Not what I expected, it was BETTER!
344951
Let me start by saying that this book was not what I expected, and I mean this in the best way possible!

Im not a huge fan of clich romances or love stories that are too lovey-dovey if that makes any sense so you may be asking WHY DID YOU PICK UP THIS BOOK THEN?. Well, the concept of a teenage girl winning the lottery sparked my interest because we ALL have planned of things we would do if we won the lottery, so why not read about a teens experience? As a bonus, the story turned out to be amazing, with a minimum of clichs and a well developed romance that wasn't the main focus of the story!

I enjoy reading books with flawed characters, where we can see -as the book goes- their growth and development. This story is just that! Maddie is a girl that has spent all her life working hard to go to college and prepare for her future, but her life and her plans suddenly change when she wins THE LOTTERY! All of her money struggles magically disappear, shes suddenly popular, and gets everything she wants or does she? As our story develops, Maddie realizes that money will not solve all of lifes problems, in fact, money can CREATE some problems! You cannot trust everyone when you are a millionaire.

I wish I kept track of all the money Maddie blows up before coming to her senses. Maddie is too naive to know when people want her just for her money (including her family!), and popularity blinds her decisions most of the time.

Ive noticed other reviews where people are taking stars off because Maddie recklessly spends A LOT of money, and because money is pretty much the main topic of the book and well to be honest, it is a uncomfortable to see her be so reckless but I think this is what the author intended and it makes you get into the story even more, or at least that was the case for me. If you're mad about a fictional character spending their money recklessly, then consider yourself invested in the story. (Which is a win for the author!)

I was annoyed. I was mad. I wanted to take the money away from her! Theres so many amazing things you could do instead of throwing big parties and getting fancy cars but well Maddie IS a teen and she probably didn't know better at the time. So I won't be taking any stars off because of her recklessness. In fact, I believe that this is what made me get so invested in the story and what made me enjoy it so much! Teenagers learning from their mistakes? Completely normal. Winning the lottery? Not so much.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it as a quick and fun summer read!

My rating; 4.5 stars
370549
At first I was a little bored at the beginning. It was kind of slow. But it did pick up and it was good! Made me get a little teary eyed at some parts but to me that's just a sign that it's a good read! Really wasn't what I was expecting, thought it was going to be a little but scarier and it wasn't at all. Was more of a heart felt book with a little suspense but I kind of predicted everything while I was reading it but was still a good book!
4732748
Wonderful movie and not what I expected but was much better !!
4138731
Surprisingly, I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would! Nice change of pace.
553588
i was really impressed with it, its not the sort of book i normally read and i picked it up on a whim, and found it to be really impressive and much better than i expected, bravo sir
2303491
After reading the first book, I wasn't a fan and was hoping that the second book would be better. And it totally was! As I kept on reading, I wanted to read more to see what would happen. The beginning was slow but the more you read, the more it got better and interesting. There was some parts, like in the first book, that got me confused. All-in-all, it was a good book.
741945
This book was not what I expected but I was very surprised at how good it was.  The book was more in depth with great examples than I thought it would have. It also explains things in a way that anyone from any background can understand. It was a pleasant surprise!
4043320
Wow! This book had me laughing and crying. It wasn't what I expected at all. It was so much better. Definitely worth reading
2003154
The S-Word certainly wasn't what I was expecting. Not at all.  I was expecting a dark contemp about name calling, bullying and its devastating effects. That is a very common thread throughout the book, but I wasn't expecting it to be as dark and intense as it was. Nor was I anticipating the mystery that slowly unravels throughout the book.

There's a lot going on in The S-Word. There's several mysteries, there's lots of tough issues brought up (and handled nicely, I must say), and there's also some romance thrown in there. It all mostly works though. There was one story line, while interesting and a bit horrifying, I felt like we could have done without. Some things I predicted very early and one thing really surprised me. So that all evened out, I suppose.

The book is very dark. There's also something different about the writing style. I can't really explain, but it's obvious from the start. It makes the story fast paced and intense. The romance is pretty unique as well. At first I thought it was a little odd, but it definitely grew on me by the end.

The main character isn't going to be winning any favorite character awards. She's not very likable, but I didn't really find her to be really unlikable..if that makes sense. She makes a lot of poor choices. My biggest emotional connection to the story was Lizzie. She's already dead by the time the book begins, but as Angie learns new things about her and as we get glimpses of her diary you can't help but feel some much regret that this happened to her. It's really heartbreaking.

Overall, The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher was a riveting read. It was almost impossible to put down during the last half. I was shocked and heartbroken, but the ending was hopeful.
4325285
I got this book because it free so I didn't expect much from it.  However, it surprised me with the cool content.
The plot and theme may be not very new. I can see some hints from other famous novels but it s also enchanted. It becomes more interesting and finally after almost finish it, I purchased a box set. now I am reading the 2nd book. To me, it is better than Beautiful Creature and Vampire Twilight series. I am planing to finish the series by this week. Enjoy!
2622945
I expected something totally different. I like it, it's well written, I like the story from each character. It's about miracles, superstition, and family, if you have a chance to read it I think you won't regret it.
2824210
With all the hype and hysteria surrounding this book, I really expected it to be a disappointment.  It wasn't.  I'm a fan of the books and movies (although I'm not a freaky, dress up in character, kind of fan), and I've enjoyed most of them.  The darker the story got, however, the less I enjoyed it.  I expected this one to be pretty dark, and it was in spots, but it certainly redeemed itself.  I enjoyed it tremendously.
1769389
I was expecting a poor version of the selection series, but was pleasantly surprised to find it quite different and original!
3852098
This book was different than I expected.  It is a good book.
774552
This book was different than what I usually read I was surprised how good it was
2085710
This was so much better than  I anticipated!  I. Loved.  It.
1782828
When I received this from the publisher I was kinda iffy about reading it. I was thinking it would be filled with cliches or over done troupes, (I mean hello, its about someone's "dream guy") but it actually turned out to be so much better than what I thought it would.
  In this book Max and Alice have known each other their entire lives. Without even meeting. Then one day, she walks into a new school and sees the boy from her dreams sitting there. But he's nothing like she knows him to be. Does she convince him that she knows him or does she just leave him alone and pray she keeps her sanity?
  I thought this was going to be filled with cliches and troupes, but it wasn't really that bad. It had its moments, but it wasn't over the top. I liked that Keating was able to balance it out as a debut author. It really showed her talent as an author that she could make something so cliche her own.
  I also really liked the characters. Although they weren't all fleshed out, that's what I liked about them. They always seemed to have a mystery surrounding them, but for a book like this it worked for it. I also really liked Alice. She was really weird, but after living her entire life like she had, I wrote it off. I felt like she had every right to be as weird as she was.
  As for the plot, I don't really feel like there was one. But the thing is, it didn't make it bad. I was more worried about the rest of the cutesy stuff that was going on versus what the end game was. The swoons are there and that made all the difference for me. This contemp is really light and fluffy and it was just what I was in the mood for at the time.
  This wasn't what I was expecting, but it wasn't in a bad way. It actually taught me alot about dreams and other random things and that's what I liked most about it. This may not have been what I expected it to be, but it was certainly what I needed it to be.

Real rating 3.5 so I rounded up.