Five Fortunes by Barbara Venkataraman

‘How could she have known it would change everything?’

Five fourteen-year-old friends Abby, Allison, Meghan, Lori, and Rhianna decide to get their fortunes from an arcade machine. They do it for fun, but the way they each interpret the words they receive changes their lives. How easy it is to misunderstand words if you only recognise one possible meaning. How easy it is for one misunderstanding to follow another and for friendships to founder as a consequence. Being fourteen is never easy and parents never (apparently) get it.

Each of the girls is negotiating her own place in the world, making the transition from childhood, and finding what is important to her. Some of the girls have more responsibility than others, each of them has yet to find a balance between their individual rights and responsibilities.

Ms Venkataraman fits a lot into this 78-page YA novella/short story, and I enjoyed reading it.  I can remember being fourteen, well over fifty years ago. While some aspects including fashion and the impact of technology, have changed, much remains the same.

Thank you, Ms Venkataraman, for the opportunity to read (and then to review) ‘Five Fortunes. My inner fourteen-year-old was delighted to learn that she was not alone.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith