Wishbone

by Justine Pucella Winans

Coraline meets Ghost Squad in this terrifying story about what happens when you aren't careful what you wish for.

Ollie wishes things could be different. He wishes his parents would stop fighting. He wishes his sister Mia didn’t have to worry about paying for college. He wishes people would accept him for who he is. Most of all, he wishes he wasn’t so angry about all of this.

When he and Mia find a two-tailed cat they name Wishbone, Ollie takes comfort in telling him everything he wishes would change—then, it does. Everything Ollie and Mia wish for comes true, and it’s like all of their problems are solved. But magic comes at a price. Their wishes have consequences, and a mysterious shadow man called The Mage is after Wishbone. Darkness is overtaking their world, and worst of all, it threatens to take over Ollie, too. Can he let go of everything he’s ever wanted, or will he let evil win?

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Horror, Childrens, Queer

304 pages, Hardcover

First published September 17, 2024

About the author

Justine Pucella Winans (they/she) is a critically acclaimed and award winning author of queer fiction. They have written a variety of funny and/or scary books across age ranges, receiving accolades such as a Stonewall Honor, Indies Introduce, Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections, and multiple starred reviews. When not writing, she can be found taking too many photos of her cats, training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, actively avoiding real life scary situations, and working their true goal of becoming a Pokémon trainer.

Reviews

[Raaven💖 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Justine has become an auto read author of mine. Their writing always speaks to me. If I need a pick me up with horror elements and queer rep I know that their books will be there. I hadn’t read any middle grade books this month so I thought this would be a good pick to continue on with the summer horror I’ve been reading.

Ollie is a very flawed character and that’s what makes him so appealing. He’s 12 and tired of being treated differently because he’s trans. Everyone wants to be understood, and Ollie is done with bullies and transphobic comments online. I also learned what the term Demiboy means from this book so thank you! A few times Ollie was frustrating to me and I wanted to shake him, but I think that comes with being 12 as well.

This book gave excellent messages about being able to control your anger and not let it consume you. It also talks about being true to yourself and finding people who love you for you no matter what. There’s a healthy dose of scary scenes for kids who like horror elements as well, but nothing too gory or graphic. I’m always in for Justine’s vivid nightmare worlds.

There’s also good conversation about the importance of relationships. I really enjoyed the family dynamic between Mia and Ollie. Mia was an awesome big sister and it’s always refreshing to see siblings get along so well. The friendships here are just as important, and Noah and Lauren were great to show how flawed Ollie’s feelings of having friends were and how much his growth changed those feelings.

I have a soft spot for stories about wishes that go horribly wrong and this was a fun read. Wishbone and crew were adorable and the end was wholesome and heartwarming. This is a solid middle grade books and another one from Justine that I loved!

[Justine Winans]

This book means a lot to me and I hope you all enjoy it!

CW: neglectful parents, mention of divorce, implied and off page (in past) animal abuse (the titular cat will be okay, promise), mentions of homophobia/transphobia, bullying

Queer rep: demiboy protagonist and supporting characters that identify as bisexual, lesbian, and gay.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the magic idea and the author worked hard to have the magical problems directly reflect the emotional plot without ever spelling that out. But I struggled to like the protagonist who had reacted to being dealt some bad cards by becoming mean himself. Also it turned into a bit of a kissing book, which is never my preference in middle grade.

On the positive side, I like the representation. Ollie was comfortable in himself as a trans boy and only hated the bullying he got from his peers. His baking skills were fun.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of Justine's books are deeply ingrained on my soul, but WISHBONE is special. It is an achingly wonderful story of anger, generational trauma, and a magic cat that grants wishes.

It touched me in personal ways that are hard to put into words, but let's just say the idea of curses and rage and being so imperfect its hard to put your fractured pieces together in a way that makes sense hit their mark. I love this book so, so much. I cannot overstate how good it is.

[Sasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.25 stars

wishbone is such a creative and horrific embodiment of "be careful what you wish for." there were a lot of fun and unique things about the way magic works in this world in a give-take way that will stick with me for a long time, especially with regards to wishbone. for all of its strengths, this book made me realize that i hate the way child characters don't have good coping mechanisms, get really defensive as a result of their upbringing, are frequently stubborn in their conviction to be correct vs corrected, misdirect their frustrations at loved ones, and turn into bullies because they either can't verbalize their feelings or their pride gets in the way (which was both in this case). i know it's not realistic to expect children to be equipped with the communication skills of a fully-grown adult who's had therapy and is in their 30's but a combination of all??? it was like falling into a loophole of reading situations with the miscommunication trope every chapter.

the main character was very frustrating to read from for the first 80% of the novel. if it wasn't one thing, it was always another. i get that it's very difficult to make child protagonists who aren't annoying but when people pull it off, it can be done so well. it only worked for wishbone in the last 20% but there were really memorable moments throughout. sam krochmal did an incredible job narrating the novel and i'm convinced that if i only read this physically, i would have dnf'd. all in all still a fun ride, really horrifying especially for a middle grade novel, and the trans representation is wonderful to see and i want more.

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cover artist: george bletsis (geebletsis)

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wishbone is an atmospheric, creepy, clever story that truly uses the "Be careful what you wish for," theme perfectly. With Ollie, Mia, and Wishbone leading the delightful cast of characters, I felt so invested in their wishes, fears, and hauntings. Though the obvious comp here is Pucella Winan's MG debut, THE OTHERWOODS (and, certainly, fans of that book will adore this one!), it also just reminded me of classic spooky tales I loved when I was younger; Goosebumps, Are You Afraid of the Dark, etc., with the added layers of queer identity and joy, a family in transition, and wanting things so desperately they split the world in two. And, I mean, you just have to love a cat with two tales. You just have to.

[Seras23 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author's dedication in this book is beautiful and I think it should be highlighted: "To all of us who need to hear that even at your most unlikable you are never unlovable and even at your most uncertain you have always been enough" and the way that this plays out in the book is one of the biggest strengths of this book. Ollie has a lot of flaws, and he's not always the most likable character, but I think that is actually a big plus for this book. He grows, though it takes a while, and his conversation with Lauren near the end of the book is really important. The story itself is engaging, and of course Wishbone the cat is delightful. There is so much to love about this book, and I hope that it gets into the hands of tons of children (and adults). I especially adored the ending.

[Tara Kat (MagnoliaPigeonBookBlurbs) · Rating 5 out of 5]

First things first - if Justine Pucella Winans writes it - I’m going to read it! The Otherwoods is one of my time favorites & as soon as I saw the blurb for Wishbone I knew I was going to love it! Wishbone is paws-itively meow-gical!! This middle grade horror is full of mystery, magic, friendship, creeptastic unknowns and the most adorable cat with some very surprising abilities! It delivers an original twist on the “be careful what you wish for” fairytale while keeping the story engaging and relatable. 10/10 recommend picking up Wishbone and the entirety of Justine Pucella Winans’s backlist! 📚

[Mary Averling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creepy and heart-wrenching and delightfully imaginative. WISHBONE is going to become a favourite for many, many readers. What's not to love? There's a magical cat, a twisted mirror dimension, Curses With Consequences (my favourite) and underscoring it all, a beautifully vulnerable exploration of gender identity, complex family matters, and what it means to belong. Justine Pucella Winans is SUCH a pro at combining all these fantastical & realistic threads in a wonderfully accessible, thematic way--it's the definition of "horror with heart" and makes me SO excited for whatever they write next.

[Zach Humphrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The true magic of Winan’s fantasy novels is the way genderqueer kids (and adults) will feel so seen while reading. The constant oscillation between humor/joy/light and such real trauma/hurt/dysphoria/rage made for the perfect mix of magic and curses (iykyk). In my opinion, this is easily their best book yet. Sincerely, an angry demigirl who knows what it’s like to have a magical cat companion 💞

[Emily]

I really wanted to like this new middle grade book, but I could never get my mind movie going enough to imagine the story line in my head. There may be some readers who will enjoy this one, but I am not one of them.

[Jami Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first, I didn't think I was going to like this book. After a few chapters, it started to grow on me. I definitely got Stranger Things vibes because of the different realm factor. Overall, I liked the creativity and originality of the book.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC read - review to follow

[senna]

Somehow I think this is the first MG horror I’ve read and I think Winans did a fantastic job!!

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adventurous, dark, and funny.