The Other Side of Luck

by Ginger Johnson

Overview

Perfect for fans of Adam Gidwitz's The Inquisitor's Tale, this lyrical middle-grade fantasy follows two children from opposite circumstances as their fates cross and change both their lives forever.

Ever since her mother's death, Princess Una has suffered through years of loneliness in the royal palace, where girls are treated as an afterthought. She yearns for a different life but is unsure how to make anyone notice her. Then her father announces a special contest: Whoever finds the rare Silva Flower can present it to Una for her twelfth birthday and receive a reward. Frustrated by her father's grand but empty gesture, Una decides to take her fate into her own hands.

Julien, a young pauper, has tried his whole life to make something of nothing, alongside his hardworking Baba. When Baba is arrested by terrifying debt collectors, Julien's only hope to save his father is to win the palace contest--to find the elusive Silva Flower. Little does he know that Una has decided to embark on a journey to find the prize, as well. As Una and Julien search for the flower, their destinies intertwine and offer a reward greater than anything either could ever hope for: the feeling of belonging.

In this lively, heartfelt tale, Ginger Johnson treats readers to an emotionally satisfying adventure with a truly memorable cast of characters.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681196558
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	08/10/2021
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.76(w) x 8.34(h) x 0.93(d)
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

About the Author

Ginger Johnson is the author of The Splintered Light. She earned her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and resides in the Seacoast area of New Hampshire with her family.
www.gingerjohnsonbooks.com

Editorial Reviews

“Ginger Johnson's debut novel is like a deep dive into a world-within-a-world, a heart-within-a-heart. Be prepared for revenge, jealousy and betrayal. But prepared also for beauty, light and joy.” —Kathi Appelt, Newbery Honor winner and National Book Award finalist, on THE SPLINTERED LIGHT

“I adored The Splintered Light! The joys of the senses and the glories of creation shine in this radiant debut.” —Julie Berry, Printz Honor author of THE PASSION OF DOLSSA, on THE SPLINTERED LIGHT

“Ginger Johnson's debut is as vibrant as the colors her characters wield in this novel about creativity, collaboration, and creation.” —Megan Frazer Blakemore, author of THE WATER CASTLE and THE FIREFLY CODE, on THE SPLINTERED LIGHT

“Johnson's lyrical novel . . . tenderly depicts growing friendship.” —Publishers Weekly

“Charming . . . the book undertakes a delicate exploration of family ties and belonging.” —Foreword Reviews

“. . . a captivating feast for the senses. Johnson describes sights, smells and sounds in exquisite detail . . . . Immersive and sensitive, The Other Side of Luck will be enjoyed by middle grade fantasy readers in search of a story full of magic and heart.” —BookPage

“Johnson's story is sweetly satisfying, particularly excelling at stunning descriptions of sensory awareness . . . . the moving and compelling quest underscores the universality of human struggle and the power of friendship to pull each other through.” —Booklist

“A gorgeously built world that asks readers to plumb the nature of creation.” —Kirkus Reviews on THE SPLINTERED LIGHT

From the Publisher

2021-05-17
A girl raised in opulence and a poor boy cross paths and, through one another’s eyes, find their own strengths.

Eleven-year-old Una is the firstborn child of the Magister Populi of Antiquitilla. Her mother died several years earlier, and her father has been absorbed in grieving, leaving her yearning for familial love. Meanwhile, Julien, who lives in poverty, is learning to identify every plant in the kingdom from his loving yet ailing Baba, who was Una’s mother’s gardener. Una experiences the world through her nose, while Julien doesn’t understand the sense of smell but has a special ability to hear plants. The sensory differences between the two children are interesting, and they work together to find the elusive silva flower—for which Una’s father has set a reward—before it can be located by dangerous marauders. Each child has deeply personal reasons for hoping to find it. The lyrical prose captures a fairy-tale setting, although occasional cartoonish hijinks and stylized, excessively formal dialogue from the children feel jarring. The flow of the book is in snapshots—short, focused chapters jumping from character to character, palace to bog. Frequent coincidences and the tidy ending detract from the hard-fought growth Una and Julien achieve through their own efforts. Physical descriptions of characters are few, although Una and her family are cued as Black, and several references to natural Black hair feel othering.

A fascinating premise set in a unique sensory world that almost delivers. (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews