Mar 28 2007
The lottery by Beth Goobie
Allen
Unwin
13+ A compulsive psychological thriller, The Lottery is a powerful
exploration of bullying and peer pressure. Each year the Shadow
Council, (9 of the most popular students at Saskatoon Collegiate), hold
a lottery, choosing the name of a student to be 'The dud for the year'.
Sally Hanson, a 15-year-old who plays third clarinet in the school
orchestra, is this year's victim and she faces a miserable year as
slave of the Shadow Council. She is totally ostracised from the whole
student body, with all her friends forbidden to talk to her or face
suffering at the hands of the Council. She is devastated when she
realises that even her best friends, Kimmie Busatto and Brydan Wallace
have deserted her and she is left with only the members of the Shadow
Council talking to her. Sally initially does the Council's bidding but
its increasingly vicious attacks on people like the overweight Diane
Kruisselbrink and vulnerable Chris Busatto lead her to attempt to
expose the Council's power.
There are many themes that could be used for class discussion in this
novel. Goobie acknowledges Robert Cormier's The Chocolate War in her
dedication and has one of her minor characters, Chris Busatto, reading
it. It could be used in conjunction with it if studying as a
class. The author pulls no punches in this novel: Chris ends up
in hospital as a result of the Council initiated bullying, after
attempting to stand up to them.
Characters are well drawn, and the reader gains a real insight into how
it feels to be alienated from the student body, while showing the worth
of autistic Tauni and overweight Diane. Even Willis Cass, the Shadow
Council president, is shown as a complex character who says he has no
friends. There is no happy ever after ending, although Goobie clearly
shows the importance of resisting peer pressure and how even one friend
can make a huge difference in the life of the victim.
Readers will enjoy the music thread throughout the book. The author has
Sal, her main character using music as a means of release. She dances
to the Waters' CD in her basement, and finds that playing the clarinet
brings her some refuge as she tries to overcome the despair at being
the Lottery's victim and her father's suicide.
This is a compelling story, which is difficult to put down. Anyone who
has been bullied by an individual or by an institution will gain
insights into what has happened to them, and hopefully other readers
will gain a feeling of empathy for the victims of bullying and an
understanding of peer pressure. Highly recommended.
Pat Pledger
© Pledger
Consulting, 2007