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Opportunity Knocks
For fans of Barakah Beats and Wendy Mass comes a funny friendship story from Lambda Literary Award winner Sara Farizan that's sure to be a lucky charm.
Lila is trying to find her way in the world—to figure out her thing. Her talented sister, Parisa, and athletic best friend, Melanie, both seem to have found theirs… and Lila can’t help feeling left behind.
But just when she thinks she might have it in her school’s new band program, the floor falls out from beneath Lila. The program may have its funding cut!
Lila visits her local bank in an attempt to secure a loan for the band program. While she’s there, she’s shoved by a passing stranger. Before she can even complain, however, the man leaves the bank and disappears. At her feet, Lila sees a strange box. Inside rests an old key, with a message carved into the box: A simple clue for you who holds the key. Remember to unlock the door for Opportunity.
It turns out the key is magical! After falling asleep with it in her room, Lila is awoken by the appearance of a strange glowing door, which knocks three times from the other side. Upon opening it, Lila is met with the strangest sight. A girl her age waltzes into her room and claims to be Lila’s lucky day. The girl says she’s been called by many names: Providence, Fortuna, Lady Luck, Opportunity… but Lila can call her Felise. Felise will stay with Lila for seven serendipitous days, during which Lila will be the luckiest person in the world!
But the man who lost the key has not forgotten about it—or Lila. Having spent a fortune procuring the Key to Opportunity, he’ll do everything in his power to get it back.
Lila is trying to find her way in the world—to figure out her thing. Her talented sister, Parisa, and athletic best friend, Melanie, both seem to have found theirs… and Lila can’t help feeling left behind.
But just when she thinks she might have it in her school’s new band program, the floor falls out from beneath Lila. The program may have its funding cut!
Lila visits her local bank in an attempt to secure a loan for the band program. While she’s there, she’s shoved by a passing stranger. Before she can even complain, however, the man leaves the bank and disappears. At her feet, Lila sees a strange box. Inside rests an old key, with a message carved into the box: A simple clue for you who holds the key. Remember to unlock the door for Opportunity.
It turns out the key is magical! After falling asleep with it in her room, Lila is awoken by the appearance of a strange glowing door, which knocks three times from the other side. Upon opening it, Lila is met with the strangest sight. A girl her age waltzes into her room and claims to be Lila’s lucky day. The girl says she’s been called by many names: Providence, Fortuna, Lady Luck, Opportunity… but Lila can call her Felise. Felise will stay with Lila for seven serendipitous days, during which Lila will be the luckiest person in the world!
But the man who lost the key has not forgotten about it—or Lila. Having spent a fortune procuring the Key to Opportunity, he’ll do everything in his power to get it back.
- GenresMiddle GradeFantasy
224 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2023
5 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
Sara Farizan
21 books601 followersSara Farizan (1984, Massachusetts).
Her parents immigrated from Iran in the seventies, her father a surgeon and her mother a homemaker. Sara grew up feeling different in her private high school not only because of her ethnicity but also because of her liking girls romantically, her lack of excitement in science and math, and her love of writing plays and short stories. So she came out of the closet in college, realized math and science weren’t so bad (but not for her), and decided she wanted to be a writer. She is an MFA graduate of Lesley University and holds a BA in film and media studies from American University. Sara has been a Hollywood intern, a waitress, a comic book/record store employee, an art magazine blogger, a marketing temp, and an after-school teacher, but above all else she has always been a writer.
Her parents immigrated from Iran in the seventies, her father a surgeon and her mother a homemaker. Sara grew up feeling different in her private high school not only because of her ethnicity but also because of her liking girls romantically, her lack of excitement in science and math, and her love of writing plays and short stories. So she came out of the closet in college, realized math and science weren’t so bad (but not for her), and decided she wanted to be a writer. She is an MFA graduate of Lesley University and holds a BA in film and media studies from American University. Sara has been a Hollywood intern, a waitress, a comic book/record store employee, an art magazine blogger, a marketing temp, and an after-school teacher, but above all else she has always been a writer.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 11, 2023
Cute, simple story. Characters seemed slightly flat/one-dimensional.
It also reminds me of another middle grade I read recently that I cannot for the life of me remember the title of…so, that will drive me crazy for several days.
Hand to fans of Sarah Mlynowski.
It also reminds me of another middle grade I read recently that I cannot for the life of me remember the title of…so, that will drive me crazy for several days.
Hand to fans of Sarah Mlynowski.
February 5, 2026
Super cute fantasy that was more about friendship and believing in yourself.
- [ ] Felice sounds from old time. Very formal vocabulary at times. At first I wasn’t sure but absolutely loved her. Almost imagined her as a female genie/Mrs. Doubtfire persona
- [ ] Discusses tooth fairy might not be real. (Warning if younger children read)
- [ ] Lila is nervous and has very low self esteem. She’s very forgiving of other’s shortcomings.
- [ ] Set in middle school
- [ ] Made me want to eat baklava!
- [ ] Felice teaches Lila to see her “luck”/blessings of family and friends in a new way.
- [ ] Validating that being a preteen is hard and you don’t have to be good at one thing or figure out what you are good at yet.
- [ ] Felice gives great advice ”Real shame is not pursuing one’s interest”, “Friends may argue sometimes, but true friendship can always see its way through any obstacle. No matter the distance.“
- [ ] Felice sounds from old time. Very formal vocabulary at times. At first I wasn’t sure but absolutely loved her. Almost imagined her as a female genie/Mrs. Doubtfire persona
- [ ] Discusses tooth fairy might not be real. (Warning if younger children read)
- [ ] Lila is nervous and has very low self esteem. She’s very forgiving of other’s shortcomings.
- [ ] Set in middle school
- [ ] Made me want to eat baklava!
- [ ] Felice teaches Lila to see her “luck”/blessings of family and friends in a new way.
- [ ] Validating that being a preteen is hard and you don’t have to be good at one thing or figure out what you are good at yet.
- [ ] Felice gives great advice ”Real shame is not pursuing one’s interest”, “Friends may argue sometimes, but true friendship can always see its way through any obstacle. No matter the distance.“
June 17, 2023
6/7/2023 ~ A magical key that brings you unimaginable luck for a full week...hmmm, what would you do with it? Lila chooses to help her school community, and in the process stands up to a bully and gets a hint of her "thing" (anime & drawing).
December 18, 2022
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
April 10, 2023
A cute and hopeful story. I would recommend any elementary school student read this one.
November 6, 2025
I considered abandoning this book at first - the writing was uneven but got better towards the middle. Fun, lighthearted story that I wanted to see to the end.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews