Girl of the Southern Sea by Michelle Kadarusman

An inspiring novel about good-luck magic, courage and the power of storytelling.

A gifted student, Nia longs to attend high school so she can follow her dream and become a writer. She has notebooks filled with stories she's created about the mythological Dewi Kadita, Princess of the Southern Sea. But her family has barely enough money for food, let alone an education, so Nia's days are spent running their food cart and raising her younger brother.

Following a miraculous escape from a bus accident, Nia is gifted with good-luck magic. Or at least that's what everyone's saying. Soon their family business is booming and there might even be enough money to return to school. But how long can her good luck last?

When a secret promise threatens everything she's hoped for, Nia must find a way to break the mould and write her own future.