Fair Coin [Hardcover]

E. C. Myers (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 27, 2012

The coin changed Ephraim's life. But how can he change it back?

Sixteen-year-old Ephraim Scott is horrified when he comes home from school and finds his mother unconscious at the kitchen table, clutching a bottle of pills. The reason for her suicide attempt is even more dis­turbing: she thought she'd identified Ephraim's body at the hospital that day.

Among his dead double's belongings, Ephraim finds a strange coin--a coin that grants wishes when he flips it. With a flick of his thumb, he can turn his alcoholic mother into a model parent and catch the eye of the girl he's liked since second grade. But the coin doesn't always change things for the better. And a bad flip can destroy other people's lives as easily as it rebuilds his own.

The coin could give Ephraim everything he's ever wanted--if he learns to control its power before his luck runs out.

Finalist for the 2012 Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy

Finalist for the 2013 Compton Crook Award

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Fair Coin is a fantastic, nonstop thrill ride. I barely remembered to breathe!" --Sarah Beth Durst, author of Drink, Slay, Love

"Funny, flirtatious, and unexpectedly poignant, Fair Coin takes the phrase 'be careful what you wish for' and runs with it. A standout debut from an author to watch." --Lauren McLaughlin, author of Scored

"This one reminded me a lot of Scott Westerfeld's Uglies. There's so much to love here: madcap adventure, chewy theoretical physics, realistic angst, serious stakes leavened by hilarious snark. The kind of book smart kids will love." --N. K. Jemisin, author of the Inheritance Trilogy

"In Fair Coin, Myers builds a terrifying and magical universe full of diverse and interesting characters, with a teenage heart beating squarely at its center. Smart, witty, and at turns mind-blowing, this novel will have you wishing for the next book in the series." --Matthew Kressel, editor and publisher of Sybil's Garage

"Magic and science collide in this retelling of the classic fable about misguided wishes never having exactly the outcome you intend. Myers' tale has a massive twist thanks to the wacky addition of string theory, multi-verses and all kinds of cool physics theories. A complex plotline explores experimental theories in this fast-paced and fun story." --RT Book Reviews, FOUR STAR (COMPELLING- Page Turner)

"Warning: This Book is Pure Awesome Crack

Tired of cookie-cutter young-adult novels? The cure awaits, in the shape of E.C. Myers' astounding Fair Coin—a book which, among other things, achieves the feat of seeming like a dark fairy tale and a clever science fiction epic, rolled into one. It's a fast-moving book full of twists and cool character moments, and definitely ideal for adults who miss the days of engaging, idea-driven science fiction. ..." --io9

About the Author

E. C. Myers was assembled from Korean and German parts in Yonkers, New York, where he was raised jointly by a mother and the public library. He is a graduate of the Clarion West Writers Workshop and a member of the prolific NYC writing group Altered Fluid. In the rare moments when he isn't writing, he blogs about Star Trek at theviewscreen.com, plays video games, watches classic films and television, sleeps as little as possible, and spends too much time on the Internet. To find out more about E. C. Myers and his activities, short story publications, and novels, visit ecmyers.net or find him on Twitter @ecmyers.

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 250 pages
• Publisher: Pyr (March 27, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1616146095
• ISBN-13: 978-1616146092
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1 x 8.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #164,595 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

E.C. Myers is the author of FAIR COIN and QUANTUM COIN. He was assembled in the U.S. from Korean and German parts and raised in Yonkers, NY by his mother and the public library. He is a graduate of the Clarion West Writers Workshop and a member of the prolific NYC writing group Altered Fluid. In the rare moments when he isn't writing, he blogs about Star Trek at theviewscreen.com, reads constantly, plays video games, watches films and television, sleeps as little as possible, and spends far too much time on the internet.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Heads or tails? March 13, 2012

By Lisa (Starmetal Oak Reviews)

Format:Hardcover

Let's start by saying how much I enjoyed reading a smart young adult novel that wasn't a dystopia and didn't have the usual love triangle. The story follows Ephraim Scott, whose life changes when he finds a coin with Washington's head facing the wrong way commemorating the state of Puerto Rico. He discovers that when he makes a wish a flips the coin, it comes true. Or close to true.

For the first half of the novel, Ephraim uses this newfound power to take care of all the things gone wrong in his life. His mom's a drunk and he likes a girl named Jena. Of course, this magic coin ends up being used on girls. Things start to go wrong when other things in Ephraim's world changes along with his wish. People become different, events rearrange themselves.

I felt like there was a lot of this "discovery" phase for Ephraim - nothing particular happening for quite a while except making wishes and seeing how they turn out. Not until he shares this power with his best friend Nathan does things really start to go downhill. Actually, the whole story changes in that it becomes a science fiction thriller with a very human bad guy with a gun.

There are a lot of things to like about Fair Coin. All the characters: Ephraim, Nathan, Jena feel like real teenagers. Their minds are preoccupied on their crushes and other shallow things - I wanted Ephraim to do something selfless with the coin but he never quite gets there. On top of that, I felt like Ephraim didn't have any real feelings for Jena other than her being cute and smart, and still he bases almost all his choices on her.

Towards the end we get the big reveal - I thought it would be the end of the story, but it actually opens up a whole new plot with scary villain and some intriguing science.... I felt the story had two sides and it didn't always flow between each other. This also caused a lot of the end to be rushed since we had to resolve the conflict with the big bad and also tie up the loose ends with the coin.

Overall, I did enjoy Fair Coin and appreciated it for what it was: a different kind of young adult novel with a great science fiction story. There are some bumps along the way, the plotting, the pacing and some of the character's lackluster choices when given power that is practically omnipotent. The end does wrap things up but I hear there's a sequel coming out sometime next year. I'd be curious to see where Myers takes it. For one, I know I'd be interested in seeing more about the origins of the coin and the effect it has on the world.

Review copy of this book was provided by the publisher. Read more ›

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Well Worth Reading If You Love Science Fiction September 3, 2012

By Christina (A Reader of Fictions) TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

Who wouldn't want a magic coin that would grant wishes? I mean, even though pop culture (Fair Coin included) tells me that such things are not to be trusted, I would still be ALL over that. Ephraim uses this mysterious coin he finds liberally and largely unquestioningly, like a kid devouring the entire Halloween candy haul in one sitting, unconcerned with the inevitable consequences. While there is nothing new about the magic wish plot line, there's something very compelling about it, thus why it lingers in our collective imaginations. Even knowing the risks, how many humans would be able to resist the temptation to change everything with a thought?

The first half of Fair Coin was a bit slow-going. I liked Myers' writing, but I was hoping for more from the concept and characters. Well, let me just say that the book really takes off in the second half, which I'll talk about later on, as that bit might be somewhat spoilerific. For now, I want to talk about the characters, which may be somewhat complicated, since after every wish the same people are a bit different.

Ephraim, our hero, really is not very heroic, especially early on. Sure, I just talked about how I would totally go gaga for a magic coin and make the most of it, but Ephraim makes wishes like they're about to go out of style. Where some people might have a natural, healthy skepticism about this object and how beneficial and trustworthy it is, Ephraim just sort of assumes that it will grant his wishes and everything will be awesome. He also has very little conscience about some of the things that he wishes, totally willing to mess with others for his own gain at first. It even takes him a surprisingly long time to start worrying even after he notices changes unrelated to his wishes occurring.... He came across as selfish and naive. By the end, though, he was showing more promise and thoughtfulness, thank goodness. Besides, that attitude might actually be more realistic than the logical responses I would hope to see.

Nathan, Ephraim's best friend, is simply awful. I don't like the guy in any of his iterations, and he is one of the characters who changes the most from wish to wish. Whether he's popular or a nerd, he creeps me out, and I think Ephraim's affection for Nathan is one of my issues with him as an MC. Nathan is a character straight out of a manga: the nerdy, awkward perv who takes photos of all of the girls chests and butts slyly on his phone camera. If you don't read manga, just believe me that that character shows up quite a bit. I've never encountered anyone like that in school here, and so he just comes off as a major sleaze, especially since he wants to date both of the hot twins.Yes, there are hot twins, Mary and Shelley. I love their names, though; they make me chuckle.

The other character you need to know about is Jena, the object of Ephraim's romantic desires. She, too, I have issues with, because she really just did not seem like a real person to me. In theory, I should love Jena Kim. She's Asian, dreams of being a librarian (awesome, but good luck to her finding a job), loves to read, and is a big nerd. However, she's a bit too much the nerdy boy's fantasy; she's ALL of the things a nerd would dream of packed into one person, and it just feels like too much to be real. For example, at a morning assembly, she receives awards for 'National Honor Society, Science Scholar, Math Scholar,' and, not only that, everyone cheers for her, including wolf whistles from the football team. This girl, who wears glasses and constantly switches up the frames, who works in the library for fun, who participates voluntarily in Quiz Bowl, is one of the most popular and attractive girls in school. Maybe this happened in your school, but mine had a pretty clear divide between the nerds and the popular people.

I will say that the characterization strengthened in the second half as well, although there's still room to grow. I found myself much more interested in their problems by the end than I was at the beginning. Possibly, this is all a result of Ephraim's growth, as he learns how little changes in a person can make a big distinction, thus better understanding those around him and appreciating what makes them unique and beloved.

Alright, now with that aside, I want to talk a little bit about the second half of the book. Just a little. READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION, as this will include some spoilers, although these comments would not have been for me. I either heard along the way or just suspected the plot was going sort of in this direction.

Fair Coin's second half reminds me heavily of Sliders, a television show from the 90s that I thought was awesome in its nerdiness. The mechanics, of course, are quite different, but the alternate universe jumping is so cool. I love that and I love how that makes anything possible. The mechanism by which this occurs still confuses me, but Myers has set this up convincingly enough that I'm willing to roll with the flow. Plus, more might be explained in Quantum Coin.

Everything wraps up neatly at the end of Fair Coin, so I'm certainly curious to know where the story will be heading in the next installment. Though Fair Coin did not grab me immediately, I was ultimately satisfied and glad to have gotten the chance to read it. For those who might be struggling a bit at first, if you enjoy thought-provoking science fiction reads, I would urge you to press on for the shift in the second half of the book. Read more ›

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A fun, nonstop ride! July 26, 2012

By MyBookishWays

Format:Hardcover

Ephraim Scott's life could be better. He comes home to find his mother unconscious with pills all over the floor, and realizes that she thinks he's dead. A trip to the hospital confirms that a boy his age has indeed been killed in a bus accident; a boy that happens to look just like him, and has a library card with his name on it. Ok, maybe the library made a mistake, and hasn't it been said that everyone has a twin somewhere? Ephraim could live with these explanations, until he finds the coin, and the note telling him to flip it and make a wish. What can possibly go wrong, right?

The ways that things can go wrong are pretty much endless in Fair Coin, author EC Myers's debut novel. At first, after Eph makes a wish on the coin, things seem to be better. He wishes that his mother wasn't so messed up, and waking up to the smell of bacon and coffee, his mom in the kitchen getting ready for her office job (instead of a job at the local ShopRite), is most certainly a step in the right direction. Then there's the girl he's crazy about, the geeky cool Jena. Maybe wishing she'd like him would help steer things in the right direction, yes? When things start changing for the worst, namely some alarming (and violent) changes in his best friend Nathan, Ephraim decides to get rid of the coin, with disastrous results.

I liked Eph. Really, I did. In spite of him being a pretty horny teen (a nice pair of, um, lungs, could distract him like you wouldn't believe), he really did try to do the right thing, even when things started going to hell. And boy did they. Let's put it this way, the coin is no monkey's paw (you know, magic talisman, three wishes?), although it may remind you of one. Actually, the coin is part of something much bigger, and much more complex than Eph could have imagined.... Ultimately, he learns that every time he uses the coin, he's transported into a parallel universe. Yep, we're talking multiworlds and quantum physics (and doppelgangers!). I love stories like this that deal in some pretty fascinating science, while throwing in a ton of adventure. Things move very, very fast, and once Eph and the gang start hopping all over the place (parallel universes!), it can be a bit difficult to keep up with. I did find that, instead of stopping to try to collate everything , just go with the flow of the story. Seriously, it totally works. It really gives you no chance to catch your breath, and even though Eph is the main character, that Jena is a scene eater, and she doesn't take Eph's crap. Kudos to strong female characters! But I digress... A truly scary, psychotic villain rounds out the cast of characters and this is one ride you won't soon forget. Things never get too deep with the characters, but if you're looking for a fun, nonstop read, you'll enjoy this. Good thing Quantum Coin, the 2nd in the series, comes out in October, because if this crackling debut is any indication, it's gonna be a humdinger of a sequel! Read more ›