Review of Trapped in Pairadice

[Bertha Jackson]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Trapped in Pairadice" by Becky Bronson.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Do you enjoy going to casinos? Do you have a gambling habit? Then this fictional tale, Trapped in Pairadice by Becky Bronson, might be for you. Geraldine Major inherited the Majority Rules corporation and casino after her father's death. She developed a new online gambling platform called Pairadice. Cara Davenport is a Center for Disease Control's (CDC) Department of Education and Curriculum Development analyst. While home attending Patrick's funeral, his mother tells Cara he committed suicide because he was addicted to online gambling. Cara's mother tells her that her father faked a heart attack and committed suicide because of the debt he incurred while gambling online. Working on a symposium presentation about drug and alcohol abuse, Cara decides to research online gambling to see if there is a correlation between it and suicide. Her boss, Gloria, stops her and tells her that the CDC is not interested in online gambling and that if she wants to keep her job, she will not pursue it. What does Cara do? Why is the CDC not interested?

Becky Bronson does an excellent job of describing the casinos' demographics and each character's characteristics. Before each chapter, there is a portion of a letter to "Dear Gambling" expressing someone's feelings about the entertainment and giving you an idea of the next chapter's content. While reading, I could hear the bells and whistles that go off every 30 seconds in casinos that make players think someone won. Some readers may think gamblers are stupid, so I appreciate that the author clarifies that gambling is like any other addiction, and the tendencies are inherited. Although this is a fictional book, the author has included actual statistical data concerning addictions and the government's involvement in keeping the gambling industry profitable. The author has listed 16 questions at the end of the book to be used in book clubs to discuss this book.

I found no negative aspects in this book. A professional editor has done an excellent job editing this 338-page book. The book was thought-provoking, with a fast-paced plot that kept me turning the pages to learn more about how the gambling industry manipulates players to keep playing.

The book’s dynamics and exceptional editing allow me to give this book 4 out of 4 stars. I am still thinking about some of the things I read in this book about political corruption, and my perception of casinos has changed. I have always thought they were a fun place to go, but now I see the manipulation used to make players continue placing their bets like "hamsters on a wheel," which Geraldine's father told her when she was a young girl.

I recommend this book to mature readers of crime thrillers aimed at political activities surrounding our health and welfare. If books covering political corruption, manipulation, gambling, and addictions are offensive to you, you may want to avoid this book. Sensitive readers need to be aware that this book contains non-borderline profanity.

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Trapped in Pairadice
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[Oluwasogo Familusi]

Though I'm not interested in casinos, gambling, and their addiction, I wonder what the review read in this book caused a change in perception of casinos.

[Amy Luman]

Profanity is not offensive to me when used by others. I'm interested in why the CDC should be concerned about online gambling.

[Manang Muyang]

I went to a casino exactly once, but I felt the exhilaration and readily perceived how gambling could be addicting. How can this age-old menace be stopped? I can't get enough of thrillers, medical thrillers included, so I am interested in the story. I bet it'll be exciting.

[mgodf12]

I enjoy occasional gambling and have thought countless times how people could become addicted. I’m excited to add this book to my list to check out. Great review!

[Dennis-Muturi007]

i have never been inside a casino it would be nice to read about it and its challenges. i am looking forward to reading this

[Mosele 19]

I'm not a fan of gambling or casinos. But I won't condemn the book. Nice review.

[Margi zuu202]

When cara astatistician at center for diseases control loses a childhood friends to suicide and learned he was a gambler! Cara wanted to dig deyto the mattere even if it meant losing her job she suspected a connection buried in the CDC achieve she finds her suspicion confirmed between gambling online and sucide

[Abdulrahman Alidriga]

Though I'm not interested in gambling because it could be addicting. However I appreciate the CDC should be concerned about online gambling. thanks for the review!

[Gabriela Contreras]

While I do find interesting the plot I am not sure this one is for me. I do wonder why the CDC is not interested in online gambling.... What will happen?

[Radhika Nair]

This sounds like a fun read! I love it when there are epigraphs for each chapter in a book to hint at what each chapter contains. Helps focus on the themes better. I look forward to reading this book thanks to your excellent review!

[tarafarah7]

Today's BOTD is a fast-paced thriller that draws awareness to gambling addictions, suicide, and the government's involvement in keeping the gambling industry profitable. Complete with discussion questions, this would make a great book club read! The issues presented are thought-provoking and will stay with you long after the last page. Thank you for the review...loved it!

[Riya Sarkar]

I have never heard about a book regarding gambling addiction. It surely sounds interesting. Thank you for the great review!

[Sou Hi]

Thanks for your review. Looks like this novel has many informative details about gambling addiction.

[Pandora10]

I do not read many C/T/M/H books, but this one does highlight a real-world problem, one of gambling addiction and suicide. The character development is interesting and I am curious to find out how Cara will fare against the power of the gambling industry.