Fortune Falls - A Book for Friday the 13th

by Jenny Goebel

Scholastic Press, 2016. 201 pgs.

Fortune Falls: a town where superstitions aren't just superstitions. Here rabbits' feet cost more than diamonds, and children are tested the year they turn twelve to determine if they are a Lucky or not. For the safety of the town, Unluckies get shipped far away to attend the Bane Boarding School for Unlucky Adolescents. Eleven-year-old Sadie Bleeker is an Unlucky. Of course she hasn't been tested yet, but everyone knows it's true. Sadie's life has been one terrible event after another, and to make matter's worse, her important twelfth birthday falls on Friday the 13th!

Sadie can't imagine leaving her widowed mother, little brother, or her best friend, Cooper. But she also doesn't want her unfortunate presence to put them in danger, especially after her luck takes an impossible turn for the worse. With the help of friends, family, and a suspicious black cat, Sadie sets out to change her fortune no matter what tricks fate pulls on her. This tale is the cheerful story of a middle-school underdog who learns to accept bad luck, loss, bullies, and growing up; all with a magical twist.

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