Rating: 
Summary: You will love this!
Review: ...Frankly Speaking, you can see where the story is going, however.This is like an early John Irving tale without the wrestlers or the bears. The lady of the Pappas household had purchased the winning ticket to a 190 million superlottery before she had gone to the Great Beyond. And while 190 samolians are sweet, nothing could take the place of the recently departed Mother and Wife. Therefore, the pater familias waited a couple of days before he collected the winnings. Well, maybe it was because he *knew* he and his family's lives would be changed forever... And, so, things DO change. The family inherits an Old Country Aunt, a low budget movie producer (ala Ed Wood) of a brother, a body guard who will put in your mind Michael Clark Duncan and a Bela Lugosi styled alcoholic character actor. And solicitations from every charitable organization imaginable. As well as solicitations from a lot of crooks...Things however run as well as one could imagine for the neuveax riche Civil War historian, the boys and extended family...until one day, a blast from the past tries to rock the boat. What could this guy possibly want besides money? Well, he's a dad who hasn't had any contact with the kid for over nine years. A hundred ninety million surely hasn't affected his decision to court the kid, of course.... Kokoris read the first drafts of this great novel to his friends, family and associates at the Iowa Workshop for Writers.
They have given him praise and constructive criticism to the extent that it had encouraged him to polish up his rough drafts and publish this great number. It is smooth, hold your attention-styled writing. It is writing for folks who love to read. Get it and enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic and Heartwarming
Review: As a mother of 4, time to read is rare. That said, I stayed up into the morning several nights savoring the story, the family, the realistic and poignant relationship between child brothers, the clear and honest insights of an 11 year-old. Most of all, I loved the father. He has all the classic characteristics of one with Aspergers Syndrome, the seemingly obsessed & absent-minded , "off in a world of his own" professor, with strong love,loyalty, and devotion to those he loves dearly. . . yet doesn't know how to express it. I cannot wait to read John Kokoris' next book.
Rating:
Summary: Rich reading
Review: As a mother of 4, time to read is rare. That said, I stayed up into the morning several nights savoring the story, the family, the realistic and poignant relationship between child brothers, the clear and honest insights of an 11 year-old. Most of all, I loved the father. He has all the classic characteristics of one with Aspergers Syndrome, the seemingly obsessed & absent-minded , "off in a world of his own" professor, with strong love,loyalty, and devotion to those he loves dearly. . . yet doesn't know how to express it. I cannot wait to read John Kokoris' next book.
Rating:
Summary: Witty and Charming
Review: Cyndi Lauper was right: Money changes everything, which is the message of this wonderfully charming novel. The Rich Part of Life is full of unique characters, with a wonderful story. When Teddy Pappas' father wins almost $200 million in the lottery, Teddy anticipates that his life will change dramatically. It does, but not in the way he thinks it will. The plot takes many unpredictable turns and has some really hilarious scenes narrated with a deadpan humor from 11 year old Teddy. His observations bring out the notion of how money changes everything, essentially not for the better. Teddy learns to appreciate how lucky he is and how truly rich his life is by the end of the novel, and it's not based on the money. Kokoris accomplishes this with no sentimentality or melodrama, just fine storytelling. Enjoy
Rating: 
Summary: Did this book have a copy editor?
Review: Did this book have a copy editor? The author repeatedly demonstrates that he doesn't understand the difference between "lie" and lay." He uses "I" where he should use "me," "he" where he should use "him," and "who" where he should use "whom." He uses "passed" where he means "past" (as in "She walked passed our table") and "route" where he means "rout" (as in "The battle turned into a route"). To top it off, at one point he actually says that a character allowed "sufficient enough" time to do something! (As opposed to "insufficient enough"?) The story is original and the characters are engaging, but it's difficult to focus on them when you're wondering where the next grammar or usage error will pop up. St. Martin's has found a promising new author; it's too bad they couldn't have done him a favor and cleaned up his sloppy mistakes, instead of allowing them to appear in print.
Rating:
Summary: A Little Gem!
Review: Finding first novels such as this one always makes my day. This guy can write, and he is certain to have a very successful career if this is any indication of his talent. No this novel is not perfect (others have mentioned the typos), but I'm not going to find fault with what should be the editor's job. Our narrator Teddy, is a 12 year old boy whose life is thrown sideways when shortly after the death of his mother, his oddball history professor father wins it big in the lottery. The cast of characters is poignant and hilarious. Teddy is a perfect narrator, still seeing the world with the remnants of childhood innocence, but begininng to uncover the harsher realities of life. This novel does not disappoint, I would highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: A great debut novel
Review: Finding first novels such as this one always makes my day. This guy can write, and he is certain to have a very successful career if this is any indication of his talent. No this novel is not perfect (others have mentioned the typos), but I'm not going to find fault with what should be the editor's job. Our narrator Teddy, is a 12 year old boy whose life is thrown sideways when shortly after the death of his mother, his oddball history professor father wins it big in the lottery. The cast of characters is poignant and hilarious. Teddy is a perfect narrator, still seeing the world with the remnants of childhood innocence, but begininng to uncover the harsher realities of life. This novel does not disappoint, I would highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Original, Imaginative, Memorable
Review: From its wonderful cover, to its original characters -- The Nose Picker, Aunt Bess, the Vampire, toupeed Frank, the well-cleavaged version of Bewitch's Gladys Kravitz, the boy who bullies others by threatening harm to himself -- to the inventive presentation of story, theme and plot, THIS book surpasses the treshold of what well-written, meaningful, comedic literature is all about. I realize my adjectives overflow, but they are also correct adjectives.
This is not about winning the lottery -- that is just a catalyst. And the good and the bad sides of folks turn up at the smell of a family's new money. But author Jim Kokoris avoids a cliched story and delivers a full story of a family's recovery from its own malaise. Mysteries, too, play themselves out well, with solid foreshadowing that does not give away the punch until the punch arrives.
The Rich Part of Life reads like the true part of life, by giving us characters of flawed and positive qualities of varying doses. And it does so in a story that never flags, but grows more interesting with each page.
The Rich Part of Life is not a book you are supposed to love -- it IS a book that you WILL love. Well done, Jim Kokoris. Yes, I want to read your next book, but I will savor this one, and tell others all about it.
Rating:
Summary: A Little Gem!
Review: Funny, poignant and terrifically well written! I stumbled across this book by accident and was rewarded with a wonderful read, that alternately moved me to tears and found me chuckling out loud. And a great, colorful - but believable - cast of characters. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Lots of Fun!!!
Review: I don't read fiction very much, but when I was given this book as a gift, I thought I would give it a try. Before I knew it, I was wrapped up in the story and couldn't put it down. The story line always left me wanting to know what was going to happen next, without being overly dramatic. Great Book Jim, keep'em coming!
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