One True Wish

by Lauren Kate

A dash of fairy magic illuminates this “heartwarming…lyrically told” ( School Library Connection ) middle grade novel about three friends confronting their deepest wishes from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Kate.

Phoebe is a wish-granting fairy who doesn’t believe in children. Birdie, Gem, and Van are sixth graders who don’t believe in fairies. But deep down, each of them has a wish.

Birdie and Gem have been best friends forever, but now things are changing, and Birdie doesn’t know why. Birdie feels left behind, while Gem feels she’s growing up too fast and no one understands what it’s like. Van is lonely, far from their friends in Ireland who never thought that being nonbinary was such a big deal.

When Phoebe crash-lands in the woods nearby, the three kids must race against the clock to restore the fairy’s powers and get her back home. They’ll have to summon a new kind of magic to save Phoebe and their friendships—the magic of their deepest, truest wishes.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, LGBT, Childrens, Fiction, Paranormal

240 pages, Paperback

First published April 25, 2023

About the author

Lauren Kate is the author of novels 15 novels including the FALLEN series, now a television series on AMC+. Her forthcoming angel-focused romantasy trilogy, WHITE LIGHTS, will publish in June 2026. She lives in Laurel Canyon with her family.

Reviews

[Brittney Lyon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful read about the power of friendship, old and new. What it looks like to one to grow up. As well as in granting your own wishes.

Add in a fairy 🧚‍♂️ who doesn’t believe in children. Some beautiful crabapple trees, and messages on bullying and gender identity. This slim book definitely made me smile and had me cheering on this group of kids!

[Miriam Kahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairies who don't believe in children? Impossible! What about children who don't believe in Fairies? The Same. Well, wishes are the common intersection of both belief and disbelief in this clever tale for tweens and younger teens.

Lauren Kate has created a world where children's "True" wishes will come to be if the Fairy Phoebe can on be convinced to believe in children, that they exist and are the beneficiaries of her powers.

Aside from the wishes, the four children learn about friendship, acceptance, and even how to counteract bullying. Bullying and Gender identity are more common threads for tween books these days and this book is full of both. Van is non-binary, Gem is being bullied for maturing and developing as a young woman. All the characters are seeking friendship, which they find in spades as they help the Fairy Phoebe regain her powers.

You'll find this one a fun read.

Thanks to the BookLoft of German Village (Columbus, OH) http://www.bookloft.com for an ARC to read and review.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Birdie and Gem are best friends but since the summer, things have changed. Gem is angry all the time and Birdie feels like their friendship is slipping away. Van is the new kid at school and trying to find at least one friend that will accept them unconditionally like Caro did back in Ireland. A real life fairy crashes into their lives and the trio’s efforts to bring her back to health and get her back to Polaris bring each person’s deeply felt wants and needs to the surface. Even Gem’s younger brother finds his way into the circle of rising 7th graders and comes to terms with his own real and true wishes. Lauren Kate brings several issues to the front in an easy-going fantasy/friend drama: fears over changes in one’s body and a girl’s struggle to find acceptance for her identity as non-binary. Target audience is likely grades 5-7.

Thanks for the print arc to review, Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

[Nelly Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an arc of this book through a Goodreads giveaway and am so grateful to have had an opportunity to read this! It was such a cute story with representation and a quality look at how kids interact these days. I loved the messages about being kind to others as well as ourselves, and about dreams growing with us. I only took off one star because I think it ends in a hurry. We spend the whole book working towards a goal and it gets wrapped up in one and a half pages.

[LeeAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

How delightful! If fairies were more than Tinker Bell, and wishes were deeper than a surface thought, and joy was tangible, it would be this book.

"Friendship wasn't something you could hold in your hand or see with your eyes."

[Arnetha Villery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phoebe is a wish-granting fairy who doesn’t believe in children. Birdie, Gem, and Van are sixth graders who don’t believe in fairies. But deep down, each of them has a wish.
🌟🌟🌟🌟
(I received an advance reader copy. Thank you Simon & Schuster) 😀

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐⭐/5
Age Rating: 10+
Content Warnings: Mild violence, bullying, puberty talk (mild), mild LGBTQ+ themes (a non-binary main character)

[Bonnie Lambourn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 actual rating from me. I loved the story and characters overall. I applaud the author for inclusion of 4 main characters who are all in at least one way not usually a main character - and for no info dumps to explain this. Coming gradually to my own understanding of how they each identify and family issues was more like real life, and encourages an open mind - totally support this and all self-determination, genders, etc. Unfortunately I still found myself tripping over the use of they/them for the singular in reading, especially in the character introduction, but even after I was in the know it was sometimes difficult to know which character was being referred to at first when others were in the scene. This threw off from easy fluid storyline, and I experienced it again right at the end of the book. In order to avoid any other spoilers I've clicked the button, and I'm not including character names... but I loved the actual character presentation. I know this is a super difficult task for an author, so sympathetic, and I have they/them friends, relatives I love dearly. I am sure an editor helped make some of the decisions, but maybe throwing in the character name a few more times would have helped. I've received this critique in simply clarifying which her or which him or of other. It kept this excellent story from being a perfect one. And yes, it's a difficult call whether to err on the side of story over intent.. I simply feel the balance was off and both could have been better achieved. .

[No. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is going to sound fake, but I took this off of the shelf of free books that libraries sometimes have and later discovered that "gee, this is an advance reader's copy." but that wasn't really that big of a deal, because, since you can't sell them, sometimes advance reader's copies end up on that shelf. And now it turns out it's not actually out yet, which is kind of like winning your local small-town lottery. It's not a big win, but it's something.
Anyway, I like it, but it was kinda... eh? I know it's just the advance reader's copy, but I just didn't like this as much as I was expecting. One thing I did like, though, was the fact that It wasn't "LOOK LOOK THERES A QUEER CHARACTER YAY REPRESENTATION THIS IS GOING TO BE THE ENTIRE FOCUS OF THE BOOK NOW HAHAHA" I mean, it was discussed, but it wasn't the main focus. I'm not saying that books where it's the main focus aren't perfectly good books, I'm just saying it was nice to get a main character that was queer without the book being all about the fact that they were queer. I thought that the fairy being an atheist, basically, (she doesn't believe in children) was original, but I wish we got to learn more about her and what happened. AND VAN IS A NONBINARY BEAN, OK?
So don't let this review deter you from reading it, please, because it wasn't a bad book, it just wasn't as good as it could have been.

[The Keepers of the Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phoebe is a fairy that doesn’t believe in children. Birdie, Van, and Gem are three children who don’t believe in fairies. Each has a wish that needs granted. Birdie is having trouble understanding her best friend, Gem’s, behavior. Gem isn’t a fan of puberty and feels like no one understands her either. Van just moved from Ireland, hasn’t made any new friends, and is miserable. When her questioning of children’s existence causes her to crash land in Texas, Phoebe needs to find real children to grant wishes for, but they don’t exist! To help here restore her powers and return home to the North Star, Van, Gem, and Birdie team up to help convince Phoebe that they are children. Only their deepest, true desires, however, can be granted as wishes. Can they figure out what their true desires are before it’s too late?

The plot is well-developed, humorous, and engaging. The characters are easy to relate to and realistic. Themes of friendship, new experiences, and growing up help bring the characters’ worlds to life. Readers interested in magical realism, friendship stories, and self-discovery will want to pick this one up. Recommended for most library collections.

Please Note: A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are our own. No other compensation was received.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a comprehensive book encompassing faith, childhood, puberty, friendship, identity and all the struggles and joys associated with each theme. There's a fantasy element with a fairy named Phoebe who grants wishes but finds herself lost and grappling with her own purpose. Then there's the small group of kids who end up recognizing their potential and self-worth through the process of focusing on helping Phoebe. One of the kids is nonbinary and the book made it easier to get used to seeing they/them/we for an individual. Another kid was a developing girl who felt very uncomfortable with her changing body and needed help expressing her concerns. Her younger brother was learning to come into his own and be accepted as one of the group instead of a little kid. The best friend was a slow bloomer with less material advantages who worried about being left behind. There was a clear dive into characters, relatable issues to overcome and an overall pleasant writing style.

[Kyia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite cute, and whimsical. One True Wish is more middle grade than young adult, so unless you are a reader like me who doesn't mind a book written for a much younger audience, simply be aware. But if you are open to stories for all ages, this is a cute and heart warming read of identity, exploration, and magic that also touches on current topics that most readers in the middle grade genre will be aware of.

I admired how the parallels of not believing in children/fairies paralleled the day to day worlds of the characters, as in, not feeling understood because of identity, circumstance, and more. The fantasy books I like most are those that guide us to reflect on topics that may not seem fantastical at all, and it is the mark of a good author to get us thinking about these things and entertaining us with fantasy. This book did that, so I am glad I read it.

[Jen Tucci · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fortunate to obtain a copy of an advanced release book. Good character development, nice little twists making this not your typical fairy story. I love how the 3 kids don't believe in fairies and the fairy doesn't believe in children! I got a little confused about the nuances around why the fairy is here and about the wish granting. Nicely done with a non-binary character without making it all about that character's identity. I thought the struggles of a newly moved middle schooler were authentic. This book helped me launch some interesting discussions with my high school aged daughter about gender identities.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story. At times in the early part of the book, it felt like the the voice was off, like the author was still feeling out how to write sixth graders instead of older YA protagonists, but she managed to find the authentic voice they needed after the first few chapters and the plot really became the primary focus. I enjoyed the interesting take on wish-granting fairies. I wonder how the fairy story was going to wrap up. The book ended without finishing the fairy story, focusing instead on resolving the human relationships that the fairy needed to resolve. Maybe there'll be a follow-up book set in the North Star system. Who knows?

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Senza infamia né lode.
Gradevole, leggero, scorrevole. Ma niente di più. Resta tutto sul superficiale ed è un peccato perché le basi erano davvero buone: le molteplici sfaccettature dell’adolescenza, l’amicizia, il folklore, il rapporto coi genitori, il bullismo, i desideri, i corpi che cambiano.
Ma nulla va in profondità. Si resta costantemente a galla, guardando le cose da lontano, senza toccarle per davvero.
E sinceramente non ho capito il senso del finale, che peraltro chiude la vicenda saltando a piè pari un pezzo di storia che avrebbe meritato finalmente un suo momento.
Ho letto tutta la bibliografia di Lauren e ho letto decisame di meglio (By any other name è splendido per esempio)!

[Maggie Kotkowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, I guess. Read it as a 14 year old, only because it got it for free from the library, so I couldn’t not read it. So I was just reading it to “get through it” but it was a really nice book, and I would’ve loved it as like a third or fourth grader.

[Susan]

I don't know how I forgot to mark this as complete. Thank you to the publisher for this ARC. This is definitely something I would have read in elementary or middle school. Whimsical but hits on current topics.

[Liza]

Dnf because it wasn't really grabbing me.

Also the fact that I had to read about a character stating another character pretends to be an astronaut for SpaceX instead of you know, NASA is a hard nope for me.

[lettrice_compulsiva2.0 Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ogni tanto dimentichiamo le difficoltà che si affrontano alle medie. Le amicizie, le prime cotte, il nostro corpo che cambia. Un libro che aiuta le nuove generazioni ad affrontare i problemi in modo diverso.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked Phoebe and the concept of the fairy world. I guess I just could not handle the children's middle school angst.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Recieved ARC. It could've been a good story, but proved to be a very early disappointment.

[Kiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was very healing to read. I'm glad to see each of these kids figuring out what they really wanted and why they wanted it, and for them to feel their feelings.

[Krysta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Source: publisher giveaway

[Nicki Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cute. A little younger than YA in my opinion.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

One True Wish: DNF. Just wasn't grabbing my attention.

[Ezrah Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Talks down to a middle school audience a bit, better fit for 4th/5th grades.

[Cecilia Rodriguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in Wichita Falls Texas, when Phoebe the wish granting fairy crash lands in Van’s backyard, it’s up to collaborating with two other children to help Phoebe get back home.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oggi sono qui per parlarvi di un'altra bellissima opera arrivata nelle nostre librerie.

Come sapete sono una grande amante del genere, quindi potevo mai farmelo scappare? Assolutamente no.

Ammetto che ho conosciuto l'autrice tantissimi anni fa con la sua opera Fallan.

Ricordo di averla amata ma poi, quando sono cresciuta e l'ho riletta, l'ho trovata sciocca e infantile nonché piena di cliché.

Ma cosa vuol dire questo, che l'autrice non sia brava? Tutt'altro! Vuol dire che è brava con il genere a cui si rivolge, se a quattordici e sedici anni l'ho amata, e questo è anche il caso di questa sua nuova opera invece rivolta a un target molto più giovane, dai nove anni di età.

La storia è esattamente quindi quella che ci si aspetta per un libro per bambini/ragazzini che parla del mondo della magia, un po' come Colfer giocava con Land of Stories, così la Kate gioca con la cresciuta di diversi personaggi, bambini che col tempo si ritrovano a diventare adulti e i desideri, quei desideri che ci accompagnano sempre, nella vita, e che ci fanno rendere conto che non siamo mai, infondo, cresciuti davvero abbastanza.

Ho adorato tutto di questo romanzo: la caratterizzazione dei personaggi, il worldbuilding, la trama e il mondo in cui si muovono i protagonisti, ogni cosa! Era tutto così vivo che a conclusione del libro ne volevo di più.

Che cosa dire, quindi, se non che consiglio assolutamente a tutti di recuperare questa meravigliosa opera!