Amazon.com: Big Slick: Eric Luper: Books

Review

"Luper's authentic first-person narrative captures teen frustrations, feelings of confinement, and the mottled world of poker . . . Powerful."—Kirkus Reviews

“BIG SLICK is an action-filled tale involving hot girls, hot cars, very dangerous people, serious desperation, and some serioulsy bad choices. I'm betting that BIG SLICK is going to be both extremely popular and a great new title for reluctant readers.” —Richie’s Picks

“If you like poker and being at the edge of your seat, you will love this [book]!” —A YALSA YA Galley Teen Reader

"Not too much poker to be totally Latin, but enough to keep things interesting. Big Slick is a fun rollercoaster bound to dash you away!"

—A YALSA YA Galley Teen Reader

"[Readers] willing to pony up a couple of hours' reading time should be pleased with the payoff."—Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books

Product Description

All in all, sixteen-year-old Andrew Lang has been dealt a pretty good hand in life. Sure, he has to spend his afternoons slaving away in the hellhole that is his dad’s dry-cleaning business, but even that’s not so bad with Jasmine, the seriously hot Goth-chick senior, working right beside him. So what if she’s got a boyfriend? Plus, Andrew’s got an ace up his sleeve – he’s good at poker. Very good. Unfortunately, all it takes is one bad beat at Shushie’s illegal poker club to turn Andrew’s bankroll from huge to nonexistent. And Andrew’s pretty sure that sooner or later his dad’s going to notice that $600 he “borrowed” from the register. Andrew thinks he may know how to get the money back, but it’s a little bit crazy, and a little bit dangerous . . .

In this breakneck-paced novel about gambling and growing up, the stakes are high, and Andrew must ask himself: What does going all in really mean?

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Product Details

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1 edition (September 18, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0374307997
ISBN-13: 978-0374307998
Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 1 inches
Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #572,753 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Inside This Book (learn more)

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
poker room, pocket aces, tall dresser, starting hand, big blind

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Four Horsemen, Shushie Spiegel, Crystal Waters, Alice's Breastaurant, Sam Barr, Manifest Destiny, New York City, Red Hots, Flying Squirrel

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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews

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Average Customer Review

4.4 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, September 18, 2007

By	TeensReadToo.com "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

Andrew Lang may only be sixteen, but he's pretty sure he'd like to try making a living playing poker. It started with free games online and quickly became playing for real in the private games held in the town pool hall. Andrew's quick thinking ability combined with the professional advice from pool hall owner Shushie Spiegel have him winning pots any respectable player would envy.

Unfortunately, Andrew has hit a losing streak. To keep money in his pocket, he begins skimming money from the cash register in the family-owned dry cleaning business. Before he knows it, he owes $600, and his father is noticing something strange. When his dad begins talking inventory, Andrew realizes his days are numbered to be able to pay the money back without being caught.

With the help of his friend Scott, goth girl and fellow employee Jasmine, and a mint-condition 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS 454, Andrew hatches a plan to get back the money he owes his father and the dry cleaning business.

Can they possibly pass themselves off as eighteen, get into the Native American casino, and then sit at a poker table and win?

BIG SLICK is filled with colorful characters, poker action, humor, romance, and illegal deals that will keep you turning the pages. Teen readers - both guys and girls, poker fans or not - will be fighting over who gets this one first.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Warning: This Book is Addictive, September 25, 2007

By	E. C. Martz (MI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book had me laughing out loud, smacking my forehead in dismay, and shouting "Don't do it!" as I watched the protagonist, Andrew, dig himself deeper and deeper into a hole. It was a total blast of a read, one of those wonderful I-can't-put-this-down books that you hope will never end.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BIG SLICK IS A BIG HIT!!!, September 20, 2007

By	R. Kent (New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Awesome read -- Eric Luper has stacked the deck with all the cards you need for a thriller of a page-turner. I loved riding alongside sixteen-year-old Andrew as he dug his way out of a mess caused by his high stakes poker habit and "borrowing'" of cash from Dad's laundry business. Andrew is clever, honest, vulnerable and risky, all at the same time. Love interest Jasmine breaks the typical Goth Girl mold -- we get why Andrew is drawn to her sensitive soul. Andrew's buddy Scott is as quirky as they come (I dare you not to laugh about where he ends up!) And other poker playing characters are as salty as a can of mixed nuts. You gotta love these names: Shushie, Flying Squirrel, Bourbon, Lampost and Cleavage. But my favorite supporting character is Andrew's little brother. What's sweeter than a kid named Rooster?

If you love watching the fast paced action of poker on cable TV,
read this book.
If you're a sucker for sweet & salty tales that pull LOTS of punches,
read this book.

And finally,
if you're into poker, girls and vintage Chevy Chevelles, then go buy BIG SLICK faster than you can say No Limit Hold `Em!

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome read
I was pleasantly surprised. I read this book because I am a Myspace friend to the author. It's not really the type of book I'd read, normally. Read more

Published 1 month ago by E. A. Mckenzie

5.0 out of 5 stars Fast-paced and Fantastic

In poker terms, a big slick is when you start a hand of Texas Hold 'em with an Ace and a King showing. Read more

Published 18 months ago by L. K. Messner

5.0 out of 5 stars BIG SLICK rings true!
BIG SLICK is a fast-paced and fun read but don't let that blind you to some of the great themes lurking beneath the surface about relationships with our parents (and between our... Read more

Published 20 months ago by Candie Moonshower

1.0 out of 5 stars Inappropriate
This book has many sexual references that are inappropriate for teens in it. I would not recommend this book unless you want your children to have better ideas of how to become... Read more

Published 21 months ago by J. Stanton

› See all 7 customer reviews...

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