The Fortunes of Indigo Skye [Hardcover]

Deb Caletti (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 25, 2008

I suddenly see where I'm standing, and that's at the edge of change - really, really big change.

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 knew it is transformed.

At first its amazing: a hot new car, enormous flat-screen TV, and presents for everyone she cares about. She laughs off the warnings that money changes people, that they come to rely on what they have instead of who they are. Because it won't happen...not to her. Or will it? What do you do when you can buy anything your heart desires -- but what your heart desires can't be bought?

This is the story of a girl who gets rich, gets lost, and ultimately finds her way back - if not to where she started, then to where she can start again.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up–Eighteen-year old Indigo Skye is a free-spirited Seattle teen, happily coasting toward graduation. She loves her quirky family, her hunky boyfriend, and her job waiting tables at a small café. Then a mysterious customer leaves her a $2.5 million tip. Deciding that she can't keep the money, she follows her benefactor to Maui, where her father also lives. But Richard Howards, a search engine entrepreneur seeking a clean start, insists that she keep the money. “The money is not a burden,” Indigo decides in a characteristic moment of soul-searching. “It is the end of all burdens.” So she returns to Seattle, newly wealthy, only to learn that money changes everything—and not necessarily for the better. She escapes to Malibu with a pal, where she must decide if she can ever feel at home with the rich and famous. Deb Caletti's early descriptions of Indigo's stratified Seattle neighborhood, with its haves and have-nots, nicely set up the protagonist's attitude toward wealth. The novel's (Simon Pulse, 2008) first half is overly long, but once Indigo receives the money, the pacing and humor really pick up. Ellen Grafton's earnest, effusive reading is a winning match for Indigo's happy-go-lucky disposition. Her depiction of various male characters is less convincing, even corny at times, but luckily most of the story takes place in Indigo's voice. A sprinkling of strong language aside, this is a refreshing modern fable.–Amy Pickett, Ridley High School, Folsom, PAα(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

From Booklist

What would you do if you were to come into two and a half million dollars unexpectedly? That’s the question facing Indigo Skye, a high-school senior whose life has consisted primarily of spending time with her boyfriend, navigating her family (Dad has left the family to sell surfboards in Hawaii), and working mornings at Carrera’s restaurant in Seattle. Indigo can tell what people are like by what they eat for breakfast, especially the regulars. But when a well-dressed stranger on an orange Vespa comes in and orders only a cup of coffee, Indigo finds him hard to figure out—even after he becomes a semiregular. After the stranger gives her a fortune, Indigo’s search for answers takes her to Hawaii to confront her benefactor and also to ritzy Hollywood suburbs, where she learns that being rich is not all it is cracked up to be. Caletti’s coming-of-age story with an infinitely likeable heroine and richly limned supporting characters makes a fine counterpoint to the ubiquitous rich-girl series books. Grades 10-12. --Bina Williams

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse (March 25, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416910077
• ISBN-13: 978-1416910077
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #372,620 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

First of all, a confession. I am a literary addict. I read endlessly, voraciously. In lieu of a book, I will read cereal boxes (Cap'N Crunch breakfast jokes, Special K Heart Smart facts), shampoo bottles, pamphlets in doctors' offices about kidney stones and allergies (neither of which I have), and even those self exam charts with the little arrows going around in circles. My books are multiplying, becoming furniture themselves - end tables, nightstands. On one wall, I have a bookshelf, minus the shelf. I get restless, even sad, when I leave a fictional world I love and am not yet immersed in another. The highest compliment I've gotten about one of my books was from a reader who said she read slower as she approached its end, rationed out the remaining pages because she couldn't bear for it to be finished. Oh, joy. I knew just what she meant.

I was happily hooked at a young age. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and was one of those quiet kids carting home a stack of books. Was? Still am. My mother says there were several years where they never saw me; they just shoved reading material and food under my door (not true, but pretty close). My parents said I'd mess up my eyes reading at night in the back of the car. They were probably right.

Writing, too, was part of my life since I was six or seven. I would get an idea, then bolt off to write it down. A hippie teacher of mine gave encouragement. "Groovy," he'd scrawl, and I had a sense I was on to something. After we moved to the Seattle area when I was twelve, I continued writing - short stories, bad poetry, and later, lyrics.

Being a writer was the only thing I ever wanted to be, but I didn't have the courage to study creative writing in college. I pictured rooms full of people wearing berets and dressed in all black, talking about Turgenev, which sounded a lot like the noise that escaped my throat whenever I was in one of those courses where they asked you to read your work aloud. I worried I wouldn't have the talent, since I didn't own a beret and never wanted one. So I studied journalism. I worked on the radio station, reading the news. What I learned more than anything was that I wasn't a journalist. I earned my B.A. degree from the University of Washington, got married, won the Nobel prize (just seeing if you were still awake) and did PR work. I got serious about fiction writing after my children were born. I didn't want to be one of those people who talked about their dream but never did anything about it. That seemed sad. I worried I would end up sitting alone at the counter at Denny's eating pie and smoking cigarettes, and I've never even smoked. So I made a decision. I would write and keep writing, at least until I was published. No giving up, no going back. I would have the determination and persistence of a dog with a knotted sock.

I read everything on the craft, studied, took notes, wrote and wrote, until finally, finally my fifth book, QUEEN Of EVERYTHING, was published. I would say I'm self-taught, but it isn't true - all my years as a reader, all of those authors I read, taught me. From Mrs. Piggle Wiggle to Tess of the D'Urbervilles. From Encyclopedia Brown to The World According to Garp. Books are what inspire me to write, and to write better. I believe in their power. Books teach empathy and define our lives and times. Writers are our truth tellers, and I strive for honesty in my writing. I want my readers to recognize their own experiences and to see our shared humanity in my work - our mistakes, our triumphs, our pain, those small moments of rightness. I want my readers to miss my characters when the book is set down. If my reader says, "Oh yes, that's just how it is. I know - that's how I feel, too," then I've done my job. I've given what I can to my fellow addict, and maybe, just maybe, I've added a piece to her nightstand.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True Fortunes, March 11, 2008

By 

Little Willow (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fortunes of Indigo Skye (Hardcover)

Indigo loves being a waitress. When she watches the customers at Carrera's eat and interact, she feels as though she is the conductor of a orchestra, making sure that every instrument is in tune - that every customer is happy. She knows when her regulars (fondly referred to as "The Irregulars") will come in, what they will order and what they will discuss.

Indigo thinks there's a correlation between a person's order and his or her personality. (The book's first sentence reads: "You can tell a lot about people from what they order for breakfast.") When a stranger drives up to the diner on a Vespa, then walks in and orders nothing but coffee, Indigo is intrigued. The gentleman is polite and well-dressed, and he leaves behind a tip that's more than the coffee. The waitress and the regulars are naturally curious about this quiet guy.

Indigo's parents are divorced. Her father lives in Hawaii with his new wife, Jennifer, while Indigo shares her home with her twin brother Severin, her younger sister Bex, her absentminded mother, a chatty parrot named Chico, and a sneaky cat named Freud. The snappy dialogue that zings back and forth between the Skyes makes it apparent that they love each other and know each other better than anyone else. Even though money has been tight since their father/husband left, their home is a happy one.

"Vespa guy" comes into Carrera's a few more times, politely ordering coffee and saying very little otherwise. When she spies a pack of cigarettes in the pocket of his expensive suede jacket, Indigo can't help but tell him about the dangers of smoking. Her words are motivated by concern, not by moral superiority, and she hopes he knows she is being genuine, not judgmental.

A short while later, she gets a phone call from her boss, Jane, telling her that Vespa guy left an envelope for his waitress. Indigo doesn't open the envelope immediately upon receipt, partially due to other things going on, partially because she wants to delay any sort of letdown feeling. Nothing could match the anticipation she's feeling (or so she thinks), and once she looks inside, the wonder and the excitement of waiting will be gone. Later that night, when she finally opens the envelope, she discovers a check made out to her for two and a half million dollars.

At first, she doesn't quite believe it. Confused, excited, and stunned, she wants to find Vespa guy, thank him, and give him back his check. She can't accept that much money from someone she barely knows. Meanwhile, each of her family members and friends have different ideas for how she can spend the money. Her mom wants her to go to college. Her boyfriend wants to fix his car. Her sister wants to donate money to relief efforts. For a short time, Indigo allows herself to buy her family nice things they've never had - and some things they'll never even use - but ultimately, she feels more burdened than blessed by the money.

When she finally tracks down Vespa guy - which is quite a journey, literally - to thank him and tell him she can't accept his generous gift, her refusal of the money only makes him more certain that she deserves it. He explains why he gave it to her in the first place: because she thinks "why me?" instead of "why not me?"

This book is packed with unique, memorable folks. In Indigo and her family, Deb Caletti has created some of her most down-to-earth characters. Indigo gently teases her mother about her "anxiety-denial-distraction." Indigo's twin Severin is sensible and considerate, and her loyal boyfriend Trevor is so in tune with all of their lives that he is almost part of the family. Little sister Bex is compassionate and loveable. After watching news reports on CNN, she worries about those who have lost their homes due to natural disasters. Indigo's friend Melanie, who is sweet but has always had money, is quick to think Indigo can and wants to do everything Melanie does once that she finally can afford it. The quadripeds really don't care about the money; it doesn't make Chico less chatty or Freud less sneaky.

Indigo considers many of the Irregulars, along with her boss, to be her friends. Jane, the owner of Carrera's (and of Jack, an adorable dog) hates to pull the boss card, but will if she has to. The regulars are all older than Indigo. Each has his or her own backstory and quirks. Nick Harrison has been haunted by rumors since his wife fell down a flight of stairs and died two years ago. Tattooed Leroy is perhaps thirty years old, yet he's anxious to retire. Joe used to be a boxer. Funny Coyote and Trina, both in their late twenties, are the resident ladies. Funny's a poet who has no problem cleaning her plate or talking about her "chemical imbalance," while flirty Trina dresses to the nines and drives a classic Thunderbird.

The Fortunes of Indigo Skye by Deb Caletti is a thoroughly enjoyable book. There's more whimsy here than in some of Caletti's previous novels, but never to an unrealistic degree.

This isn't yet another rags-to-riches tale, nor "a simple story of money can't buy happiness." This book is about a girl on the cusp of adulthood who actually likes her life and doesn't really want it to change that much. She would rather be poor and happy than wealthy and miserable. Indigo has a great set of values and a great sense of self. Those are her true fortunes.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Predictable plot, but interesting observations, August 6, 2008

By 

Biblioloca "freedomtoread" (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fortunes of Indigo Skye (Hardcover)

Haven't read a book by Caletti before, but this one was definitely intriguing. First of all, the plot is pretty boring & predictable: girl gets a fortune, lets herself be sucked away from her values, learns a lesson, blah blah. But there were so many interesting observations about people and the way we interact--little things that I've noticed, but haven't been able to put in words... Those were so intriguing that this is the first book in a long time that I've wanted to re-read immediately upon finishing. So, if you're looking for an action-packed story with a gripping plot, this ain't the book for you. If you're looking for a few insights into human nature, give it a try...

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Fortunes of Indigo Skye, January 24, 2009

By 

W. Howell (Whidbey Island, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Fortunes of Indigo Skye (Hardcover)

Deb Caletti does a great job developing the characters of Indigo and those who frequent the diner where she works. Then Indigo receives a huge tip. I found it inconsistent with Indigo's personality to spend as she did. I also found it surprising that she felt she had to apologize to her boyfriend for not sharing freely. He should have apologized for being so presumptuous. In places,transitions were not smooth. The book could too easily be summed up in its plot divisions: restaurant relationships, spending spree, running away, and patching things up. The ending was predictable and disappointing, too nicely sewn up.