A review by cwiita
The Thing about Luck by Cynthia Kadohata

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

        The Thing About Luck is a unique coming of age story which centers around 13 year old Summer and her family. Summer is a first generation Japanese American who lives with her parents, her brother Jaz, and her old-fashioned Japanese grandparents. Jaz is a bit younger than Summer, and has undiagnosed and untreated autism. Throughout the book, we witness the fascinating perspectives other characters have about Jaz, and come to understand a bit of how he sees himself. Watching the relationship between Summer and Jaz evolve is an accurate but touching depiction of the sibling dynamic. During the time the book takes place, Summer’s parents are away in Japan caring for elderly relatives, so her grandparents are in charge for the time being. They are also tasked with working the harvest in the place of Summer’s parents to be able to pay the mortgage. The family have been working as contracted wheat harvesters for years, traveling across the country during harvest season with a large group of other workers. Summer, Jaz, and their grandparents take off with the group towards the start of the book, and the story progresses from there. During the harvest, Summer deals with family disagreements, identity issues, and even a little bit of teenage romance. Before our eyes, Summer matures into a responsible, kind, hard working person. The interwoven anecdotes from Summer’s grandparents work to incorporate just the right amount of wisdom and traditional values to an otherwise teen-focused story. The Thing About Luck is truly a testament to hard work and the strength of spirit that so many immigrant families possess. 

        Told through such a youthful and digestible lens, this story is perfect for middle to early high school readers. I would venture to say that there’s a little bit of something for every type of reader in this book. The outdoors, family, pets, self-reflection, romance-- all in the context of a very readable bildungsroman. Because of the readability of this book, I could see it working well as a full class read for a group looking to explore the bildungsroman genre in a modern way, while also learning about culture and immigration issues. Otherwise, it’s a wide-ranging independent read. With a lexile score of 700, it is perfect for many middle school age readers. In the same way, the content is very middle school oriented. There isn’t much to caution against when it comes to mature content, yet it explores topics that are heavy on the mind of most 6-8th graders in a meaningful and appropriate way. 

        For me, The Thing About Luck was a perfect easy read which still managed to carry a lot of meaning. The characters are by far the strongest part of the story, which I love. Summer, Jaz, and both of their grandparents were incredibly engaging and complex. They were each lovable in their own ways, and shared a dynamic which managed to be endlessly entertaining-- even in the setting of a rural farm. I enjoyed reading the depiction of Jaz’s autism throughout the book and the ways his various family members approached his struggles. Summer was fascinating too, as she presents a lot of traits found in young women with autism. Still, her character, along with Jaz at times, was still incredibly relatable for me. If I can feel connected to these characters as an adult, I can imagine that the connection might be even stronger for a younger reader. Overall, this was a great read which I would feel comfortable recommending to many different types of readers and future students.