You Never Know: Tales of Tobias, an Accidental Lottery Winner

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Carmela Liston is a nurse who befriends Tobias and helps Simmy to regain his full capabilities. She ingrains herself into the two lives and ensures that they become dependent upon her. She manipulates her way into their lives and their hearts. Throughout the pages we learn of the growth of Simmy, and watch as the relationship between Tobias and Carmela grows. We hear of their worries, their strengths, their lies and their triumphs.

One day, Tobias is late for an engagement with his family, after he helps a blind man get onto the subway. While waiting for the next train to arrive, he purchases a lottery ticket. When he realizes he has won, at a time when his finances are stretched to their limits, he believes that all will be well.

However, with the winnings, we also learn the real basis of each of the characters involved. Such as Marcus, Tobias' best friend, who requires money to keep his business afloat, or Elespeth, who took a chance on Tobias and Simeon when no one else would, or his Aunt Joyce who also needs a loan to keep her music studio open. Everyone has a story and they all want a piece of the winnings that Tobias has won.

After a very serious incident concerning his daughter, Tobias comes to realize that money doesn't buy everything. Family, love and trust are all that matters in life and no amount of money can buy the things that are most important to a human being. Will Tobias be able to remain true to himself and his family, or will the unexpected win fall destroy them all?? I thought the book was a presentable debut novel by author, Lilian Duval.

I liked the idea of sharing a story about a family that had won the lottery and seeing the outcome of that situation.

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I thought the premise to losing his parents was an emotionally charged chapter that would leave anyone feeling for Tobias and his mature decisions concerning his brother's fate. I loved Simeon and Tobias equally, they were well written and believable in their character traits, they did not deter from who they were originally depicted as, even after the lottery win.

I liked the friendship between Marcus and Tobias and how it grew over the years as the two men grew older.

Many in life drift away and even though Marcus continued with his college and made a career out of his business degree, working at Lehmans, he never left Tobias behind. I truly did not enjoy Carmela, I found her to be a lying, conniving, poor excuse for a partner.

If it hadn't been for an overhead conversation, she would have cheated on Tobias. My only thought while reading was mayhaps Tobias would realize what kind of women she was and divorce her. From the moment she met Tobias, she manipulated herself into his life and made him rely on her. I believe relationships built on this kind of foundation are doomed to fail. I liked how the winnings brought the true nature of out the characters. Carmela and her free spending on whatever she wishes and wants, personal shoppers which creeped her daughter out, personal trainers and every brand label clothing she could get her greedy hands upon.

The few times that Tobias spent more than he wanted, breaking his own rule, she was always quick to point out his shortcomings, whenever she was questioned. As far as I could tell, other than a couple of paintings, Tobias was looking to make wise business investments to ensure his family's new fortune wouldn't just eat itself. I would give this book three and a half stars out of five, I felt the pace of the story dragged in places and a few of the time lines were confusing.

Time passed too quickly in some instances and you were left with a feeling of bewilderment and in other places, time took forever to pass, giving the reader too much detail and not enough plot. I truly did not enjoy Carmela, reading about her was horrid, but not that she was written in a bad way, quite the opposite, just her character didn't sit right with me and I kept rolling my eyes whenever I was reading her actions.

All in all, the writing is excellent and the plot is fair and in the end, dreams really do come true if you have the money to afford them!! Jan 14, Wendy Hines rated it really liked it. Tobias Hillyer had his future planned, beginning with going to the Peruvian amazon and the Yanomami territories of Brazil and Venezuela for his undergraduate anthropology fellowship.

But first, he was going back home for Christmas, to his little brother Simeon, his alcoholic mother and his father. His reception is met with great delight and the arguing is kept at bay. Tobias decides to drive and treat them all to dinner, but on the way back home, an accident occurs and Tobias' life is changed fo Tobias Hillyer had his future planned, beginning with going to the Peruvian amazon and the Yanomami territories of Brazil and Venezuela for his undergraduate anthropology fellowship.

Tobias decides to drive and treat them all to dinner, but on the way back home, an accident occurs and Tobias' life is changed forever. His parents are killed instantly in the car accident and Simeon is in a coma. Tobias cancels his undergraduate studies and drops out of school. He doesn't want to, but he is now Simeon's 'parent' and sits at his bedside daily, waiting for Simeon to wake up.

You Never Know: Tales of Tobias, an Accidental Lottery Winner

He meets one of Simeon's nurses, Carmela, and although they are attracted to one another, Tobias has no room in his life for a romance. He needs to find work, pay bills and take care of Simeon. But Carmela is relentless and soon finds a place in Tobias's life. When Simeon wakes up and is released from rehabilitation, Carmela makes room in her life for him too.

Simeon will always need someone to take care of his for the rest of his life, something is wrong with his brain. A gifted artist, a cartoonist, Tobias trys what he can for Simeon to refind his gift, buying all sorts of art supplies. Carmela and Tobias get married, and the two spend occassional weekends with Tobias' best friend Martin and his new wife. Tobias works at a bookstore and Carmela still works at the hospital. Life isn't wonderful, with the bills piling up, but they manage and take care of Simeon.

Then Martin's wife is pregnant and Carmela decides she wants a baby too, even though Tobias states they can't afford one. She goes behind his back and stops taking her birth control and before long, she is pregnant. Tobias isn't happy but makes the most of it, and is soon the father of twins.

Simeon is wonderful with them, and Tobias and Carmela find a comfort zone in their life. Tobias wins the lottery and their lives are irrevocably changed. Tobias begins lending money out to friends without consulting Carmela. It puts a rift in their marriage. Then their daughter is kidnapped and Tobias knows something needs to change. You Never Know is a wonderful novel following the ups and downs of Tobias' life and how he adapts to it's relentless changes. It's a story of family, loss, hope, love and chance. The characters are cleverly crafted and very realistic.

Live life to the fullest, day by day, is dominant in this story.

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It could happen to any of us, You Never Know. Jul 10, LuAnn rated it really liked it. This book has been garnering great reviews, so I was anxious to see if others were right … and they are! The story revolves around a young man who is planning a future that involves studying the world. He is an anthropology major and is preparing for a class trip that will take him to parts unknown.

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His professor is so proud of his accomplishments so far and is anxious for Tobias to help on this study. Just before they are This book has been garnering great reviews, so I was anxious to see if others were right … and they are! Just before they are about to depart, Tobias decides to spend Christmas break with his family. They decide to spend an evening out and their car is hit by a van that slides on ice through an intersection. His parents are killed and his brother receives a brain injury that leaves him permanently damaged. Tobias was driving and is spared. However, because he is the only one left to pick up the pieces, he is now looking at a future of caring for his brother.

The only way he can do that is to drop out of college and take menial jobs that barely pay the bills. Fortunately, Tobias has a very deep love for his brother and takes right to the task. This book is the story of his struggle to care for his brother, maintain the family home and make a life for himself. It demonstrates the compassion one person can have for another and how even in the worst of times, we can see that light at the end of the tunnel as we work toward the future.

Tobias held thing together, even though times were often extremely difficult. Then, things change when he wins the state lottery and millions of dollars are now his. Suddenly, he is faced with an entirely different set of problems and issues he must deal with. A great read and another book that would be a good choice for book groups.

Lots of issues to discuss and unique characters. Be sure to check out You Never Know and be ready for one of the best new reads of the summer! Jul 17, Kathleen Kat Smith rated it it was amazing Shelves: His financial worries eliminated, Tobias anticipates nothing but smooth sailing ahead for himself and the people he l Tobias Hillyer had a promising future until a car accident claimed the lives of his parents.

But soon he finds that his amazing stroke of luck may threaten everything he holds dear. Over the peaks and valleys, this uplifting journey will challenge everything we think we know about luck, life, and what we value most. In the newest novel by Lilian Duval, You Never Know, provides the reader with a very realistic view of what happens when an unexpected tragedy forever changes the life of not only Tobias Hillyer but his brother Simeon.

You Never Know: Tales of Tobias, an Accidental Lottery Winner by Lilian Duval - FictionDB

Once a talented cartoonist at 15, their lives are robbed from them during a fateful drive home from dinner which kills their parents and leaves Simeon far from the talented artist he was. Filled with guilt over all the what if's going through his head, Tobias gives up his opportunity at a scholarship to care for his younger brother. It's a hard luck story but one that could happen to anyone.

What you dream of isn't always how life turns out in the end. In this one, just when things couldn't get any worse for Tobias, a lucky encounter helping a blind man out in a subway station which change his life for the better. However sometimes what we think will mean happiness is just a mirage, that money can't buy it, it is what we do with our dreams and family on the inside that makes us happy.

Dreaming of winning the lottery always seems like it will solve our problems but through this story you can see that it isn't always greener on the other side of the fence. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever dreamed of a better life and give this one a 5 out of 5 stars. Aug 27, ILoveBooks rated it really liked it. Tobias Hilyer's life was right on track, perfect; perfection rarely lasts. In a horrible twist of fate, he loses both his parents and gains a brain-damaged brother. He drops out of college to care for his poor brother and devotes himself to making do with what he has now.

He works straight through to his late thirties and takes on twins that he never really wanted, until he wins the lottery. He imagines, as one normally would, that this is an incredibly go http: He imagines, as one normally would, that this is an incredibly good stroke of luck; little does he know that winning the lottery could rank among the worst things that happened to him. He now has to deal with an immense amount of stress, people asking for money, and constant decision-making.

Tobias does handle this new change to his life quite well. The reader will enjoy following his trepidations and new satisfactions throughout the novel. The characters will keep the reader interested in this story. Tobias is kind, caring, and patient. Carmela is a little impulsive, has her heart in the right place, and sweet. Simeon, Tobias's brother, will interest the reader with his antics and kind exterior.

The secondary characters are also fun to get to know. The plot is one that every person in America has likely dreamed of, winning the lottery. The plot will be the main attraction for many readers. The author plays the plot perfectly and realistically. I'm sort of mixed on this book. The first part of the story really drew me in. We meet Tobias, a young man, racked with guilt after his parents were killed and his brother was brain damaged in a car crash where although Tobias was driving the car, he did not cause the crash.

He is left to take care of his brother, Simmy. Through Simmy's time in the hospital, he meets Carmela, a nurse, and falls in love. About the first two-thirds of the book talk about the building of Tobias' and Carmela's famil I'm sort of mixed on this book. About the first two-thirds of the book talk about the building of Tobias' and Carmela's family. This part of the book covers almost 15 years.

They struggle financially but they get by. Still, Tobias has a guiding belief in what is truly important, making his story one of triumph rather than defeat.

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The author adds suspense by intimating how the characters may be impacted by the eventual terrorist attack on World Trade Center. Achieves the neat trick of presenting moral values in a persuasive and uplifting way without being preachy or boring. There was a problem adding your email address. Be the first to discover new talent! Each week, our editors select the one author and one book they believe to be most worthy of your attention and highlight them in our Pro Connect email alert.

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