When I first began reading this Juvenile novel, it was hard to figure out which decade the story took place. The author incorporates old blues and racetrack lingo into the contemporary narrative. The story of a young Cree man who meets hardships as a blues musician. It is a quick read and well paced and could read by intermediate students. I would recommend to boy reluctant readers. ( )

A gritty, crusty, very male-oriented novella from Richard Wagamese, exploring the underbelly of mobsters, playing race track odds, and an Ojibwa man just trying to make his way in the world.

A bit naive in its ending, but given the Rapid Reads series is likely geared toward YA readers, understandable.

As always Wagamese delivers remarkable detail, although in this story I felt his characters were a bit predictable and cardboard.

Still and all, a good read, if not one of Wagamese's best offerings. ( )

Published by Orca Books, a local BC publisher with a lot of unique lines of books, The Next Sure Thing is part of the Rapid Reads. Rapid Reads are short novels and non-fiction books designed for reluctant or low-literacy adult readers.
[My review from December 2011. I borked my account and am reposting my reviews]

Richard Wagamese is an Ojibway author and well-known storyteller, which shows in The Next Sure Thing. The story is fast paced, well-written and engaging. You've got the appropriate amount of foreshadow, plot twists, and a strong narrator. It certainly meets the Rapid Reads objective of being accessible both on a literary level and a narrative level.

I would definitely recommend this for reluctant readers and due to the age of Cree, it would even be a suitable book for teens. However, if you're looking for something that reflects Richard Wagamese's skills as a writer, you may be better off selecting something else from his wide repertoire.

See my blog post: http://www.monniblog.com/2011/12/next-sure-thing-by-richard-wagamese/ ( )

An entertaining short read with interesting characters that remain true to form from beginning to end. ( )

Review written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers

As a high school librarian, I have been eyeing Orca Books reluctant reader series for a while now. How fortuitous it was then that I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of one of their newer titles in the mail (I thank you Librarything), "The Next Sure Thing" by Richard Wagamese.

Here is what Orca says about their Rapid Reads series:

Orca Book Publishers is excited to introduce Rapid Reads, a line of short novels and non-fiction books for adult readers. In our increasingly fast-paced world we believe there is a need for well-written, well-told books that can be read in one sitting. Rapid Reads are intended for a diverse audience, including ESL students, reluctant readers, adults who struggle with literacy and anyone who wants an high-interest quick read.

I know. Intriguing, isn't it? Especially if you have a teenager who doesn't like to read or suffers from learning disabilities and getting through a normal-sized fiction book is akin to reading the Iliad in the original Greek. The stories are interesting to older readers and yet short, fast-paced and at a 2.0-4.5 reading level on the Fry Readability Formula. Based on the average number of sentences and syllables per a hundred words, the Fry formula works on the basis of the lower the easier. All of Orca's reluctant reader's series are at the same level, whether they are books for middle grades, teens or adults.

The Next Sure Thing is told from the perspective of Cree Thunderboy, a First Nations (though this is of no importance other than he grew up poor on the reserve) twenty-something who aspires to be a blues musician. Alas, gigs are few and far between, so he uses his second talent, picking winning horses at the track, to subsidize his income. When a mysterious man offers Cree a whole lot of money and studio time to cut his new album to pick winners for him, the offer is too good to pass up. But the deal had some small print Cree wasn't aware of and he finds himself in a relationship that could prove fatal not just for him, but for everyone he cares about.

The Next Sure Thing is as fast-paced as the races described within. At 134 pages, Wagamese puts Cree through his paces. Cree tends to talk in Blues clichés, which although true to character, can be a little annoying and too easy. Still, his voice is constant and endearing and the story outlandish but not quite implausible.

In terms of Rapid Reads, I can attest to that- I read most of it in the bath. I would recommend especially to boy reluctant readers. Although it is in the adult series, there is nothing too graphic (except for a particularly harsh beating - but I've read worse in Harry Potter) and no sex or, indeed, no women at all in the book. ( )