Review: Fair Coin by E.C. Myers

Fair Coin by E.C. Myers
Publication: March 6, 2012
Publisher: PYR (Prometheus)
Format: Finished Copy
Pages: 250
*A copy of this novel was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Sixteen-year-old Ephraim Scott is horrified when he comes home from school and finds his mother unconscious at the kitchen table, clutching a bottle of pills. The reason for her suicide attempt is even more disturbing: she thought she’d identified Ephraim’s body at the hospital that day. 
Among his dead double’s belongings, Ephraim finds a strange coin—a coin that grants wishes when he flips it. With a flick of his thumb, he can turn his alcoholic mother into a model parent and catch the eye of the girl he’s liked since second grade. But the coin doesn’t always change things for the better. And a bad flip can destroy other people’s lives as easily as it rebuilds his own. 
The coin could give Ephraim everything he’s ever wanted—if he learns to control its power before his luck runs out. 

My Review: Going into this novel, well let's just say I expected something totally different than what I got. Fair Coin was a gripping sci-fi novel and I am very glad I was able to experience it.
   First, the characters. Ephraim was an interesting protagonist. He was still in high school. I loved his personality and how he was a kind of relaxed kick butt character. Did that make any sense? Ok, well anyway, I liked how he tried to protect his friends but sometimes it could get annoying. I felt like he repeated something like his every two pages, "I couldn't let anyone else die." Do you see how that could get annoying? Nathan was an okay sidekick/friend. I thought that later in the book, he was kind of messed up. I got confused with the whole "analog" thing alot.
   Next, the plot. We follow Ephraim Scott. He gets home from school one day and finds his alcoholic mother on the brink of death. We then follow him through his adventures with a coin he finds. It wasn't your average quarter. It was a quarter but the head was backwards on it. Ephraim would make a wish flip the coin and his wish would either come true in a good way or come through in a bad way. 
   Overall Fair Coin was a compelling novel. I didn't want to put it down. For a debut, it was pretty good and I can't wait to get to read more of Myers's novels.
                                                3.5/5