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The Lottery

3.37 of 5 stars 3.37 · rating details · 349 ratings · 52 reviews

The third scroll was dropped onto her binder as she rushed between classes at mid-morning break. The halls were crowded, she's hadn't seen anyone of note beside her - the scroll hadn't been there, then suddenly it was To her left, she spotted an open mai

ebook, 272 pages

Published January 1st 2004 by Orca Book Publishers (first published October 1st 2002)

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May 19, 2011 5zakazi rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The premise of the book with its secret society and whole 'victim' concept was intriguing but I think it was stretched too thin. Honestly the society didn't do anything FOR the students in anyway, so why was it revered so much and how come no one went to a superior with this? I mean Jenny Weaver looked like the sensible sort who'd end the drama once and for all. And I suppose that's what I'm unhappy about the most, the drama never ended. Till the end, the Shadow Council never disbanded or one me...more The premise of the book with its secret society and whole 'victim' concept was intriguing but I think it was stretched too thin. Honestly the society didn't do anything FOR the students in anyway, so why was it revered so much and how come no one went to a superior with this? I mean Jenny Weaver looked like the sensible sort who'd end the drama once and for all. And I suppose that's what I'm unhappy about the most, the drama never ended. Till the end, the Shadow Council never disbanded or one member was given a taste of their own medicine. I realize the focus of the book was Sal's inner walls crumbling away and being freed from her guilt but how come such horrible people [and yes Willis - for all that the author has to say about him- is just equally horrible] were let off scot free. I 'm disappointed I suppose that such a sick twisted world was not eradicated entirely. It may be naive but that's what I look for in a book - One insignificant person raising up to the challenge and changing the course of life. Ah but that was not to be with this book.
Besides the unsatisfying ending I didn't really feel any connection with the characters. I couldn't decide whether Sally was going to be the one who stood up for herself and displayed self-respect or the one who sat meekly on a stool and gasped for air in the corridor. Although the self-respect portion was only in front of Willis, when both were alone, so I suppose she falls in the latter category and hence will never be anywhere near my favourite category. Besides her I didn't fancy any of the other characters either, Willis I hated for the weakness he displayed from the moment he was introduced and for a moment I was horrified Sal might fall in love with him and if the story hadn't taken such a U-turn from Sal loving her time as the slave back to detesting it I would have flung the book out the window. Thankfully, Breydon was back in the picture, not that he was much of a win but opposed to Willis I'd take him any day! And if I found the development of the relationship of Breydon and Sal to be mellow , the closeness between her and her bro was really putting me on the weird edge
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Dec 15, 2011 Nina rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For those of you who liked this book, I'm sorry, but be prepared for an opposite view on things, because this book was not worthy of my time. Not one bit. Here are the reasons why
The characters: I can't even remember which person or tense it was in, but I know that the characters had no depth. If I had been able to feel any emotion other than disgust during the period of time of which I was reading the book, then perhaps I wouldn't be here, writing these words; but I am here, so work it out for...more

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Nov 09, 2010 Michele Velthuizen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Interest level: 8th +
Reading level: medium
Genre: realistic fiction, schools, bullying, intimidation, outcasts, trial by fire

The Lottery is a pretty disturbing story about a secret high school club called the "Shadow Council". Every fall, the council holds a lottery and a single student's name is drawn. But rather than being a lottery "winner", the selected student is doomed to become the lottery "victim", someone who has to obey every command of the Shadow Council, however distasteful, and - wor...more

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Sep 16, 2010 Booksignblades rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'd say more of a 3 1/2 for this book.

The book, to me, was kind of Outsiders-esque, or that kind of thing. I only picked it up because I recognized the cover at my school's library, from the bookstore when I was browsing then. (I was drawn to the title because of Shirley Jackson's "the Lottery", which my teacher read to my class last year.)

The funny thing is, in both Jackson's and Goobie's, the so-called "winner" of the lottery is undesirable, but you are "entered" in the lottery without a choic...more

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Jul 16, 2010 Elissa Hoole rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book takes the concept of Shirley Jackson's short story of the same name and places it in a high school setting--like Jackson's short, The Lottery raises questions about why society needs a victim. The protagonist is Sal, a fifteen-year-old third clarinettist and this year's Shadow Council lottery winner: the dud of the year. Nobody will speak to her or acknowledge her existence except the mysterious Shadow Council, an elite group ruling the school with fear.

I enjoyed the concept of this b...more

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Jan 03, 2010 Beth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Beth Goobie must have been an outsider as a teen, because she writes with brutal honesty in many of her books about what it is to be alienated. The Lottery is no exception.

Modeled on Shirley Jackson's classic story, a contemporary high school clique posing as an activity club selects one student to be the shunned prankster and scapegoat for one year. When Sally Hanson is the victim/winner, she succumbs at first to the tradition, but as the expectations of the Shadow Club deepen and the head of g...more Beth Goobie must have been an outsider as a teen, because she writes with brutal honesty in many of her books about what it is to be alienated. The Lottery is no exception.

Modeled on Shirley Jackson's classic story, a contemporary high school clique posing as an activity club selects one student to be the shunned prankster and scapegoat for one year. When Sally Hanson is the victim/winner, she succumbs at first to the tradition, but as the expectations of the Shadow Club deepen and the head of group takes an unusual interest in her, she struggles with her decision to go along with all they ask.

Acclaimed Canadian novelist Beth Goobie's newest book for young adults is a sometimes-frightening tale of a quasi-secret society of teens whose sole purpose is to control the daily lives of fellow students at Saskatoon Collegiate School. The 'Shadow Club' has been around for years there, and is both feared and accepted by the students, yet it is unknown to teachers and administrators - they think the group's purpose is aiding, promoting, and staging school events.

The novel's main character, 15 year-old Sally `Sal' Hanson, must not only navigate the normal adolescent trials of school, classmates, and family - she now must also deal with being chosen by lottery as the Shadow Club's 'victim' for the year. The victim is the one student that the Club relies on as its gofer and slave, and by tradition is thereby totally shunned by all students for the entire year.

Sal knows that what she's doing is often hurtful to many of her classmates, but she feels powerless under the Shadow Club's domination of student affairs, and she is also becoming enamored of the Club president - the handsome and well-liked Willis Cass.

Sal struggles to play the game without losing friendships or making enemies, as the club ultimately requires her to set in motion more and more terrible events at the school. The reader is caught up in many tense moments as Sal deals with her predicament and looks for a way out.

Subplots such as a dead father and a handicapped friend/possible romantic interest complicate the basic plot and weaken the drama of Sal vs. Shadow Club, but Goobie presents a believable character and plausible plot, and everything comes together neatly in the end.

Recommended for most school and public libraries, may have possibilities for use in literature classes.(less)

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Apr 12, 2009 Thomas rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"The Lottery" is about fifteen year old Sally Hanson, who was chosen randomly out of fifteen hundred students to be the Shadow Council's new go-fer. The phrase "everybody loves a victim" is used numerous times to describe her predictament, seeing as everyone in the school including her former best friends have chosen to shun and ignore her. Although it seems that trying to resist is pointless, Sally decides to give the notorious Shadow Council a run for its money.

The plot of the book was very in...more

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Nov 05, 2011 Sita Sargeant rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, reviewed, could-t-bring-myself-to-finish, childrens

Hmm. How do I review this book. I really can’t seeing as I couldn’t even finish it. Not that that’s stopped me from reviewing a book before. SO here I go. This review is basically a review to take apart this book. SO avert your eyes if you actually liked it. Are your eyes averted? If not then you must want to watch me take apart this book. Right here we go.

The Writing – First person (I think), not very memorable, not very catching, easily forgotten. I just couldn’t get involved in this book and...more

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May 16, 2013 Samantha rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"The Lottery" was a dark and disturbing book that takes you inside the exaggerated life of a teenage girl. If there's one thing Goobie is good at, it's taking a common typical teen issue like bullying or exclusion or feeling like an outsider, and really making it stand out as a huge problem in an extreme way. The concept of a club like Student Council ruling the school by choosing yearly victims to shun was really creepy, but effective.
At first, it was difficult to get into the story. It felt ve...more "The Lottery" was a dark and disturbing book that takes you inside the exaggerated life of a teenage girl. If there's one thing Goobie is good at, it's taking a common typical teen issue like bullying or exclusion or feeling like an outsider, and really making it stand out as a huge problem in an extreme way. The concept of a club like Student Council ruling the school by choosing yearly victims to shun was really creepy, but effective.
At first, it was difficult to get into the story. It felt very repetitive and as if nothing interesting was happening. Sal got ignored, called down to the Celts clubroom, and sent to do some horrible task. However, as the book progressed, the story of her family problems and her extremely close relationship with her older brother Dusty brought some real substance to the plot.
"The Lottery" was a tough story of true friends, the power of family, and what inner guilt can do to a girl. I loved seeing Sal try and work her way through her situation. She was such a sweet, strong girl who made friends with everybody and always tried to keep her head up. At times when she lost control, the depth of her character showed intensely as she needed the comfort of her brother's arms to help her through. Sal endured all the bullying, exclusion, losing friends, and being hated, and eventually learned that life is what you make it and that she should not let anybody else control her life.
The only thing that was slightly unrealistic was the way everybody followed Shadow Council like sheep and went along with their cruel games, seemingly for no reason. But, I know that it was needed to get across the point of the book. Sometimes, leaders aren't always recognized for doing what is right.
The ending was the most satisfying end I've recently read in a book. It was so perfect and it suited the book very well. My favourite parts were the connections between Sal and Dusty. They brought me to tears and showed such strong love that you couldn't help but be mesmerized by their special relationship. I loooooved the book and Goobie is a very talented writer on the topic of teens. It was a powerful and important read, definitely relevant, accurate and necessary. Amazing :)
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Apr 19, 2012 Karissa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The good thing about this book is that it is a good read. It kind of has The Chocolate Wars kind of feel to it, but not really.

Basically there is a council of students, mainly of juniors and seniors, that "rule" the school. They have a lottery every year of the students in the school. The so-called winner of this lottery is their lackey for the entire school year. They've been doing this for years, and no one has ever said a word to them about it. It's a simple fact.

Sally Hanson is picked to b...more

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Jul 18, 2010 Daniela rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, realistic-fiction, canadian

This book was really hard to get into. I never felt like I truly connected with the protagonist Sally Hanson. I found her boring and one dimensional. I thought the concept of selecting a "victim" was interesting, but confusing at times. At first I thought I was reading a science fiction novel, but then it just turned out that the bullies of the school we're bossing around everyone. It just seemed a bit far fetched that the lottery winner would actually tolerate such abuse without telling a super...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Mika rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: the-not-so-solid

Soooo, this book is marketed as a thriller?

Right, well, it's more like a teenage-angst ridden jaunt through a year in high school, more about friendship and band class than anything else. At least what I remember from it. The protagonist isn't that engaging, and nor are some of the other main characters, but I remember really liking the secondary characters - they certainly fleshed out the world of high school much more.

Probably need a reread if that summary is actually nothing as to how I remem...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Julia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: almost-favorites, for-school

The Lottery is a really good book, full of depth and details. I really don't understand why some people say the plot and writing style were horrible.

Some people think, 'Why didn't anybody do anything about this, or go to a teacher or whatever.' And I think, 'Well, you're obviously not in school anymore.' People say, 'Shadow Council doesn't do anything for the school, so why are they revered so much?' Seriously? If you had bothered to finish reading the book you would get it, as it explained A LO...more The Lottery is a really good book, full of depth and details. I really don't understand why some people say the plot and writing style were horrible.

Some people think, 'Why didn't anybody do anything about this, or go to a teacher or whatever.' And I think, 'Well, you're obviously not in school anymore.' People say, 'Shadow Council doesn't do anything for the school, so why are they revered so much?' Seriously? If you had bothered to finish reading the book you would get it, as it explained A LOT at the end. Everbody loves a victim. What part of that don't you understand?? And there's that tiny detail of Shadow Council threatening them.

Also, you might think that Sal's pathetic, not standing up for herself, and that if she had, the book might have been more enjoyable. Well, reality check, most people aren't like that. Heck, I'm not like that, and that's one of the reasons I love this book so much. Sal isn't some nobody that miraculously gets courage right when people start picking on her. In fact, I thought she stood up for herself more than some (if not most) people would be able to. She accepted being shunned for the rest of high school, didn't she?

Another thing, the writing style. If you seriously think that this is horrible writing, I'd like to see you do half as well. I've almost never seen such beautiful writing, full of details and comparisons that are just....I can't even find words to describe them. And it may be a little confusing, but the human mind is confusing, especially with what Sal is going through.

I'll admit, it took me a little while to get into it. I read the first 30, 40 pages or so and thought, 'Meh. This isn't bad, but not terribly amazing either.' Then I got to around page 60 and there was a spot that I didn't really feel like reading at that moment. I didn't read it for a little bit, then when i picked it up again, I finished it at midnight that night. Needless to say, it was worth the read.

(And by the way, most people that wrote horrible reviews hadn't even finished the book. That's like riding a roller coaster and then jumping off because the first 20 feet were boring. Very smart.)(less)

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Dec 08, 2009 Trudi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009-reads, coming-of-age, young-adult, oh-canada, modern-lit

Immensely enjoyable read about the devastating powers of peer pressure and conformity. If it's happening to the other guy, it's not happening to me. We learn that early on and too many people take this lesson into their adult lives. We need to teach our children to be courageous and stand up for what's right.

Canada's Chocolate War. Sure to appeal to a teen audience.

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Sep 02, 2009 Adri L rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-books

To you winning the lottery is an exceptional accomplishment. Not one that everyone gets to experience in their life time. However, for the main character in this novel, winning the lottery was something she did not want to win. Will she be able to avoid her reward for winning the lottery, or will she succumb to devastation? You will need to read to find out.

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Jul 27, 2009 Bridget rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't know why, but I loved this book up until 3/4 of the way through. I wasn't a fan of the ending. The author had it set up for something really incredible and it just sort of fizzled out. But great character and plot development up until that point. I like books that are hard to explain and summarize to people and this was exactly that. Still worth reading.

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Aug 08, 2011 Neill Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites

Sal has won the lottery at Saskatoon Collegiate – for the school year she will be ordered around by Shadow Council to deliver their clandestine orders and no student in the school will be allowed to talk to her. She and her family are still recovering from her father’s suicide and this additional pressure exposes new secrets.

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Sep 05, 2012 Gesse Gallant rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

quite an interesting thrill ride with very cruel twists, one that drives the emotions in a sense that you just don't want too stop reading. I do feel sorry for the poor girl, and makes me reflect on how its also a very dramatized version of the real life of growing up in a school full of bullies. good read.

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Jan 04, 2012 Ju Kim rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wasn't that wowed by this book, i had some high expectations for it. But found it a bit boring. I think this book is a book for 10+ and shouldn't be in the young adult books section at the local library. Hardly any good romance, plot is okay and conclusion okay. However the book wasn't that entertaining to me.

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Aug 16, 2010 Lizzie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I quite enjoyed this for the most part, however, as has been mentioned in some other reviews, the ending let the rest of the book down. I was expecting something better, and left the book feeling disappointed, with too many of my questions unanswered.

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Sep 09, 2012 Stephanie John rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved the plot, everyone's actions were mostly believable. It was kinda slow in the beginning, but if you keep on reading it gets a hundred times better. I guess what really bugged me was the ending, I'm not sure how to feel about it.

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Jan 16, 2009 Bethany rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, fantasy, psych, young-adult

I felt lost for most of this book, and didn't really like any of the characters. The ending seemed abrupt as well, like the author just stopped writing because she had a deadline instead of because the story was over. A very strange book.

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Apr 27, 2012 Jocelyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

Read this a few times in high school. Being from Saskatoon, it was fun to recognize some of the landmarks mentioned. Overall, I remember being fairly impressed by the book.. very dense drama and emotional reading.

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Jan 28, 2012 Katherine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Good story but pretty much copied the idea of it from Shirley Jackson's 1948 short story of the same name. Just changed to a modern teenager story. Fairly well done for all that.

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May 29, 2012 Rachie Ray rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

this book was really good. it is the a book that draws you in and you can't stop and put it down. i loved, it was such a different book, one that in really enjoyed. :)

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Apr 16, 2012 Jeanne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: canadian, young-adult

Excellent young adult novel. Very dark, but my son thought it was pretty accurate in terms of the general hierarchy of a typical high school.

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Oct 01, 2009 Sanam rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Lottery by Beth Goobie is very unpredictable and unique. However, at times the story gets confusing becuase of the odd concept.

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Apr 30, 2011 Becca rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read it a long time ago, in high school, but I just remember laughing myself into tears because it was so unrealistic.

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Apr 28, 2012 Amanda added it · review of another edition

The plot was interesting and had some twists. It didn't end exactly the way I'd hoped but it was a satisfactory read.

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Dec 16, 2011 Vampire added it · review of another edition

A cool plot which really makes you think.
It makes you ask questions about yourself. I cried most of the way through!

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About Beth Goobie

Beth Goobie is best known for her quirky and dark young adult novels. She's published several of them, beginning in 1994. Her novel Before Wings won the Canadian Library Association's Young Adult Book Award in 2000, and was chosen by young readers for the Best Books list of the American Library Association.Much of the turmoil in Goobie's life has been laid bare in two books for adult readers, Scar...more

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