A review by danoreading
The Thing about Luck by Cynthia Kadohata

3.0

A little underwhelming, honestly, given all the hype - a National Book Award, really? - but I did like it. The family relationships and characters were strong, but it did feel a bit too message-y at times and I certainly thought the info-dumps about wheat harvesting, mosquitoes, and A Separate Peace hindered the overall pacing of the novel. I'll be disappointed if this wins a Newbery - good overall, but problematic.