No Purchase Necessary

$18.99
ISBN-13: 9780063360921
Maria Marianayagam
January 14, 2025
Hardcover  
| 256 pages

Juvenile Fiction / Social Themes / Bullying

A funny, poignant coming-of-age debut about a Tamil Sri Lankan boy whose life spirals out of control when he wins a prize in a stolen candy bar, pushing him to navigate his identity amidst his ever-watchful family. The tiger parenting and wannabe-cool, nerdy Tamil vibes of Netflix’s Never Have I Ever meets the hidden life of Stand Up, Yumi Chung! by Jessica Kim.

Ajay Anthonipillai has a million-dollar problem. 

Ajay has lived his life dutifully following the rules set by his hyper-strict Tamil parents:

Rule #3: Straight As only.

Rule #5: There is no such thing as a no-homework day.

Rule #16: Never owe anyone anything.

However, moving to a new school gives Ajay a new rule to follow: become friends with eighth grade’s most popular kid, Jacob Underson.

When Jacob asks him to do the unthinkable and steal a chocolate bar from Scary Al’s convenience store, Ajay feels this is his chance to finally “be cool” and stop eating lunch alone. But Jacob rejects his theft, leaving Ajay to discover that the stolen candy bar contains more than he ever thought it could—a wrapper with a million-dollar prize.

Faced with an extreme dilemma that sends his life spiraling out of control, Ajay, with the help of a new friend and his little sister, Aarthi, will have to navigate his identity and morality in deciding whether to claim the one thing that could change his family’s life forever.

This poignant, funny, coming-of-age novel from author Maria Marianayagam has humor, heart, authoritarian parents, and a wannabe-cool, nerdy Tamil hero you can’t help but root for.