses of the urban British streets have a Dickensian vibe. The last connection he has to his mum is a birthday card with her recorded voice. One day, he discovers a lottery ticket that he had forgotten about, which just happens to contain the winning numbers for a huge jackpot. Unfortunately, Bully makes the poor decision to tell one of his fellow homeless friends about his good fortune. This leads to a harrowing chase through the streets of gritty London with potentially devastating results. Bully isn't always a likable character. He has a selfish outlook on life, though readers will come to appreciate that this is out of necessity and for survival. Several poignant memories will strike emotional chords, and kids will develop a clearer understanding of the plight of the homeless through the eyes of Bully. His attempts to survive on the streets are hard to comprehend but very realistic. His efforts to reach out to others are clumsy yet touching. VERDICT A stirring, adrenaline-laced tale of endurance that will resonate with young bibliophiles.-Julie Shatterly, W. A. Bess Elementary School, Gastonia, NC

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2015
In this race-against-time debut, a homeless 12-year-old discovers a winning lottery ticket--nearly destroying his life. Bully and his beloved mutt, Jack, have been sleeping rough on the London streets for months. Bully had scarpered after his mum's death, knowing his mum's boyfriend didn't want him and definitely didn't want Jack. But despite the brutal poverty, Bully's got mates, is a decent beggar, and can keep Jack and himself fed. One day he finds a lottery ticket and learns it's not merely a winner, it's a huge winner--but there's a catch. He's only got a few days to claim his cash from an office all the way on the other side of London. If only he weren't so trusting; spilling his secret to just a couple of his homeless friends has made him the juiciest tidbit of gossip among London's underclass. It's not the greedy spongers who worry him so much as the vicious gangsters. Soon he needs not only to claim his prize, but to protect both himself and Jack from criminals who have no objections either to murder or to (sometimes explicit) sadistic animal cruelty. Somewhat unbelievably, the only trustworthy allies Bully finds are a kindly middle class family rather than all his street-wise friends. There's no denying that Byrne can write hard-core action that keeps the pages turning; here's hoping eighth- and ninth-graders who'll love the high-voltage thrills won't mind Bully's relative youth. Boy and dog make a redoubtable, memorable team. (Thriller. 12-14)

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January 1, 2017
Homeless on the streets of London, twelve-year-old Bully survives with his dog, Jack. His discovery of a lottery ticket worth millions sets off a desperate chain of events. As Bully struggles to collect the winnings he is too young to legally claim, others scheme to steal them. Byrne's complex portrait of Bully--clever and rough, independent and angry--propels the story.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)