Chances by Jackie Collins

My book is called “Chances” by Jackie Collins-my favorite book writer. In Chances we see the two main characters of the story grow up and change completely just by taking chances. The first main character is Gino which grew up and got beat up by his father, but left in a very young age and started his dangerous life. He started making money by stealing cars and working for the mafia. But what he never forgot is where he came from, and whenever he saw anyone getting abused the same way he was, he would risk his life just to save them. That’s how he got himself so many loyal friends-one of them Costa which if it wasn’t for Gino, he wouldn’t be who he is today. Gino got very rich by investing his money with the help of a very important friend he had. The other main character is Carrie, a beautiful black girl, who got used by her own grandmother after her mother died. Her grandmother and her uncle used her as a prostitute, leaving her to starve, until one day the grandmother died and she had to go in the streets alone and make a living on her own. Whitejack a black man that owned a whorehouse took her and compared to what she used to live like, he gave her heaven. Carrie wanted to make money and be rich and have power, and as she reminded herself all the time- once a whore always a whore- she used her only way to make money even if she was only 14. Then Whitejack started to give her drugs and so she became a drug addict. One night she fainted in a party and Gino saved her by not allowing Whitejack to take her back, Gino kept her in the hospital.

While I was reading today I could very easily picture the huge classy party Gino was invited. Since the party took place in 1928 and I know form American History that during that time, liquor was illegal; I can understand why Gino was the one that imported illegally the liquor for the party hosts-which paid him a lot of money. Carrie was taken by Whitejack to the party with two other whores, so they could give a very entertaining striptease. But Whitejack gave Carrie heroin and cocaine, so when she went up on the stage, she fainted, and instead of laughing like everybody else, Gino took the poor naked girl and took her in one of the bedrooms. He called for a doctor, but he could tell from the marks on her arm that she was a drug addict. The writer used too much imagery on this scene, since it was a turning point for one of our protagonists. Then I could very easily picture Gino putting his coat on her young body to cover her up and taking her to the hospital.

I can connect with Gino in my story, because he cannot stand it when something unfair is going on. I am that way too, if I see something wrong happening to another person I won’t just sit there I will help them or do something. He is such a good man; he helped so many people when they wanted help, either by giving them money, or by simply setting them free. Unfortunately I cannot connect by any other way with my characters, since they do more extreme things and they live through things that thank God I didn’t have to go through.

The part of my book that I have most difficulty connecting with is the fact that all of these characters grew up in poverty and in some horrible situations, but they made it they were strong and they put some goals for themselves and they made it! But I cannot connect myself with most of the book since it’s all about intrigues, gangsters, money, power, sex, and drugs.

What I did that is similar to the characters of the book is that I put high goals for myself. I decided I want to be an A student and I want to get into Harvard and I will work day and night to accomplish my goals. Just like Gino, he decided he wants money and power, since he grew up with nothing, and he made it, he didn’t kill people he didn’t have anything to do with drugs or prostitutes and he never forgot where he came from and how he became who he is today. Also they never put it down, just like I never do!

She definitely uses shifts! The story starts in 1977 and then we go back to 1913 and then we go to 1977 and then again 1913 and then we change year so its 1914 and then 1977..! It’s very confusing-but in the same time it’s not at all! If you pay attention to the story then everything just melts together and the anticipation that you have about what will happen next grows and grows! I love the way she used shifts it’s like getting in a time machine and you see in front of you the character’s life’s and what they are today and what happened for them to become what they are! She also uses imagery! Lots and lots of imagery- she uses enough details to make the book interesting and exciting and not too much to make it boring and slow! There is always in a turning point in both the character’s lives and because of the shifting we get some foreshadowing. The mood of the book is suspense, money and power! And I wouldn’t say she uses hyperboles but maybe for some situations she exaggerates them, but everything makes more sense and there is more suspense.

Hmm… the plot of my story is realistic- I believe. Things are happening to the characters that I think are not so unlike to happen to real people. From what I hear around me, the world is completely messed up! So I wouldn’t be so surprised to hear that some of these stories are true! What I think is not realistic is the power that Gino had to leave from the house and how much he believed in himself that he would eventually make it. I think that if other kids went through Gino’s awful childhood they would be analyzing it for centuries with their psychiatrist! I am just really proud how strong Gino was to go through those things and come out strong and successful!

I would most definitely love to have Gino as my best friend, because I just love love how amazing he is! I admire his success, everything he has started from 0 and now he is a millionaire. He loves his friends and he is very loyal, whenever something happens to them he is there to help- for example one of his friend’s house got burned and his whole family died- as soon as Gino heard what happened he went there and tried to help his friend. I think he is such an amazing character I swear if he was real I would want to marry him! Also I would want to be Carrie’s friend so I could help her and take her away from Whitejack, because it’s such a shame, she is such a beauty and she is so young she is my age and she did things that most people don’t do in their whole lives! I definitely want to save her, she doesn’t deserve these! Her grandmother was an addict and all she ever wanted was not to become like her grandmother and somebody made her. It’s such a shame! I hope that later in the story things will change for her!

I want to think that in the next section I read Carrie will be sent to rehab and that somebody will save her and that she will manage to make money- not by selling her beautiful body. Also I want Gino to get even more successful and I can’t wait for the moment when his daughter Lucky will be born-which I have read already many books about her!

If I could jump in the story right now I would go to the hospital and take Carrie to a very good rehab place for a year or two and then I would built a big mansion for her, help her get stronger and healthier until she can stand on her feet again and give her a billion dollars so she doesn’t have to work again! Also I would give Gino an award for the kindest person on earth because he helped so many people and sometimes he didn’t get a thank you! I would protect him by any enemies trying to destroy him and I would marry him with Carrie!

The bad neighborhoods that Gino and Carrie grew up in remind me “the House on Mango Street” since Esperanza also grows up in a bad neighborhood! And since this book is the first one of the whole series of the Santangelo family (Gino and his daughter Lucky) everything that I’ve read so far about them makes sense, since I can see how they started.

I cannot think of anything in the book that reminds me of my life, unfortunately. Though the writer engages you in the story so much that you feel like you lived those things with the characters, and you felt the things that they did.