The Other Side of Luck is a bitter-sweet, middle grade tale told in a lyrical style that would lend itself well to a read-aloud.  The style really was quite lovely and soothing to read.  The publisher’s note compared this book to An Inquisitor’s Tale, but that is not a comparison I would have made.  True, it has intertwining stories, but after that the similarities are not strong.

The books is a quick read with realistic action; a middle grade reader could picture themselves doing the things that Una and Julien do.  There is a wisp of fantastical in that Una and Julien each possess a singular talent that is exactly what the other does not have.  The pacing was good, but not non-stop.  There were some great themes in this book, but sometimes delivered by direct character monologue rather than by gently leading the reader.

With strong male and female protagonists, this is a book that should appeal to both girls and boys.  The Other Side of Luck is a charming addition to middle grade literature.

Review of a Digital Advance Reading Copy

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  None

Violence/Gore:  Reported death during childbirth; object deliberately thrown at a person and hits them in the head; character is chased; young character roughly handled, kicked, and tied up; character verbally threatened; individuals stung multiple times by insects; character deliberately pushes cart into someone causing them to fall; attempting kidnapping; character flees pursuers.

Sex/Nudity:  None 

Mature Subject Matter:

Death of a parent, kidnapping, economic disparity, illness, poverty/hunger.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

None