Change Of Luck: Not My Fault by Ken Saik is a short story that centers around a young boy named Bruce who has a problem that most would not consider a problem at all. He's got a wrinkled hundred-dollar bill with a tear in the corner that he cannot seem to get rid of. Every single time he gives it to someone, pays for something, or has it taken away from him, the bill mysteriously winds up back in his wallet. Initially, Bruce finds the whole thing to be amazing. It's a big deal for a kid to have a hundred bucks. He's the only person he knows that has ever even seen one, except maybe his dad, once. The trouble is, once the bill has started circulating and keeps coming back to Bruce, nobody will believe he's not stealing it.

What a cleverly written and fun story Change of Luck is. Ken Saik writes in a narrative that sounds exactly how one would imagine Bruce would sound. The best bits shine through when Bruce's internal narrative is heard as a point of view. I loved “watching” him sneak down the stairs to actually put the bill in his father's wallet, then rethinks “success” twice when it makes its way back into his own wallet. There is an innocence to it that is absolute perfection. The obvious downside is that his family, friends, and community do not believe such a ridiculous explanation from Bruce and it starts to get him in a lot of trouble. He and his dog are both physically threatened with harm until his father finally steps in and believes him. Saik delivers a story that might be light in weight but it has a crackerjack punch. Very highly recommended.

What would you do if you had a hundred-dollar bill? And that bill kept reappearing in your pocket even after you’d paid a hefty vet bill? Even after your father took it away from you and then the neighborhood bully stole it? Sounds like there’s some magic at play here, doesn’t it? This is what keeps happening to Bruce, to the point that he hates the feeling of the bill in his pocket and he hates the knowledge that it’s still there and it keeps coming back to him. However, the most important part to Bruce is his dog, Suzzie. He focuses on her training and goes out of his way to keep her safe and comfortable, even when threatened by the bully.

Kan Saik’s young adult novella, Change of Luck: Not My Fault, is a clever twist of fate when a blessing turns into a curse. This is an intriguing plot, complete with a fascinating 'what if' scenario. The plot begins with Bruce retrieving Suzzie from the vet after her surgery and bolstering his courage to face the staff who may believe he stole the money right after he paid Suzzie’s bill. As he begins training his beloved dog, things continue to get stranger. Circumstances require him to use the hundred-dollar bill, but it keeps reappearing in his pocket. The climax evolves after his confrontation with the bully, but the issue of the reappearing bill isn’t resolved, at least not yet. Riddled with fear and despair, he pleads with the fates of luck (or lack thereof) to make the hundred-dollar bill vanish. The story is well structured with adequate descriptive narrative to set the stage, soundly developed characters, and believable and engaging dialogue. There’s a lot of story packed into this short novella, but overall it’s very well done.