Una is a princess secluded from the city. Her mother passed away giving birth to her brother when she was young, and her father neglects her, treating Una as an afterthought. Julien’s mother also passed when he was young, but he and his father have a bond beyond love. However, Julien struggles to get by with the little they make foraging for raw ingredients in the forest, especially since his father’s sickness began. After his father is wrongly imprisoned, Julien searches for the rare Silva flower to present to the king and earn the funds to pay for a lawyer. When Una learns of the contest her father has announced to find the silva flower, she sees a chance to prove herself and escape from her dull, humdrum life. Ginger Johnson’s The Other Side of Luck embodies the unforgettable experience of escaping from reality into another world. With Johnson’s elegant prose and robust sensory details, I felt as if I were living the lives of the main characters Una and Julien. The Other Side of Luck takes place in a simple fantasy world, and the story seems almost cliché at first glance, but it is far from. Ginger Johnson weaves a powerful story about the importance of family and making the most of even the worst circumstances. This book is jam-packed with solid and eloquently put life lessons. In such a constantly changing world filled with so much violence and complexity, it’s often difficult to find a moment of peace or simplicity. The Other Side of Luck encompasses escapism at its finest, and the plot and the characters are easy to follow. The details paint a vivid picture, and Johnson’s sensory descriptions feel so real I couldn’t help but believe I was walking through a forest on the outskirts of a fantasy kingdom, seeking out the Silva. Her descriptions of the various sounds plants make and her descriptions of the specific scents of emotions seemed to manifest within my reality. Only 240 pages, The Other Side of Luck is a quick and exciting read suitable for ages 8 – 100 that is sure to please. The Other Side of Luck by Ginger Johnson. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 2021. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process!
Book Reviews
The Giver, Reviewed by Vivaan, 12
Intelligence, integrity, courage and wisdom. These are the four qualities a Receiver of Memory must have, and one more, which can only be named, but not described: the capacity to see beyond. “Sameness,” a process that terminates all war, hunger, and pain, is ubiquitous throughout “The Community,” seemingly utopian at first sight. This spellbinding book contains a thrilling plot about a dystopian society. December approaches, and along with it, The Ceremony of the Twelves. The air crackles with tension as the annual ceremony approaches, and finally, is upon them. One by one the twelve year olds are called upon the stage to receive their jobs, which the elders have already determined – yes, that’s right, the children get no selection at all. And yet, there are surprises in store for a twelve-year-old called Jonas. He is selected to be the next Receiver of Memory, a crucial job, and will be trained by the current one, known as The Giver. During his training, Jonas realises that his entire community has been oblivious to how diabolical “sameness” actually is! They had lived their whole lives like the frog in the well, but now, after being in full possession of facts, the realisation dawns upon him that there is a whole different world out there – a complete antithesis to what his mind was pre-conditioned to believe. As he acquires more and more memories, they begin to act as a catalyst for him to really critique his world. He begins to contemplate why “sameness” has been implemented, and he soon finds himself in a conundrum, weighing the pros and cons of both worlds, which causes him to undertake a massive adventure, and transform his life forever… With no sensations of things such as change, colour, & vibrance, the monotony of the characters’ world was especially highlighted. It is vital to be able to feel pain and love, happiness and sorrow, anger and joy. Nature gives us these sensations for a reason, and this book underscores that. We consider ourselves to be the greatest species because we have the ability to reason in a far more advanced way than other species. “Sameness,” though it suppresses all war and pain, also inhibits thinking, which itself is not a tenable possibility for the human race. To deprive a human of these very traits that not only allow a human to survive, but thrive, is itself diabolical. The Giver by Lois Lowry. Houghton Mifflin, 1993. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
The Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy, Reviewed by Jackson, 12
When people think of fairy tales, they often think of traditional stories like Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Shrek. While these are all amazing fairy tales, the book Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy is far superior due to its thrilling action and deep plot. The Book, written by Tui T. Sutherland, starts with a shy little dragonet named Clay. Unlike other dragonets, he is met with a massive task that challenges him physically and emotionally. He is “destined” to end a raging war between different groups of dragonets—all fighting for power. The dragonet war is as violent and widespread as our World War I and II combined. Clay doesn’t think he is up for stopping a whole war even with the help of his friends, who are also “destined” to fulfill the prophecy that guides them to end the war. He thinks he is just an average dragonet that has little to no importance in the prophecy. Is he up to the challenge? At first, Clay doesn’t seem special enough to be a part of a massive prophecy. He is quite shy, considered average, and is almost always ignored by the dragonets around him. He struggles with becoming his own independent dragonet. In a way, Clay is like the shadow of the other dragonets. Throughout the book, Clay is constantly under pressure from trying to fulfill the prophecy, be a part of his peer group, and escape and deal with the members of the Skywing kingdom who seem to hate him. He tries to change his ways in order to not get pushed around. You don’t have to be a “destined” dragonet in the middle of a war to understand how it feels to be ignored and want to express your own opinion. Anyone, not only dragonets, can understand what Clay experiences emotionally, but the author hides this deep theme under crazy dragon warfare. Aside from the mythological dragons, death, and a massive prophecy, this book is about how someone can change when faced with conflict. I think almost anyone would describe Clay as a character who is gullible and gets lured by peer pressure. If you were ever in Clay’s position what would you do? Would you crumble due to stress or would you learn to deal with everything? It’s kind of hard to imagine yourself in this position, but anything can happen. I would recommend this book for people who want a series that is action-packed, exciting, and engaging. This book, and the rest of the series is optimal for people around the age of 9-12. If you like to deeply think about the true meaning of a book, then the first book of the Wings of Fire series is perfect for you. Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland. Scholastic Press, 2013. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
