Eighteen-year-old Indigo Skye feels like she has it all — a waitress job she loves, an adorable refrigerator-delivery-guy boyfriend, and a home life that’s slightly crazed but rich in love. Until a mysterious man at the restaurant leaves her a 2.5-million-dollar tip, and her life as she knows it is transformed. At first it’s amazing: a hot new car, an enormous flat-screen TV, and presents for everyone she cares about. Indigo laughs off the warnings that money changes people, because she knows it won’t happen to her. Until the day she looks around and realizes everything important is slipping away, and no amount of money can buy it all back. . . .
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"I'm giving this book 5 stars because it was a very enjoyable read (despite the sick feeling in my stomach for the second half while money is ruining our protagonist). However (view spoiler)[her use of the 2.5 million dollars that lands in her lap isn't as brilliant as it seems to at first glance. She ends up using the windfall to solve problems in the lives of her closest family and friends, but does the money really solve the problems? Some might, but others are less likely. Her friend who has fallen on hard times and has to sell her fancy car probably enjoys getting it back and fixed up, but how will she feel about the car in a few months when she still needs cash and is paying fancy-car insurance? The bipolar poet probably enjoys her laptop at first, but I know from firsthand experience that giving a laptop to a bipolar author doesn't solve the real problem. In fact, all of these gifts seem to invalidate the supposed moral of the story --- that money won't solve your problems. (hide spoiler)]That snark aside, the book itself was beautifully written and the characters really sucked me in. It was fun to read about an 18-year-old who has no ambitions beyond working as a waitress in a diner where a band of regulars are united against the world. I'm just used to good YA like this taking a more thoughtful approach to moral ambiguities than the author did."
— Anna (5 out of 5 stars)
" girl is poor. girl gets money. girl finds out that there are some things you can't buy. girl is sad. girl learns her lesson. girl is happy. "
— Clgbear, 2/19/2014" A solid, enjoyable story that won't disappoint fans. "
— Molly, 2/10/2014" This might be the first Deb Caletti book without a beagle in it. But, I liked the beagles. They were my favorite characters sometimes.... Is that bad? I really liked Severin, but he deserves better than that girl, whose name I conveniently forgot. Severin is a really odd name; Indigo and Bex are not. Bex is also a girl in the Gallagher Girls books. I really don't think that Vespa guy needed a name; I was perfectly content to call him Vespa guy the whole book. Pssht. If I got money like that, I'd spend it on books, clothes, and other stuff. Was the Jordan guy the drummer from Ram? Whatever that is? I assume it's a band in the book... Indigo is so giving, it makes me very happy. Like a proud mother. I think waitressing would be a fun job; but when I grow up I want to be an author. "
— Christina, 1/31/2014" This is a refreshlingly well written novel about a girl named Indigo who receives a gift of $2.5 million dollars from a man who dines at the coffee shop where she waits tables. Then she has several ethical choices to make regarding the use of this gift. In the course of the story, she reconnects with her dad, who has moved from Seattle to Hawaii...The text is rich with figurative language and seasoned with humor. Delightful! "
— Nancy, 1/29/2014" The characters in this book were too similar to those in "Honey, Baby, Sweetheart" and that bothered me. Otherwise it's a good story about what sudden changes occur in your life when you find yourself with a large sum of money. "
— Camille, 1/14/2014" This book took a really long time to set itself up and get into the meat of the story. At one point I had to make myself finish it because I had already read 100 pages. But it has a good message and a happy ending, for those of you who are really into that. "
— Lucy, 1/14/2014" Great, great book, great characters with fun to read ideas like how many places you've put you head down for sleep. Loved it! "
— Louisa, 1/3/2014" Plodding and preachy. A disappointment since I loved The True Nature of Jade by the same author. "
— Vivy, 12/25/2013" so...not special and predictable it egts frustating "
— Maham, 12/24/2013" I like Deb Caletti's books. I don't really know why and a lot of th e times after I read them I am upset, but I like her books nonetheless. "
— Danica, 12/21/2013" I really liked this one...and I think we oughta consider it for our Mother/Daughter Book group. So many angles. I would love to talk about it with you! "
— Debbie, 12/11/2013" 18yo Indigo is a pretty-well adjusted teen living in Seattle, working part-time as a waitress, until a random customer gives her a huge $2.5 million tip. Predictable life lessons ensue (money can't buy happiness, etc), but still an enjoyable read. Not the author's best, but good. "
— Karin, 11/21/2013" Eh, it was ok. Wasn't very captivating of a read. I got prey bored with it really. Loved the idea of the book. "
— Valerie, 11/16/2013" i love this book so much! i like indigo because of the way she says whats on her mind. like the smoking thing and the guy calling Nick Killer. she is sooooo very likable! "
— Marisa, 8/25/2013" Well I liked it enough to finish it Indigo was a little too wise to be believable when she got dumb. Maybe I'll like it better after I think about it some more. "
— Jane, 5/23/2013" this book was booooooooring. i tried to get through it, i did, but i got more than half way through and was tired of making myself read it. it was well written so i guess it was just the story line with no vampires, witches or werewolves that disappointed me. "
— Teagan, 10/5/2012" LANGUAGE ALERT: This book contains bad language. Alltogether a good book. Teaches an important message for many. "
— Mindy, 6/29/2012" Not poetry, but it helped me kill some time in Santiago "
— Carrie, 2/25/2012" I actually enjoyed this...I thought it would be just a silly book just to read for fun but I was actually found it hard to put down. "
— Amanda, 6/29/2011" I really enjoyed this book, but it took me longer than I liked to finish it. "
— Ashley, 6/4/2011" Really interesting premise. I enjoyed this book a lot. "
— Kate, 5/2/2011" I really liked this one...and I think we oughta consider it for our Mother/Daughter Book group. So many angles. I would love to talk about it with you!<br/><br/> "
— Debbie, 5/1/2011" Painfully predictable, and too much swearing. But there are worse ways to spend your afternoons, I suppose... "
— Emma, 4/21/2011" this book was booooooooring. i tried to get through it, i did, but i got more than half way through and was tired of making myself read it. it was well written so i guess it was just the story line with no vampires, witches or werewolves that disappointed me. "
— Teagan, 2/26/2011" Halfway through the book, I was ready to put it down because Indigo began to annoy me, but I'm glad I kept reading. The ending was such a good one, and it really wrapped up the entire story well. "
— Sarah, 1/24/2011" Boring, hard to get into. and swore like crazy. just skimming through i ran over probably 20-30 swear words. and anything from the h-word to the f-word. needless to say i didnt get through the 1st 3 pages without the f-word popping up. "
— Heidi, 1/5/2011" Honestly, I didn't like this book as much as some of Deb Caletti's other novels. I thought that it was lacking color-it was a little black and white. "
— Cat, 1/2/2011" This book was such a disappointment, especially considering that the premise is so great. It seemed more like an exercise for Caletti to tell how she felt about poor or struggling people versus rich people. The characters and relationships all felt hollow. Just...not good at all. "
— Akilah, 11/13/2010" Eh, it was ok. Wasn't very captivating of a read. I got prey bored with it really. Loved the idea of the book. "
— Val, 11/6/2010" Intriguing plot idea and storyline. A bit too much cussing for my liking. Surprising twists, and a fabulous ending. "
— Christina, 11/2/2010" Predictable, but I actually laughed several times! "
— Alyse, 9/25/2010" What would you do if you suddenly came into a large sum of money? This is a fun but thought-provoking tale of a Juon-esque teenaged girl who gets to answer that question. "
— Marci, 8/24/2010Deb Caletti is an award-winning author and a National Book Award finalist whose books include He’s Gone; Honey, Baby, Sweetheart; The Queen of Everything; and The Secret Life of Prince Charming. Her books are published and translated worldwide. She lives with her family in Seattle.
Ellen Grafton has narrated numerous audiobooks, many in the kids and young adult categories. She can be heard on such titles as Duff, Girls Acting Catty, New Beginnings, and several of the Chicken Soup for the Soul Teens Talk series.