Two Buck Hope is a young adult fiction by Tami Morning, published on July 2022. It is the first book in The Hope series.

Harvey Aguilar, a high-school senior is barely getting by. His mom works two jobs and his stepdad drinks most of his paycheck. He struggles in school with his classmates picking on him constantly. The only light in Harvey’s life is his mom and his friend Lily. He has a crush on Lily but he is tight-lipped about it because he fears it might jeopardize their friendship.

On Lily’s insistence, Harvey tries his luck with the lottery. While visiting his friend Jojo, Harvey misplaces his lottery ticket. However, when Jojo posts a picture on Instagram implying that Harvey won the lottery, everything changes for him.

How did it make me feel?

The Narrative

I loved how this narrative covers so many important topics in such a seamless manner. Two Buck Hope targets young readers and deals with crucial topics spanning a wide range of socio-political, economic, and moral spheres. Author Morning impeccably weaves the discussion around consent, the gender pay gap, the LGBTQ community, dealing with bullies, and young people taking responsibility. Love that aspect of this story.

The Characters

I liked the protagonist and overall all the significant characters but the one character that I LOVED is Harvey’s mother. She was just amazing. Always with Harvey through thick and thin, their interactions made me tear up. I think she added a lot of warmth to this story.

Would I recommend it?

Yes, I think it’s an important story for young people to read. Head over to tamimorning.com to learn more about The Hope Series.

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