LitPick Review
In the book "Double or Nothing" by Dennis Foon, Kip is a clever seventeen year old in high school who enjoys casual gambling. He bets on small, everyday activities like whether or not his teacher, Mr. Cheeseman, will belch within 20 seconds after making the bet. He uses his talents in gambling to get money to save for college. One day, he meets the girl of his dreams whose father happens to be a famous magician. He and King, the magician, go to large venues such as casinos and horse races to bet large amounts of money. Though Kip gets caught up in the excitement and glamor of betting large amounts of money, he starts becoming addicted, later leading to dipping into his college fund for more money to gamble on. Will Kip learn his lesson or will he become absorbed by his addiction to gambling?
Opinion:
This book had a clear message, that dishonesty won't get anyone anywhere. When we are first introduced to Kip, he appears as a clever young man who bet on things for fun with a small amount of money at stake. He was not addicted to gambling, nor had he ever planned on being addicted. What little money he did make from gambling, he put straight into his college fund. He had plans to go to college and be well off once he grew up. When Kip first begins to lose money on larger bets, he started lying to his girlfriend, friends, and mom about gambling. I found the writing style somewhat average, it was a simple, quick, and easy read. I personally thought the book had a nice message, but I didn't connect with the story or the characters. This is a good book for anyone looking for a quick read.
