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Ajay Anthonipillai has just won $1 million—and he’s in huge trouble.

Starting eighth grade in a new school, Ajay is determined to avoid being labeled as “Obnoxious Ajay” again, the social outcast who’s completely consumed by grades. But when he gets a 79% in language arts and lands on the wrong side of popular Jacob Underson, things start to spiral out of control. Before he knows it, he’s lied to his parents, stolen a chocolate bar from the local convenience store, maybe won a huge jackpot as a result, and taken a part-time job at the store in order to try to destroy the evidence of his crime. The depictions of the family members—Ajay, younger sister Aarthi, and the kids’ Sri Lankan Catholic immigrant parents, all living in a largely white, suburban community—offer valuable insights into a specific cultural experience that will also resonate with children of immigrant families from other communities. Contextual clues situate the story in the early 2000s, but the setting’s vagueness gives it a timeless feeling. Most of the characters, including the villains, are multi-dimensional actors with realistic motivations. The close relationship between Ajay and Aarthi, who face similar challenges in different ways, is particularly well rendered. The novel’s plot twists will especially entrance and surprise younger audiences and those able to suspend disbelief and go with the flow of this completely age-appropriate and appealing story.

Utter fun.