First published 1995
B.J. Byner starts with what seems like harmless betting. The stakes feel small at first, just friendly wagers that add excitement to ordinary days. But winning feeds his confidence, and losing demands he bet bigger to get even. The habit grows beyond his control, pulling him deeper into risky territory. When his losses mount too high to ignore, B.J. faces a terrible choice. His mother holds a winning lottery ticket, and he sees it as his salvation. The ticket represents her financial security, but it also looks like his only way out of the hole he has dug. B.J. must decide whether to take what belongs to his mother and stake everything on one final bet. The choice will test not just his luck, but his relationship with the person who trusts him most. Peters creates a story about how small decisions can snowball into life-changing consequences, and how desperation can make even good people consider crossing lines they never thought they would.
Genres: fiction, drama, addiction, crime, contemporary, thriller
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: moral-dilemma, redemption
64 pages · Hardcover · Turtleback Books
Content warnings: addiction