Cover Image: Bluff

Bluff

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Member Reviews

Chelsea has been in charge of making sure bills get paid on time and that she and her dad always have a roof over their head. This is a lot for a 17-year-old girl to be worried about while also trying to fit in with all her friends who have money. Her dad doesn't really seem to understand how expensive everything is and is just kind of over everything when it comes to working, which leaves Chelsea with very few options. One thing she knows she can do to earn money is play poker so that's exactly what she ends up doing.

Overall I found myself getting annoyed with Chelsea and some of the decisions she was making. She would say she was going and gambling in order to pay the bills but then she would go and buy just clothes and other fun stuff for herself. It just didn't make sense to me considering how worried she always was with making sure all the bills were covered. I know some of it's just her age and things like that, but it just seemed like at times the book was disjointed with what she was doing and what she was worried about with her winnings if that makes sense. I also could have done without the romance in this book considering she was underaged and the guy was 5+ years older than her, and it was her decision to pursue said person and keep secrets from him.

So for me, while the premise of this book was interesting, the book itself ended up being frustrating and disappointing.

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This one definitely could have been much shorter. The whole addiction concept and the idea of a 17-year-old being permitted to gamble without being really challenged was not realistic. The plot could have had more depth and there should have been more conflicts included.

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I had mediocre expectations for this book, but I didn’t expect to hate it so much. Honestly, the premise was intriguing, and I liked the way that it was going, but a lot of things needed to be challenged in order for the story to work. I would not recommend this for anyone because there is no growth within the character and it promotes stupid and unhealthy life choices (of many kinds) without any repercussions or challenges. I’m so glad it’s over.

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I was excited to read this book because the cover and synopsis sounded like a good read. This just wasn't my cup of tea. It was hard to get into and I had to push myself to finish. The writing as okay, nothing great but definitely not the worst I have read.
This book dealt with a lot of topics and the story was straight forward. The main character needed money and needed it fast so of course gambling sounded like a good way to make that happen.

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Bluff is one of those books that I picked up just because the premise seemed interesting, and I am so glad I did. I was expecting a bit of an Ocean's Eleven vibe with a teenage girl, but it deals with so much more than that. There was a couple moment when I had to suspend my belief for a bit because situations were not really believable - mainly a 17 year old in a high stakes casino - but for the most part, I loved the story.

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I got sucked into this one and couldn't put it down. I felt for Chelsea through all her troubles and excitement. While I'm not sure how likely a teen would be able to pull off going into a real casino for so long this was an exciting read that I think a lot of people would enjoy. You can definitely see Chelsea's addiction, even though its not labeled, and how it begins to affect her life. That ending though...I was totally not expecting that!

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Overall, I liked this book. It’s a very relatable read if you know someone who has dealt with addiction before, and even if you haven’t, I feel like Chelsea was very relatable and sympathetic and likable. And it’s a fun read. It’s kind of short, but very fast-paced. The romance is sort of lackluster and the story does have some plot holes, but it’s still a good read! I had a lot of fun while reading and if there’s a sequel, I’d definitely pick it up!

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After reading the blurb for Bluff I wanted to read it instantly. This is a hard review to write even after sleeping on it for a couple of days. To say my feelings are mixed is an understatement. On one hand I enjoyed the fast pace of it and the author’s writing style. But on the other I found it lacking certain elements that I need in a story. I have read books within the YA genre before and loved them. I think if a younger person picks up Bluff that they will probably enjoy it, I unfortunately was overall disappointed. I quickly made my way to 70% of the book and found myself wondering “where is this going?” Her relationship with her “love interest” goes nowhere. I would’ve liked to see more of them together. Chelsea is very good at reading people and the table. I thought that was a unique trait and appreciated seeing something told other than card counting. Yet, she cannot see her own addiction. Maybe it’s her age? IDK but she seems very bright so that threw me. Bluff comes with a hefty price tag that I don’t think is worth it Y.E.T. after the abrupt ending IF there is a sequel I would give it a chance to see where Chelsea ends up.

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This is a really interesting book. I read it all the way through in two sitting I think. I really wanted to get back to it once I started reading it. I wanted to know what happend to the characters.

Some parts were slow, some parts were fast paced.. it still managed to keep your attention and pull you into the story, keeping you interested. Chelsea had so much on her plate having to worry about the bills at such a young age, She was sucked into this high stakes world of gambling and the high life... and taking the easy way out. I don't know why she couldn't get a real job and took this route other than it was easy money.. especially since it was illegal. She also pushed her friends away..

Was she an addict? She had very addictive behavior... Excessive spending after paying necessary bills then repeat...I would like to read another book. I think there could be so much more to this story..

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This is a fairly quick read, and in both length and vocabulary. I wasn't sure I would like this book going into it, and I came out of it not quite enjoying what I read.

However, you are not supposed to like the main character. There are a few points where it seems like she is working towards bettering herself, and then it goes sideways somehow. This book is supposed to show you the effects of an addiction, and possible factors that push them forward. I may not have enjoyed this book, or the character, but I came out of it appreciating that I read it in the first place. This is one of those stories that you'll remember out of the blue down the line.

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There's something about a casino that you can't quite find anywhere else. It's all about the glamour, the possibilities of getting rich, and the incessant sounds and lights. Then, when you take a step back, you also see how dangerous it can become, and how quickly it can ruin a life. In this novel, Julie Dill meshes the unpredictable live of a gambler with the simplicity of being a high school student. Cheerleading practices, movie dates with a best friend, and shopping excursions are thrown into contrast with the thrill of walking in a casino, of leaving with ten times the amount of money one entered with, of the glitz of being rich -- even if it's just for a moment... and then the book hits you with the dark despair that accompanies a heavy loss.

The protagonist of this story, Chelsea, is unfortunately faced with the hardship of trying to manage a household at a young age. She chose to gamble in order to pay off some outstanding bills, but the gains are never enough to also help her maintain the lifestyle she wanted to have for herself. Every time she entered that casino, I would hold my breath and pray this would be the last one. I think that the author portrayed the addiction quite realistically and explores the unfortunate truth that an addiction can ruin many things.

This is a very fast read - I finished it within just a few sporadic hours. It's not very complex, and I found that some depth could have been added to most of the characters... To be fair, it's targeted perfectly for a high school student, or even middle school crowd, so take this with a grain of salt.

I loved the final page, though. It's a final page that will stay with me for a long time. For those readers who read the last few lines before starting the book, do yourself a favour and make this one an exception!

I'd like to thank Amberjack Publishing, as well as Netgalley, for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Keep an eye out for this book as it will hit the shelves on February 7th, 2017!

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Bluff by Julie Dill tells the story of 17-year-old Chelsea who lives with her irresponsible dad. Every month they can barely pay their bills, and in a moment of desperation Chelsea goes to a casino in the hopes of making some cash. There she lies about her name and age, and starts playing poker. Bluff had a lot of potential, potential to do amazing things. When I first saw the book, and read its synopsis, I thought, finally a book about teenage addiction, specifically gambling addiction. Unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations.

As someone who knows how poker works, at least well enough to understand the majority of the lingo, I really liked that we got to see so many scenes in great detail of how Chelsea plays poker. However, the book falls short in its execution of the fact that Chelsea actually has an addiction, which is clear in her actions, but is never actually addressed. Two parts that really signal that Chelsea has a problem with her gambling can be seen in the following quotes,

“It’s almost by default that I end up where I do. My car just goes there. I need to see Nate. But even more, I need to play poker.”

&

“A perfect life would be just hang around here and play poker. Forever.”

What the book fails to do is acknowledge, on the page, that Chelsea has an addiction, and that the gambling needs to stop. Another problem I had with the book was the love interest, who worked at the casino. Even though he didn’t know Chelsea was underage, and he did break up with her when he found out her age towards the end, it really irked me that the romance was even a part of this book at all, at least with someone older. There were some amazing friendships in this book, and I would have loved to have them developed further instead.

Julie Dill managed to create a main character that the reader easily relates to and feels for, but failed in story and plot for me. Towards the end, the story really seemed to be turning around. The romantic relationship ended, and both the father and Chelsea got stable jobs. What completely ruined the book was the last scene. Everything had started to turn for the better for Chelsea, she got a second chance, and the reader gets the impression that she is ending her gambling. Then this happens at the very end,

“And some time later, at two o’clock in the morning, I find myself walking into a new, different casino.

Looking for something.”

I understand that addiction is complex, and doesn’t just go away because you are met with obstacles that are impossible to overcome. However, that’s why I feel this book should have taken a different route. There was room to do so much good with this book, to show how addiction works and how to get help. Instead this book basically romanticized addiction in the way it didn’t really take it seriously, and teens that read Bluff need to know that Chelsea’s behavior is not okay. I feel that Bluff really needs a sequel to address and sort out everything it missed in the first book.

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'Bluff' is a story about a high school girl in a tough financial situation who turns to gambling as a solution. For this book, it's more of a hit or miss. You'll either really like it or find yourself frustrated and bored with it. As for myself, it was more of a miss. The main character starts off as down to earth and likable, but as the story progresses, she seems to go downhill, and that's where her character development halts for the rest of the book. There really is no moral and no main point, it's just a read that's interesting for people who enjoy seeing bad situations play out in detail, and the classic 'everything gets better' ending traded out for a more realistic one.

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I enjoyed the book and I loved Chelsea. Great storyline too

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Knew i was going to like this book as soon as i read the blurb.this was a great read was a bit slow at times but i was already hooked so didn't really bother me to much.Like the twists it keeps you guessing right till the end would read more by this author recommended

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