Bluff by Julie Dill
Publication date: February 7th 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
About the book
Seventeen-year-old Chelsea Knowles is surrounded by the privileged. Michael Kors gym bags and designer shoes are part of her daily scene, but the talented cheerleader has a secret: she and her dad can barely pay the bills. Broken by his wife walking out on their family, Chelsea’s father ignores his responsibilities. Between cheer costs, grocery bills, electricity, and other regular financial burdens, it’s no surprise when a cut-off notice arrives in the mail. Chelsea knows it’ll be up to her to keep the lights on.
With the deck stacked against her, Chelsea decides to bet their future on the dubious poker knowledge she learned from her father before he gave up on parenting. Nervous but determined, Chelsea heads to a casino with very little security and wins big. Thrilled by her win, she’s quickly drawn to the casino again and again. She risks it all, especially when the attractive, young pit boss takes an interest in her.
Chelsea’s life, no longer filled with cheerleading, school, and hanging out with her friends, is now consumed by smoky casino floors and the ups and downs of a gambler’s life. True gamblers know when to fold, but Chelsea keeps betting long after her needs are met. The complicated web of lies soon begins to spin out of control, threatening to expose everything. Will someone see through her bluff?
Where was the lack of security my first visit to the casino. I remember that day clearly. My husband, at the time my boyfriend took me on my 21st birthday. The security guy gave him the head nod and said Sir have a good time. He then looks at me and IMMEDIATELY waved me towards him, looked over my ID for what felt like forever. He even ran it through the card reader machine. Saying all that I'm sure how Chelsea managed to sneak in so often.
Bluff was definitely able to live up to the definition of its title, just when I thought things would go one way of course I was proven wrong. Like many after reading the blurb and seeing the cover I was hooked. In my mind this story was going to have a Kevin Spacey’s 21 feel.
Chelsea Knowles is frustrated with her life. Her mom has abandoned her and her dad has basically checked out on life a well. Chelsea just wants to be a normal kid and do normal things like cheerleading. After receiving multiple disconnect notices and upcoming dues for being on the squad lands Chelsea in casino. There was no denying that high after she won a few times, I myself was excited for her. Each time she snuck in my heart was even racing. It didn’t take long for Chelsea to become addicted the thrill of the unknown. Will she get caught? How much will she win? Of course there was the sting of losing.
One of the things I didn’t understand about Chelsea wa after winning why would she spend money on things that didn’t matter and still neglect the bills that were due. Wasn’t that the main reason for taking this risk.
Overall I enjoyed the pace of the story and writing. The ending was not what I expected, but still very exciting. I feel Julie Dill debut novel Bluff is an exciting weekend read that will leave you wanting more
AUTHOR BIO
Julie Dill lives in Oklahoma City where the wind always comes sweeping down the plains—literally.
As a young girl she always wanted to be a teacher, so she went on to receive her Bachelor’s of Science in Education from the University of Central Oklahoma and taught in elementary schools for ten years. Currently, she serves as an adjunct professor and loves helping students achieve success. One of her greatest professional accomplishments is earning her National Board Certification.
She holds a Master’s of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Oklahoma City University and continues to work on various writing projects. From hiking in Colorado, to playing poker in Vegas, she’s always up for a new challenge. Julie is a busy mom of two teenage daughters, and any extra time that she may carve out is spent reading, writing, and rooting for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Her debut novel, Bluff, is scheduled to be released on February 7th, 2017.
Thanks for hosting today! This sounds like a fun and exciting read! Great review, Shawna!
ReplyDelete