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In a gripping thriller with a hint of Oliver Twist, a street kid and his dog are chasing an unlikely fortune - and dodging the thugs who would steal it.
Twelve-year-old Bully has lost his mum and his old life. Living rough on the streets of London with his dog, Jack, he can't imagine a future. But one day he finds, tucked inside his most cherished possession - the last birthday card his mother ever gave him - a lottery ticket he bought her. And it's a winner. A big winner. Suddenly there's hope, if only he can get to his prize on time! But just as Bully's prospects open up, peril closes in. Now ruthless gangsters are in hot pursuit, and everyone wants a piece of him. Whom can he trust to help him retrieve what's his? And even if Bully does claim all that money, will he really be winning what he needs most?
Michael Byrne's thrill-packed debut delivers the emotionally charged story of a boy whose luck has changed for the better, if only he can survive long enough to claim it.
"Starred Review. Occasional kindnesses and acts of genuine compassion soften the impact of the neglect, cruelty, and betrayal Bully negotiates in this gut-wrenching, gripping debut." - Publishers Weekly
"There's no denying that Byrne can write hard-core action that keeps the pages turning...Boy and dog make a redoubtable, memorable team." - Kirkus
"An intriguing tale of survival and perseverance that will appeal to fans of Gary Paulsen's Hatchet and Jerry Spinelli's Maniac Magee ... A stirring, adrenaline-laced tale of endurance that will resonate with young bibliophiles." - School Library Journal
"This first novel is grim and brutal, yet still offers a sliver of hope for Bully and his future." - Booklist
This information about Lottery Boy was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Michael Byrne is an English teacher turned taxi driver who lives with his teenage daughter in Hampshire, England. Lottery Boy is his first book for young readers.
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