Życzenie

Wish #1

by Alexandra Bullen

"Olivia Larsen rozpacza po śmierci bliźniaczej siostry Violet… aż do chwili, gdy na progu jej nowego domu w San Francisco zjawia się piękna, tajemnicza suknia. Nie tylko wygląda magicznie, ale i ma czarodziejską moc. Potrafi spełnić jedno życzenie Olivii, ona zaś nie pragnie niczego innego, jak tylko powrotu siostry z zaświatów. Mając znów Violet u swego boku, otrzymuje wraz z siostrą drugą szansę na życie. Powoli odnajduje się w nowej szkole średniej i w nowym mieście, zaprzyjaźnia się i zakochuje. Wkrótce okazuje się też, że ma jeszcze do dyspozycji dwie czarodziejskie suknie – i może spełnić swoje dwa najgłębsze życzenia. Lecz czary nie mogą rozwiązać wszystkich problemów. Olivia jest zmuszona stanąć twarzą twarz ze swymi demonami, aby nauczyć się znów śmiać, kochać i żyć. "

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Fiction, Romance, Magic, Paranormal, Contemporary

318 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2010

About the author

Oh, hello.

I’m Alexandra, and I write books for teenagers.

My first book, WISH, was published by Scholastic in January of 2010!

My second book, WISHFUL THINKING, also published by Scholastic, will be out in January of 2011!

I really hope you like them.

Here is my not-so-official official bio, the one that’s in the books I really hope you like:

“Alexandra Bullen has been a playwright, waitress, barista, gardener, script reader, yoga instructor and personal assistant. She grew up in Massachusetts, went to college in New York City, and lives most of the year on Martha’s Vineyard (except when she’s visiting San Francisco.) WISH is her first novel for young adults.”
Some other things about me:
I am half-Greek and my middle name is Krokidas.
(Pronunciation Guide: Kro-KEY-dus.)
You can call me Alex.
I have two younger brothers. They are both much bigger than me.
Not in a fat way.
They look great.
I also have two dogs and one boyfriend.
They live with me on an island called Martha’s Vineyard.
Even in the winter.
xoxo
akb
P.S. I love comments. Please leave them.
P.P.S. If you are a blogger/reviewer and you would like a review copy of WISH, please email the lovely Sheila Marie Everett: SEverett at Scholastic dot com.

Reviews

[Brodie · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK, so the only reason I bought this book because I found a free legitimate ebook of it and decided to try it. Otherwise, the cover would've driven me away from it and its tacky, girly, glitteryness. The actual book didn't dissapoint. That being said, I didnt have high expectations so...

I mean, it was cute. But that was it. Nothing special, life changing, nothing I'll remember in months to come. Just cute. But if you're a tween looking for something fun and light to read it will be perfect for you, and you should give it a go.

There were a few things I didn't like though. First, there wasn't as much fantasy as I would have liked. I mean, the only reason it's in there is because we need Olivia's dead twin Violet back, and that was simply the only way. Otherwise, it's barely mentioned. The books focuses a lot on Olivia's relationships and that's fine, just not for me. Except, Olivia cannot even carry a single conversation without Violet prodding her from the sidelines. Does she not have a brain of her own?! Oh, the frustrations. Also, Olivia starts dating a guy named Soren, literally a day after he breaks up with Olivia's new friend Calla. I found this part a little odd coming from Olivia who seems to be really careful and considerate of others. Plus, it's totally unrealistic. No nice,teen girl dates your only friend's ex, ESPECIALLY when they cry about it to you. Trust me, I would know.

But, Olivia, dear Olivia...She has no personality. She is just boring and drab and acts like an old lady. I had no sympathy for her. Generally, I get pretty attatched to characters. I root for them and hope the best for them. Olivia? I could care less.

So, all in all, if you're young, looking for a quick read that doesn't have too much magic, this is for you. If not, don't bother.

[Cintia · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ok story. Not the best ever, but not a complete disaster, either. The first thing I thought when I finished it was that it definitely lacked a certain spark that would have made it better.

FULL REVIEW IN MY BLOG: http://abookandateacup.blogspot.com/2...

[kari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why do I have a thing about finishing a book, even when I'm not enjoying it? Guess I keep hoping that it will get better, as it's always right on the edge of being a good story, but never q u i t e gets there. That's how I feel about this book.
Entertaining premise; just flattens out.
Olivia and her parents have moved to San Francisco after the accidental death of Violet, Olivia's twin sister. Everyone is both unhappy and unable to move forward, or even really deal with the loss.
Olivia gets a special dress that allows her wish to come true and she wishes her sister back so she returns as a ghost attmepting to help Olivia fit in at her new school, etc. Sounds good, right? But the magic isn't really there. When Olivia finds out that the dress is magic and she'll get two more, she just goes with it and then the magic isn't mentioned much in the book, almost like it was the only way the author could figure to bring Violet back so she added that on, but it adds nothing to the book. There really isn't any supernatural element. Olivia could have simply imagined what would my sister have thought about this or that and accomplished the same thing.
Olivia is so inconsistent and such a blah character that you can't really cheer her on. She has no personality. The most popular girl in school befriends her and why? Because she came to school that day in a blue tunic with gray leggings and fab boots?
Olivia is unhappy with being, as she thinks, invisible, but when Violet tries to help her get new clothes, she acts like someone's eighty year old maiden aunt. 'It shows too much skin!' And yet, the first magic dress she wore had a plunging neckline and made her look sexy which she enjoyed. I couldn't ever figure Olivia out as a character. She was all over the place. Maybe that was the point, but if so, it didn't work for me.
The only real tension in the story is brought on by Olivia's own stupid choices and behavior. Soren, the boy she likes, has recently broken up with Calla, the school's most popular girl who has befriended Olivia and she must continually worry and HIDE for gosh sakes, to keep Calla from finding out because they've been friends FOR A TOTAL OF A WEEK or so and who'd want to lose that kind of friendship? Didn't even make sense.
And when Calla does finally find out, she's upset for a total of ONE day. Wow, those were some fearsome consequences.
There is a bunch about selling Olivia's grandfather's yacht, which seems to be completely unimportant and could have been done in a few paragraphs.
The story ends in what I believe to be the intro for a sequel or related book. I won't be reading it.

[Barbara Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so well written that I could not put it down. You know, one of the those books where you create the space and time to sit and read as often as possible? That was this for me.

This is a story that transcends reality and makes the reader feel as if they are personally involved with the characters. We are not separated by pages and words in a book. We are engaged and vested in the fate of our character. This is the book that you stay in bed to read a bit longer, and this is the book that you clear your schedule to treat yourself to a quiet afternoon.

I am giving this book 5 stars because Bullen's writing is clear and articulate, and it is a story well-told. I think that she could have written sappier, but she didn't. She respects her readers enough to make this a real story with a magical element. Bonus: I was pleasantly surprised to find out this was set in San Francisco, with the ability to make this book a travelogue for a newbie in town.

In response to some feedback about the drinking in the story, I thought Bullen hit the nail on the head with her description of the children of wealthy parents who attend an exclusive school in a very open city. Teenagers experiment and when they have their own cars, keys to the summer home, and free reign, they are going to emulate adult behavior. It's what they've seen, and it's what they know. These are cues teens pick up from the adults in their lives. Does that mean Bullen is encouraging underage drinking? No. She is simply an observer who is writing about teen behavior. That's what makes this a real story. There is no sugar-coating here. Teens who want to experiment are going to do so.

Onto the story itself:

As the story unfolds, we learn that Olivia has been uprooted from all that she knows to find herself in a new school, in a new state, and without her fearless twin sister to help navigate the social mores. Her parents are distant. Her first friend at school exists only because their two moms work together, and – worse than that – he wears squishy mushroom-colored loafers. And then she sees a boy. One who meets her eyes and smiles like he knows her. But, of course, he is dating the prettiest and most popular girl at school.

In her complete and utter loss, Olivia does the very best she can with what she has. She finds a tailor, Posey, who can fix dresses to suit the wearer in a way that is unexpected. In fact, Olivia has no idea that her bad night had a purpose, and her wish to see her sister again is about to come true. It is only in re-tracing steps and asking questions that Olivia realizes what a gift she has been given.

So, if you had just one wish…what would you wish for?

[Margaret · Rating 2 out of 5]

Olivia's rebellious, beloved twin sister Violet has died, and Olivia's parents have moved the family across the country to San Francisco to start again. Olivia would love to start her life again in a new city and a new school, but her life seems to have been put on hold when Violet died. Then one day, Olivia meets a mysterious seamstress who makes her a dress which grants her dearest wish, though perhaps not precisely as she would have wanted.

I'll say right up front that if I hadn't gotten this from the Amazon.com Vine program and thus felt obligated to review it, I would have put it down after 50 pages or so. The writing is awkward and full of clichés and poor word choices. The magical element doesn't work with the rest of the plot at all; it's just a creaky mechanism to get Violet back and never believable in and of itself. The concept of Violet-as-ghost is potentially interesting, but poorly executed: for example, on one page, we learn that she can't affect anything physical, while soon afterward, she's flipping through a magazine.

On the plus side, the relationships between Olivia and her new friends are fairly well done. She gets in the middle of a breakup, and the angst around that feels real and actually worked better for me than the more fantastical elements of the plot. By the end, I felt as though there was a decent book about grief and moving on trying to get out of Wish, but it's simply buried too deep in the labored writing and the tacked-on magical elements.

If you'd like to read a much better YA book about a girl and a ghost (well, more than one ghost), try Megan Crewe's Give Up the Ghost.

[Abby · Rating 1 out of 5]

Picked this up because it was the focus of a recent New Yorker article on teen lit & Alloy Entertainment in particular. Alloy is the group that publishes Gossip Girl, The Clique, The A-List and other teen mean girl series. Although they only list one person's name as the author, most of these books are written by a committe of Alloy editors, and the publisher, not the author, retains the intellectual property rights to the work. In the New Yorker article, Alloy editors talk about how they hope Wish will become the next Twilight.

Well, it is certainly no Twilight (and I am hardly a Twi-hard). Bullen's writing is possibly even more stilted and cliche-ridden than Meyer's. And the main character, Olivia, is possibly the most insipid female character I have ever met in a teen novel -- she drifts through the entire novel unable to articulate one interesting or original thought, and is so socially helpless that her dead twin sister, Violet (resurrected as a ghost thanks to a wish and a magic dress), has to coach her on practically every single interaction with her peers. If Olivia had an robust interior life, or some modicum of personality or spark, her social awkwardness would be a charming quirk. But we are talking about a girl so fragile that she refers to her quilted flats as "armor she'd feel naked without" during an uncomfortable interaction with a male friend. Ballet flats as armor? I do not understand. Do not waste your time with this book like I did.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this story and the characters.... but there was nothing that really grabbed me, or made me 'have' to continue reading. The novel started out slow, and usually that's a big enough deterrent for me to set the book down, but there was something about Olivia that kept me reading. Although I did find her naivety annoying at times, she did have her share of personal growth by the end of the novel.

I think perhaps that this novel would appeal more to younger teens. As an "experienced" reader I found myself wanting more from the story and it's characters.

I also expected the story to have a much more fairy tale-esqu feel, but the overall tone of the novel was very serious. I would have loved to have seen more emphasis in the actual wishes themselves and more explanation about the dressmaker. This could have easily been a contemporary novel about a teen girl and the aftermath of losing her sister.

If you're looking for a quick read to pass the time, Wish may just be the novel for you.

I also recommend checking out it's successor Wishful Thinking!

[Dormouse · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was not for me. It was not what I thought it would be -- I like young adult books. I like fantasy and wishes coming true.

I have recently read two books with girls grieving for the death of a close girl in them -- one was Among Others, in which Mor can see fairies and has lost her twin sister, one was A Love Story, Starring My Dead Best Friend in which it's the death of a best friend, not a sister. I liked both those books, and I thought another story dealing with that would appeal.

Spoilers from here on in--
But this book was not for me. The protagonist -- Ah, the synopsis says her name is Olivia -- is supposed to like books, and her sister was the fashionable one, who paid attention to clothes, and was more popular. Olivia does not mention one book she likes or enjoys or reads. Not one, until a book is brought up in a classroom setting, and then she has to be reminded that she has read it and liked it. The book is 'To The Lighthouse' by Virginia Woolf. That was a problem for me, because a)I tried to read To The Lighthouse a couple of times and got stuck. It's not a book that flows easily for me). And because b) I have read that book talked about with love and humour elsewhere, and Olivia doesn't have that, talking about the book. And she does not talk about other books, except in referring to 'unpacking her books' at some point, because she has recently moved house.

What she does do is notice what each person is wearing, in much detail. Teenagers in other books don't do this. Describing everyone by what they are wearing worked in Colin McInnes' Absolute Beginners, where the protagonist is a photographer, who pays attention to how people look by profession, and where the clothing marks the person and where they belong - their class, their age, their subculture, as well as their individual style.

In Wish, it marks who is shiny and interesting and popular, and who isn't. And at the start Olivia wears boring clothes, thus she is boring and not interesting. But then! She learns to change her style, and wear more interesting clothes, and that lets her be popular and interesting. I am over-simplifying.

Mostly what I did not like about this book was the ~theme? overall message?~ That being popular is important, that belonging to the popular crowd at school is something important, something to aspire to. Something that helps our protagonist , it's better and more important than simply making friends with people who like to read, who might like her for herself. In 'Buffy' episode one, I felt sad and worried when she rejected the friendship of Cordelia, and the instant acceptance to the popular crowd: I thought it was important. But Buffy doesn't need to be popular , she just needs friends who are with her and recognise what's important to her, and support her. Here, being part of the popular group is the aim, not just making friends.

I did like the romance, I could see the appeal of the boy and I could see him liking the girl. That did work. Just the rest didn't.

[Nafiza · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Alexandra Bullen’s Wish, we are confronted by grief almost immediately. And I have to commend her on its expression as Olivia’s sorrow leaps off the pages and gathers in your throat until its difficult to breathe. She doesn’t say “I’m sad” but her actions speak for themselves and they speak loudly. Death of a sister is difficult enough but when it’s your twin, it must be a different kind of hell. I liked that her grief wasn’t romanticized. The insertion of magic into the story is interesting. I must admit that when I was reading the synopsis, I didn’t think the book would be any good because “magic dresses” seemed so frivolous. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The magic is just a means to an end. Bullen doesn’t focus on the fantastical. When Olivia gets her sister back, the real story commences. It is interesting that it is her dead sister who teaches Olivia how to live again. Their devotion to each other is touching. I also find it interesting that Bullen focused a lot on the relationships between Olivia and her new friends. This gave the book a depth that rendered it unique from its contemporaries. Most of the time, the friendships aren’t given time to develop or have any special meaning but Wish carefully portrays the nurturing of a friendship, the trouble with it and then the resolution of it. I liked it. It is a very strong debut from an author who has the potential to amaze even more in the future. I recommend it to anyone who likes a good story.

[Robyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wish started off pretty good, it was interesting and captured my attention fairly quickly... too bad it didn't hold it for very long. It got to the point where I couldn't stand reading about Olivia any longer. She was whiny, needy, and annoying. She didn't know how to stand up for herself, how to voice her opinions, or how to freakin' speak. When she even bothered speaking her voice was boring and pointless. What Soren even saw in her remains a mystery for me to this day.

I couldn't even finish the damn book. I stopped at about the 2/3 mark. It just got too boring. It's not like I missed much anyways, I had my predictions made by the first 50 pages. I skipped to the end after I stopped reading, just to see how it ended, and if I was right. And, guess what? I was.

The characters were all selfish, depressing and boring, and they all seemed like the same person to me. Yes, I know, half of the main characters were in mourning, but what's Calla's excuse? Or Soren? What about Miles? Or his sister, what's-her-face?

All in all, the only decent thing about the whole book was the cover, which was only half-decent. I would only recommend reading this book if you're dieing of boredom. Other than that, don't even bother giving this book a second glance.

[Steph | bookedinsaigon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alexandra Bullen’s debut novel, WISH, is a quick and cute read that will appeal best to younger teen readers and fans of modern fairy tales in the style of the movie Enchanted. More experienced readers, however, may be less impressed by the average writing, characters, and plot.

WISH is less a fairy tale than it is a touching story about the complexities and intricacies of two sisters’ relationship with one another. While neither Olivia nor Violet are actually noteworthy as characters, you can’t help but be touched at the way they play off one another, the way Violet looks after Olivia, even after death. WISH is a very human book, and perhaps that may be startling to some, because that is not what we immediately think of with such a fairy tale-esque premise. But the magic element in the novel is muted, allowing interpersonal relationships—with all their ups and downs—to shine through and stand out.

Unfortunately, the writing left a bit to be desired. The prose was uninspiring: there was nothing particularly captivating or enchanting about it. In fact, the blandness of the writing often took away from the cute premise’s potential, leaving behind what felt like an overmanufactured fairy tale.

Still, if you like the idea of a contemporary fairy tale, WISH is good for a quick read.

[Melissa Vanity · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I saw this book, I thought it was going to be such a pretty story. You know, the whole idea of all the pain you feel losing someone close to you, I thought it would really make my heart hurt to read this.
Yeah, okay.

The twin sisters, Violet and Olivia, have the weirdest relationship I've ever seen in my life. They're like more simple friends than actually sisters. I really don't feel Olivia's pain at losing Violet, ESPECIALLY since she feels so responsible. I mean, your twin sister is back after she died, and she decides to go on a cruise for a whole weekend, and that's totally cool with you? You wouldn't fight to spend time with her? Sure, that's believable. I'd fight more for a simple friend.
This story was really more about Olivia and her odd need to please Calla (the most popular girl at her new school) and hide her relationship with Soren (Calla's VERY recent ex). So, not only is Olivia lame with no style and barely any character, but she also has no concempt of the sacred rule of girls where you just DON'T date your friends exes - especially when they cry to you about it.
LAME.
I gave it two stars because it at least kept me curious enough to read and find out what did happen to Violet.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book deals with love and loss from the perspective of a teen-aged girl who has lost her twin. We don't know how for most of the book, but it is clear that the loss has affected each member of her family differently, yet still profoundly. As she struggles to find her new place, Olivia is granted 3 wishes in the form of custom made dresses.

I went into this thinking it would be a bit of a fluff read. I came away having remembered just how hard it was to be a teenager. Perhaps my view is clouded by the fact that I have 2 teen-aged daughters, but I found many of Ms. Bullen's descriptions of the interactions between the teens in the books reminding me of my own high school days, and not always fondly. I also wonder still what it would be like to make a wish and have a beloved family member return, even as a ghost...even for just a short while. Would it have helped me to move on sooner? Would it still help now? How would my daughters react if they were in Olivia's place? I hope they never have to find out, but it does make me think.

I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is difficult for me to rate. I literally dragged myself through the first 120 pages. I wanted to give up but I had heard good things about the book so I kept trudging along. At page 120 it picked up and I really started to enjoy the story. The last 80 pages or a little more were very touching and I cried on multiple occassions. I am a softy though.

I did struggle with one aspect of the writing. It seemed that the writting was blocky. Meaning the story wasn't written where multiple things were occuring concurrently. She would write the story with whatever was taking place with that current person. Then when she would move the story to the next person or place you would get things that had occured there or with that person during the last week or month. I didn't care for that style of writing it made me feel like I was missing some of the importance of some of the characters.

At the end I found the story likable and very touching.

[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, not quite as fluffy as I had expected, it's still not mind-blowing though.

Meet Olivia, new girl at school. She has been moved across the country after the death of her tiwn sister. Her parents decide this is a good idea. Why, i have no idea. She goes to get a dress zipper fixed and winds up with a new magical dress on her doorstep. Which turns into 3 dresses= 3 wishes. Of course, she wishes her sister to be with back. She does come back, sort of only no one else can see or here her. We follow Olvia and her sister through school and boys. Violet (the other sister) tries to get Olivia to grow, to try new things, to want something out of life. I don't want to give anything away, but Violet is annoying at times, but she has a heart of gold!

Eh, While I did itentify with this to a point, it just wasn't enough of one emotion either way... This one either needed to be oober serious and emotional or needed to be completely fluffy. It was decent, but it didn't really tug at me.

[Belle · Rating 5 out of 5]

heart warming story

[k.k.chunk · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5
Ogólnie spoko książka, dość oczywista i przewidywalna, z mdłym zakończeniem, stąd moja obniżka oceny.
Postacie papierowi albo denerwujący, dosłownie nie było kogo polubić.
Jednak przez książkę się dosłownie płynęło i chyba potrzebowałam takiej głupiutkiej młodzieżówki z lat 2010/2014, żeby czytać cokolwiek przy obecnym nawale zadań.
I nie zrozumcie mnie źle - są tutaj ważne tematy, które zostały poruszone, jak żałoba, poczucie winy, przyjaźń, budowanie i kruchość relacji, strata czy chęć poradzenia sobie w oparciu o wsparcie rodzinne. Jednak wszystko to wypada bardzo blado i każdy z tych wątków trochę za szybko się urywa, by powiedzieć, że było to dobre wykorzystanie motywów. Po zamknięciu książki czułam po prostu lekki niedosyt i to spowodowało obniżenie oceny.
Więc moja opinia jest bardzo subiektywna, bo książka nie była ani zła ani dobra, ale pojawiła się po prostu w dobrym momencie i pomogła mi czytać cokolwiek.

[Patrycja · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dawno nie męczyłam się tak czytając jakąkolwiek książkę, już podręcznik od mechaniki lotu był ciekawszy, 0/10

[Zuzia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh ale mogło być gorzej

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think I knew what I was expecting with this novel. Knowing it was about a girl who just lost her sister, I think I expected a much sadder plot. This was actually a pretty light novel considering the subject matter and I think I was hopping for a little more depth. I wanted not to be able to guess the plot, I wanted to like Olivia and I wanted to feel a connection with her.

The novel started out pretty slow, not really picking up until the sixth chapter when Olivia finally got her first wish. I knew it'd be for her sister and I never stopped guessing right from then on. I liked that her sister came back as a ghost, I wasn't sure how that was going to play out. It made for some interest in Olivia's otherwise lackluster life because her sister was one of the most lively characters in the book for being the only dead girl.

I had a really hard time connecting with Olivia. Again, part of it is a preference thing. This novel was written in third person and I'd wanted to be closer to Olivia to really truly feel her lose. Of course, even in first person this would be impossible considering she doesn't feel it either. That makes for a hard character to sympathize with and by the time she does finally realize she misses her sister, it's too little too late for me. Also, as the novel kept going I got progressively madder at her because she's smart but she kept doing the wrong thing.

***************************Spoiler Alert*******************************

An example of this is that her first wish is for her sister to be there and her second wish (which comes at the very end of the novel) is to wish her away in a moment of anger. But she didn't really mean it.

But she did.

I realize that her sister's ghost had to be set free so Olivia could finally start living her own life and be released of the hold that her sister had on her but I really didn't like how she did it. I think it would have been much more powerful to have Olivia wish her sister away at the end as a final goodbye. I still think I would have guessed this ending but it would have been far more satsifying. As the ending stands, it feels like Olivia goes kicking and screaming into changing and makes a bunch of really stupid mistakes that she refuses to acknowledge. I think I would have liked to see her act a little more graceful under the pressure and would have felt better about it.

Another example is how she handles her life. She tries juggling being a couple with Soren who just broke up with Calla and being BFFs with Calla who is still heartbroken over Soren. Instead of being honest up front with Calla, who Olivia actually really cares about, she decides to sneak around behind her back. Numerous times she tries to tell Calla but never actually gets it out. She knew people would find out but she can never find a convenient time to just be honest.

*****************End of Spoiler Alert*******************

There were a lot of things I liked about this novel. One of the biggest was the descriptions of San Francisco. The author did an amazing job of including the city's landscape in the novel, making for some beautiful scenery. I loved visiting the farmer's market, getting wide views of the ocean on their family's boat and seeing the city from Coit Tower's highest point.

Another thing I enjoyed was the budding relationship between Olivia and Soren. It was a little bit unrealistic at how fast they fell but I enjoyed watching it anyway. Soren was a great character, passionate about skating and drums, and was really thoughtful. Bullen's writing really shines when describing love:

"As soon as Soren wrapped her hand in his own, his long thumb overlapping hers, the creases of bone and skin interlocking like soft pieces of a puzzle, Olivia could tell. It was a perfect fit" (Pg. 189).

I also really liked how the off-the-wall hippie kids were the popular ones at Olivia's new school. The main popular girl Calla was actually really nice and cared about things that mattered. There wasn't the usual mean girl act and we didn't see a lot of bullying (except from a teacher of all people). Calla drew me and I wanted to know more about her life, her friends and the way she sees the world. This is a good thing but not if I'm more interested in her than the character I'm following.

Overall, this isn't a bad read. It's sort of like a rom-com. I went in and within the first 100 pages knew where the plot was going and how the character would grow from her experiences. It was a lighthearted, easy read and had I gone in knowing that, I probably would have gotten a little bit more enjoyment out of the novel.

[Ella · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book almost put me to sleep. The only reason I didn't DNF this book was Soren. I did like the ending, but overall I was disappointed with this book

[Sadia G · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had heard good shiz about this book and I was excited to read it, but Wish felt completely FLAT for me.
It was sweet, no doubt about that, but it was also mostly reaaaalllllyyy boring.

Honestly, it only and only got better in the very very very end, where the major 'twist' was, but really otherwise? It was just boring and dragging- (but still sweet though.)

I mean, MAGIC DRESSES! Why WOULDN'T I want to read this?!

Well, that's simple: because where Olivia is white and lifeless, its VIOLET whos actually violet and even though shes dead- shes full of life.

That would work if Olivia was the main character- but shes not, and even though I know, the 'point' is

that Violet helps Olivia grow... I honestly see no growth.
Even when hanging with her so called new friends, Olivia is just so plain and boring! She doesnt say

anything insightful or witty, and is litteraly just a pretty face.
I mean, I dont know, her character held no depth whatsoever. Even her mild romance was so dull and- ugh lame. WHY did they like each other, apart from the looks bit?

[mild spoiler!]I also disliked how Olivia started dating Soren RIGHT AFTER he became Calla's ex. I mean, wtf, Call cried over him, she still loves him, and you're naive/selfish enough to go out with him?
I say 'naive' because over all Olivia was a really nice person, but over this bit, she was just plain selfish. [spoiler over]

The bond between the sisters, although pretty cool, them being best friends and everything, was slightly unbelievable. They were just too NICE with each other!
Then the magic dresses bit... dude, Olivia. You have MAGIC DRESSES. Um hello, lets get a bit creative? Or lets just REMEMBER THAT THEY ARE MAGIC AND MAYBE PONDER UPON THE POSSIBILITIES?


The only reason this book is even getting a 1.95 rating out of five, is because of Calla, Olivia's best
friend, and Violet,her twin. Both had a lot of personality, which I wish I had seen more of!

This book is sweet though, if nothing else. Just because of Olivia's niceness and because of how both Violet and Olivia love each other, and how close they are. Basically I really liked how Violet was forever looking out for Olivia and pushing her to do things and 'live' a little.

Wish is a cute, VERY light novel.
Even though the ending is way better than the whole of the book, I dont think its left any sort of mark on me.
I think this would be best for TWEENS and not teens.

[Jessica Saylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

QUICK OVERVIEW:
If you're looking for a light read that has an amazing theme, look no further. Your wish has been granted. Just watch out for the plot and characters, because that is where the book falters slightly.

REVIEW:
The cover of this book has always pushed me away from this book. It looked very teeny-bopperish and when I read it was about wishing on dresses, I had mentally confirmed my judgment. Only when I heard of this books sequel, Wishful Thinking, did I have any desire to pick it up. Now that I finally did, I'm actually kind of glad. While I wasn't entirely off base with the teeny-bopper thoughts, it had a deeper message that I didn't see coming.

I always appreciate books that have a good theme. Themes about reserving our planets resources, about living life to the fullest, appreciating what you have, and being yourself are some of my favorites. This one basically had two. The main character is distressed because her twin sister has passed away, and when she gets her back she helps her get her life back on track. (As it says in the synopsis above, no spoilers!) It was very inspiring.

Though the underlying theme was great in this book, that was where the amazingness stopped. The plot in this book, was only okay. It was very light and fun most of the time, but there were also a few moments when I confess, I teared up. It wasn't particularly fast-paced or even particularly slow-paced, but I did on occasion find myself bored.

The characters in this book were also only okay. I felt that, while they were very realistic characters in a high school setting, there was something that was missing that left them feeling a little generic. This feeling made it hard to really see them as people instead of book characters. It wasn't like that all of the time, and I have definitely read much worse, but it wasn't amazing either.

FIRST LINE:
"You must be Olivia."
-Page One

RATING BREAKDOWN:
Plot: 15/20
Characters: 15/20
Creativity: 14/20
Writing: 15/20
Ending: 9/10
Cover: 5/10
=73/100, C

PARENTAL CORNER:
This book contains none of the following:
Violence
Mild/Excessive Cursing
Mild/Excessive Sexual Content
Drug/Alcohol Abuse

[Yiwei · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wish, the way we living for
The book focus on a girl named Olivia who lost her sister in an accident. When that tragedy happened, Olivia and her parents moved to San Francisco and began their ‘new’ life. Olivia misseed her sister day and night; she would like to do anything if her sister will come back. Olivia got a magic dress by chance; she can fulfill a wish when she wears it. She tried it and her sister really comes back as ghost. I really like the sense when Olivia and her sister’s ghost lay in their grandfather’s boat, see the stars in the sky. They tell how they miss each other, their patents and their happiness memory in their childhood. Every character’s personality is different and manful in this novel; it’s enjoyable when you see their behaviour. Just like you are the bystander in those situations, you can really feel the tone around you.
Olivia is the main characters in this novel but sometimes Idon’t agree some thing she did in the novel. Calla is her best friend in the school and Soren is Calla’s ex-boyfriend. This couple broke up when they join a party. Olivia found that both calla and Soren are sadness. Soren told Olivia what happen between them, Olivia could feel he really got hurt; she wants to take care of him and give him new warm, because Olivia likes Soren when she first met him. Fortunately, Soren called her several days later and have date with her. Seems they were in relationship, Olivia felt so sweet and hopeful, but she also worried about Calla, that’s what I don’t like. Even though Calla is her best friend, Calla still loves Soren. But they had broken up, Soren chose Olivia, if she likes him; she shouldn’t worried about any other people. “’I am so sorry,’ she said, and was surprised by hoe genuine it abounded. She really was sorry. Sorry Calla was upset, if she was.”
This book is kind of simple, I pretend some complicated situation it might happen but it does not, so I feel a little bit disappointed. All the way, this is a wonderful book.

[nancy (The Ravenous Reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you could have anything. What would you wish for?



A question that introverted Olivia Laren would not have known how to answer, until her vivacious twin sister Violet, tragically dies during the summer. Then, the only thing that Oliva could ever wish for is to have her sister Violet back.

As fate would have it Olivia and her family relocate to San Francisco to begin anew. Yet, Olivia whom is too steeped in sorrow cannot seem to move forward. To her dismay, Olivia must attend a work party for her mother but she doesn't have a thing to wear. She did not have the shopping gene or much fashion sense, that was always Violet's gift. At this revelation Olivia finds a dress that belonged to Violet but it needs repair. Desperate, Olivia goes in seek of a seemstress and what she finds is a bit of magic.

Before you know it, Olivia and her sister are together again, brought together by a magical dress. Olivia is overjoyed and understands the rules that govern her upcoming wishes for she will have two dresses coming her way. As Olivia's life has renewed vigor with new friends and a possible romance, she notes with much sadness that Violet begins to pull away much like her parents already are. Then Olivia says something that she cannot take back and with that realization and heartache she understands that she can no longer wait for her life to change. She has to make the change and live her life to it's fullest potential and with that she and her family can step forth and thrive again.

Alexandra Bullen has created a novel that causes one to truly think on what we would wish for if we could have our wishes granted. What ensues is the fairy tale of a timid girl whom proves that she is not afraid to come out of her shell and embrace life. WISH is a book that will touch your heart. A great story for any age.

Here is a great website to check out http://whatwouldyouwishfor.com/

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Olivia hasn’t quite been herself since the death of her twin sister Violet. When her parents decide to move what’s left of the family across the country to San Francisco, Olivia feels awkward both at home and in her new school. Without her lively sister to forge the way, Olivia doesn’t know how to start her new life. When Olivia stumbles upon a small dressmaker’s shop and learns that the dress she gets there is somehow magical, the sky’s the limit, because with the dress, Olivia also gets a wish, a wish that could bring her beloved sister Violet back. And with two more magical dresses at her disposal, it seems all Olivia has to do to make her life perfect again is wish. But Olivia has to be careful because magic isn’t the solution to everything, and what she thinks she wants may not be what she needs to be whole again.

Wish is a cute story of when fairytale collides with real life. Olivia is a grieving, scared girl who’s nothing without her twin sister. However, through a very unique fairy godmother, Olivia is allowed more time with her dead sister. Olivia’s tale is sad but ultimately sweet coming of age story of loss and learning to stand on one’s own legs. It’s about making the right choices and fixing mistakes, and it’s a story that’s extremely accessible because of how easy Olivia is to relate to. Her character may seem uninteresting at first because of her overwhelming grief, but Olivia quickly proves to be a thoughtful and well intentioned girl. Her insecurity and fear of moving on makes readers genuinely care for her. Wish may not be the most romantic or exciting story, but it is one that will touch readers and bring a smile to their faces.

Wish will be enjoyed by fans of traditional fairytales and fairytale retellings as well as by those who liked Saving Zoë by Alyson Noël and A Map of the Known World by Lisa Ann Sandell. I look forward to more writing from this promising new author.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com

[Sarah BT · Rating 4 out of 5]

About the Book: Olivia's twin sister Violet died seven months ago. Violet was the outgoing one, the sister everyone loved and without her Olivia is fading into the background. Her family has moved to San Francisco and Olivia feels lost without her sister to guide her. When a magical gown shows up at Olivia's door and Olivia wishes her sister back, she suddenly finds Violet (or at least her ghost) by her side.

With Violet back, Olivia feels like she can live again. The girls get two more dresses and two more wishes. If you could wish for anything, what would you wish for?

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I though Wish was a cute novel. It might not be the most literary novel or the deepest, but it's cute and sweet and that's ok with me.

I really liked Olivia. I was happy to see a character who was shy and not immediately popular at school. She was struggling to move on after her sister's death and dealing with her family's withdrawl and her emotions were believable. I felt for her and wanted to reach through the pages and hug her and be her friend.

I also enjoyed the supporting cast of characters, especially Bowie, who is incredibly spunky and funny-I'd love to meet her! And I liked how even though Calla is the popular beautiful girl, you don't hate her and she's not a mean girl.

There's a good mix of romance, friendship and a touch of fantasy. It took a few chapters for the story to really get moving, but once it did, I really enjoyed this one. It's the perfect book to curl up and read-it's a warm fuzzy, sweet book that is full of magic.

Full disclosure: ARC recieved from publisher for blog tour

[Yinglin Chen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Life, is already a mess for Olivia, with her identical twin sister Violet dying, and having to move into a new place, where she didn't know anyone. Living, without someone that has always been there to guide you, help you with your worries or someone you love to talk to, it is pretty hard to face the fact that she died. When Olivia got to San Francisco, she met some really cool friends and some magic along the way.

Olivia, was granted 3 wishes from a magical dress, that was made for her- for parties, or just simply worn. However, these wishes came with a few conditions that made it hard for a "wish" to come true. These wishes must also come from the heart, and it has to represent what she really means.

Wishes are made, but the outcome wasn't what Olivia had in mind. Her wishes started to tangle up and make messes. When she wished for her sister Violet to come back to her side, she was joyed to have her sister there next to her, even if it was a ghost. However, she wished for her sister to stop bothering her, which caused her sister to leave her. She makes a mess out of her friendship with a few of her friends and her family.

Olivia soon learns that she must give up what she lost and learn to live her life without her sister. On her last wish, she wishes for the memories that she had with her sister will never fade away, but she must be able to say good-bye and live without what she once had. What is gone will never come back because in reality, we must learn to live without our favorite things, but must not forget the moments we had.

[Paula Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

This summer for Olivia , life is going to get interesting and it may perk her up as last summer Olivia's family suffered a tragedy tearing them all apart , Olivia's twin sister Violet died and then Olivia's family moved to a new town to start a fresh . Her mum Bridget in a new job and her dad Mac busy refurbishing their house. Olivia feeling incomplete heads downtown to the small shopping square and spots a shop called Mariposa's Emporium . The shop has a secret though , it is in fact filled with Magic and the owner now the grandaughter Posey makes magic dresses . Each dress contains three wishes in the form of golden butterflies and comes with a list of rules like most wishing novels with of course the ol' Don't wish for someone to fall in love with you , Don't wish for more wishes etc. Olivia tired of being alone wishes for her sister Violet and of course she returns as a ghost and thats where the fun begins as Violet being the outgoing one is teaching Olivia the tricks of the trade and re-inventing herself and it works as Olivia goes from being invisible to Miss Popular and with the nickname Madonna. However, as Olivia is about to learn being popular comes with
strings attached and a whole set of new rules including who dates who and who does what . With this new life though, will Olivia lose herself and what's important in her life ?
Find out about what can happen when three wishes can turn into a domino effect of decisions and consequences - some great and others not so great.

[Your Average Bookworms · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish teaches you a important lesson; be careful of what you wish for. The beginning was somewhat dull. It made me bored and I even considered moving on. But of course, I wasn't going to give up on the book that easily. Everything gets interesting as soon as Violet is with Olivia again, something Olivia has always wanted since Violet died. Because Violet was Olivia's only true friend; and of course, sister.

Olivia and Violet have two completely different personalities; even though they are twins. Violet has more of a spontaneous personality, while Olivia is the opposite; quiet, and shy. Its all thanks to Violet's outgoing personality that Olivia has friends in her new school in San Francisco; and a forbidden boyfriend.

The plot is one of which people might think is cheesy. How an ordinary girl has magical dresses that can grant her any wish that she wants. But the way Alexandra wrote it, balanced it out. It was interesting, and not at all cheesy. The end was probably my favorite part where Olivia resolves everything and where she shows her anger for the first time since Violet's death. The ending was touching and shocking. Olivia makes a huge mistake, and by the time she realizes what she had done, it was already too late. And how she resolves things with her parents. It was touching enough to make me cry.

Alexandra's debut novel is definitely a wonderful read, and I'm looking forward to her future books.