The Fortunes of Indigo Skye

I wasn't sure I'd like this book at all (girl gets rich via nice dude and lets it partly ruin her life seems pretty lame), but in the end I totally loved it. Caletti created a girl in Indigo we can all relate to. She's happy with her life, even content, and there are things she wants, but she doesn't want for anything, not really. But then she falls into a bunch of money and everything changes -- and while the idea is slightly cliche, Caletti made Indigo a totally sympathetic character throughout the whole book. I also liked this book because of the eventual (and wonderful) relationship between Indigo and her father.

"This is not just a simple story of Money can't buy happiness. Or maybe that's just what it is. And if it is, why shouldn't it be? Because if it is something we are already supposed to know, then why don't we know it? Why do we chase and scrabble and fight for things to flaunt, why? Why do we reach for power over other people, and through the thin superiority of our possessions, believe we have it? Why do we let money make people bigger, and allow those without it to be made smaller? How did we lose the truth in the frantic, tribal drumbeat of more, more, more?"

Reviewed by Tasha for TeensReadToo.com

Indigo Skye is pretty pleased with her life. She has an amazing boyfriend, she loves being a waitress at the homey neighborhood restaurant, Carrera's, and while her family may not be well off, they sure are filled with love.

While some situations may not be ideal, Indigo knows she will always be supported by those she loves. Whether it is her direct family or her family over at Carrera's (also known as the Irregulars), she knows she always has someone to turn to.

All is good until a new man starts coming into Carrera's. Indigo finds him very strange because he only orders coffee and just stares out the window. One day, Indigo finds a pack of cigarettes in his pocket and tells him off, as she cannot show more stand a smoker. She thinks she's scared him off until she gets a phone call from her boss telling her the mysterious man left her an envelope.

Indigo is puzzled as to what lays inside, but is sure that it will be disappointing. The contents are anything but disappointing; actually, they are stupendously unbelievable. Enclosed is a check for two-and-a-half million dollars. Indigo is thrilled, but doesn't know much about having money. She is constantly warned that money changes people, but she doesn't think it could ever happen to her.

This was a completely brilliant and amazing book. I fell in love with it from the very first sentence. Not only was the storyline amazing, but all of the characters, not just Indigo, had great personalities. Even the characters that you only met once or twice felt so real that I could automatically tell whether I liked them or not.

Indigo was definitely my favorite character, though. She was extremely sarcastic and witty. There were many, many times that I found myself laughing out loud at comments that Indigo would make or even her actions. What was also so wonderful about the story was its originality. It wasn't your generic rags-to-riches "everyone's rich and happy in the end" story. It was so much more. While Indigo did receive lots of money, she learned more about how to deal with it and become a better person. I felt that Indigo really underwent a change from the beginning of the book to the end, which was really neat.

Deb Caletti's writing was fresh and amazing. Having never read anything of hers before, but having heard good things, I expected a good read, maybe even a great read. Instead I got a stupendous, heartwarming, and hard-to-forget novel. I will definitely be reading many more of her books. I would highly recommend this book to everyone, as it truly was unforgettable. Also, I definitely think that Sarah Dessen fans will love Indigo's story, as well. show less

What would you do if you suddenly received $2.5 million? Do you think it would change who you are? These are the questions that Indigo Skye of Nine Mile Falls, WA must face when she gives unsolicited but sound advice to a patron in the diner where she works. The patron leaves but returns later after she is off and leaves an envelope containing a thank you note and a $2.5 million check for Indigo. This causes her to begin to question everything she thought about herself and the people in her life up to this point such as her solid and loving boyfriend of two years, Trevor, and her boss at the diner, Jane. Prior to getting the money, Indigo had been kind of aimless and unsure of her future; she loved waiting tables and was unsure if she show more wanted to go to college, unlike her twin, Severin, who worked hard, got great grades, and didn’t know how he would pay for college. The first third to half of the book is kind of slow moving and the cast of quirky and well-drawn characters sets up fairly predictable ending. Despite this, Deb Caletti fans will enjoy this book. show less

When you eat at a restaurant, you usually tip the waiter or waitress, right?
And I’m guessing the tip is usually not more than 10 or 15 dollars. Well, can you
imagine leaving a tip of two and a half million dollars? Furthermore, can you
imagine being the recipient of such a huge amount of money? In the
wonderfully creative book The Fortunes of Indigo Skye by Deb Caletti, the
narrator Indigo Skye, who works as a waitress, is just that—the new owner of
two and a half million dollars she received as a tip!
The plot of this story is not one you commonly find in similar young-adult
fiction books. I think this novelty makes the book more enjoyable and leaves a
greater lasting effect on the reader. The narration is also extremely thoughtful
and show more insightful; Indigo shares some very deep thoughts with the reader, as well as
detailed descriptions of the setting and other characters’ actions. Every
significant character in this book is someone the reader gets to know as if they
are close friends; their true personalities shine through clearly in their words and
actions.
There are very few negative aspects to this book, but the main one
is very frequent swearing. This brings down the mood of the story to an angrier,
less-pleasant one. And because of this, I would recommend this book to girls
who are at least 13 or 14. I do feel it is for teenage girls because the narrator is
also a teenage girl, which makes the book relatable.
This novel tells the story of Indigo Skye, an 18-year-old high-school senior
who lives and waitresses in a suburb just outside of Seattle, Washington. She
lives a pretty average life alongside her twin brother Severin, little sister Bex,
single mom, and boyfriend Trevor as well as her friends from the restaurant she
works at. Her days are standard and routine, until one day, a strange customer
who drives an orange Vespa scooter comes in and orders just coffee. He is
quiet and mysterious and intriguing to Indigo and the regular restaurant diners.
Then one day, this baffling character turns Indigo’s world upside down. He
leaves her an envelope with a check for two and half million dollars, made out to
her name! So what does a girl who’s used to a simplistic, just-the-necessities life
do with two and half million bucks? Indigo has no idea. And as she struggles to
decide how to use the money, she learns the value of those things in life you
can’t buy with money, and how easy it is to lose yourself when you get caught up
in your material possessions.
With powerful lessons, insightful narration, and amazing characterization, Deb Caletti will have you
adding The Fortunes of Indigo Skye to your list of literary fortunes. show less

Indigo Skye doesn't need any help figuring things out. She's a senior in high school with a boyfriend she loves, a loving family, and a job she really cares about. Although her parents are pressuring her to go to college, Indigo doesn't want to go until she really knows what she wants to study. And right now, she's loving being a waitress at a local diner. Then a wealthy customer gives her 2.5 million dollars and even though she's determined not to change because of the money, somehow Indigo's entire world ends up changing anyway.

Deb Caletti's got a great turn of phrase and parts of this book were laugh-out-loud funny. Indigo is an interesting character and the situation is definitely thought-provoking. I think this book will appeal to show more many teens and I might recommend it to fans of Sarah Dessen or Carolyn Mackler. That said, I personally didn't really connect with Indigo and found her a little bit annoying which made it hard for me to care very much about her problems. I really liked the supporting cast, though. show less

Indigo was a fun character. She was sensible and quirky and I didn’t have trouble buying her as a teen at her place in life. She has an ‘old soul’ but at the same time experiences the angst you would expect from this type of book. I did find that this books was slow getting started, and didn’t feel like anything really happened until about halfway into the book. The other thing I thought, is when the inevitable about turn came, it was contrived, rushed and unbelievable. But it did show a certain realism with the all or nothing mentality of that age. I was really amused by Jack, the dog “mascot” at the diner. He kept popping up in a way that I (a huge dog lover) could really appreciate. There was a good wrap up at he end, but show more it had a feel to it like it was trying to hit me with a moral, which I hated. All in all, I’m glad I read it, but equally glad I got it from the library. If another book by this author crossed my path, I would certainly read it, but don’t see myself searching any out. =D show less