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You Wish
Kayla McHenry's sweet sixteen sucks! Her dad left, her grades dropped, and her BFF is dating the boy Kayla's secretly loved for years. Blowing out her candles, Kayla thinks: "I wish my birthday wishes actually came true. Because they never freakin? do." Kayla wakes the next day to a life-sized, bright pink My Little Pony outside her window. Then a year's supply of gumballs arrives. A boy named Ken with a disturbing resemblance to the doll of the same name stalks her. As the ghosts of Kayla's wishes-past appear, they take her on a wild ride . . . but they MUST STOP. Because when she was fifteen? She wished Ben Mackenzie would kiss her. And Ben is her best friend's boyfriend.
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First published July 29, 2010
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About the author
Mandy Hubbard
11 books811 followersMandy Hubbard is the author of PRADA & PREJUDICE and YOU WISH, both novels for teens now in stores. In 2011, her releases include BUT I LOVE HIM (written as Amanda Grace) and RIPPLE. She is also a literary agent for D4EO Literary Agency. For more information, visit her website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 524 reviews
October 16, 2010
Okay, I know that you're probably rolling your eyes at the bright pink cover, and trust me I was totally there. I get it, I really do. The premise of the books just sounded too hilarious to pass up though and I surprisingly found an actual depth to this book that was totally unexpected. I’m rounding this up from a 4.5, and I’m so glad that I didn’t let my sarcastic and suspicious tendency keep me from reading it.
Quick Overview: Kayla has just had the worst sweet sixteen party possible. Her best friend Nicole, has ditched her to go out with her boyfriend, furthering the distance she feels is coming between them. The only person she recognizes is the most evil girl at her school (I know how this looks, but you’re gonna have to trust me) who is there to witness her pukalicious pink party. Yeah, things suck right now. And Kayla is tired of it. When she blows out the candles of her monstrous pink cake she angrily wishes her birthday wishes actually came true for once. The next day she wakes up to a weird pink pony with an ice cream cone imprinted on its butt grazing in her lawn, and then a room full of gumballs. She finally figures that something weird is up when some people who alarming resemble things you would find in the toy section show up. Her birthday wishes are coming true, and she has to stop it soon because one of her wishes was to kiss her long time crush, Ben. Which wouldn't be a problem if he wasn't dating her best friend. Let the freak outs begin.
I know the fluffy pink cover doesn't scream intelligence, but the irony is that it is totally fitting. I didn't think I would like the book this much, but I just loved the message and I feel like I could relate to it. I admit that at first I was not feeling it. Kayla came off as bratty, annoyingly judgmental, and always talking about "perfect" Ben. Not to mention that she kept talking about how things with skulls and crossbones was cute (Sorry, but I never, EVER think that cadaver skulls can be cute. Maybe I'm just too old-school like that). This is really a story of change and growing up though so it was really great to see her realize that wasn't who she wanted to be.
Obviously I have to mention how funny it was. The more I read the book the funnier things got. It's a good thing I didn't read this in public because at one point involving pecs (that's all I'm saying) I started using my fist to cover my snorting laughter, saying "Nu-uh!". I'm pretty sure I would've looked like a mental case. I could feel Kayla's anxiety and I was right there feeling totally embarrassed and mortified along with her. What I really liked though was the message of it. Kayla really grows up and realizes that she doesn't have to just complain about her life. She can choose to be happy and be the person she wants.
I know that if I took the time, and read a bunch of other reviews I could easily find stuff to scoff and roll my eyes at (I guess I can relate to the main character in that), but I just don't feel like doing that. I really enjoyed reading this and I hope that despite the cover (Which after reading the book, I think is perfect) people will give this a chance. It’s absolutely hilarious and tells a message that can always be learned again.
Quick Overview: Kayla has just had the worst sweet sixteen party possible. Her best friend Nicole, has ditched her to go out with her boyfriend, furthering the distance she feels is coming between them. The only person she recognizes is the most evil girl at her school (I know how this looks, but you’re gonna have to trust me) who is there to witness her pukalicious pink party. Yeah, things suck right now. And Kayla is tired of it. When she blows out the candles of her monstrous pink cake she angrily wishes her birthday wishes actually came true for once. The next day she wakes up to a weird pink pony with an ice cream cone imprinted on its butt grazing in her lawn, and then a room full of gumballs. She finally figures that something weird is up when some people who alarming resemble things you would find in the toy section show up. Her birthday wishes are coming true, and she has to stop it soon because one of her wishes was to kiss her long time crush, Ben. Which wouldn't be a problem if he wasn't dating her best friend. Let the freak outs begin.
I know the fluffy pink cover doesn't scream intelligence, but the irony is that it is totally fitting. I didn't think I would like the book this much, but I just loved the message and I feel like I could relate to it. I admit that at first I was not feeling it. Kayla came off as bratty, annoyingly judgmental, and always talking about "perfect" Ben. Not to mention that she kept talking about how things with skulls and crossbones was cute (Sorry, but I never, EVER think that cadaver skulls can be cute. Maybe I'm just too old-school like that). This is really a story of change and growing up though so it was really great to see her realize that wasn't who she wanted to be.
Obviously I have to mention how funny it was. The more I read the book the funnier things got. It's a good thing I didn't read this in public because at one point involving pecs (that's all I'm saying) I started using my fist to cover my snorting laughter, saying "Nu-uh!". I'm pretty sure I would've looked like a mental case. I could feel Kayla's anxiety and I was right there feeling totally embarrassed and mortified along with her. What I really liked though was the message of it. Kayla really grows up and realizes that she doesn't have to just complain about her life. She can choose to be happy and be the person she wants.
I know that if I took the time, and read a bunch of other reviews I could easily find stuff to scoff and roll my eyes at (I guess I can relate to the main character in that), but I just don't feel like doing that. I really enjoyed reading this and I hope that despite the cover (Which after reading the book, I think is perfect) people will give this a chance. It’s absolutely hilarious and tells a message that can always be learned again.
March 26, 2010
Not only is YOU WISH charming, heartbreaking, and hilarious, it's also one of those books you literally cannot put down. It's definitely a book I'm going to reread again and again--I loved every moment! It's absolutely wonderful.
March 30, 2010
My Thoughts: I first saw this book months ago. Probably the moment it was put up on amazon. I knew I had to read it and it would be one of my most anticipated books of 2010. We meet Kayla who is just a normal girl, not popular and not unpopular, just like most teenage girls; they are just themselves and fit in a little bit of everywhere. I could instantly identify with her. She has a best friend since forever and than there is the super dreamy guy named Ben she's madly in love with. Of course he also happened to start dating her best friend. Nobody but Kayla knows about her feelings for him. Nothing can just be easy for her. Her dad left, her mom's always busy, her brother is annoying, her best friend is acting weird, and the guy she has her eyes on is dating someone else! On her 16th birthday her mom throws her a party and she blows out the candles. She wishes that her wishes actually came true ,because whats the point of wishing it nothing ever happens? Her party is basically a disaster. She wakes up the next day to find a teenage girl named Raggedy Ann in her closet. One by one her wishes start coming true! This book was so much fun! I couldn't put it down, I even took it to Dairy Queen with me. I loved every second of this! I laughed so hard at some of the wishes. This book could have been written about me (and every other teenage girl who has ever been alive)! I felt as though I could relate to it 100%, no doubts in my mind! I think it relates to every girl who has ever wished her doll came to life or for a hot pink pony (yes that was me as a kid) or for that hot boy to kiss her. She tries desperately to remember all the wishes she could have made growing up so she'd at least know what to expect but how can you remember what you wished for on your birthday when you were 8 or 9? The wish that does stick out in her mind though is her 15th birthday wish. She wished Ben would kiss her! OH NO!!!!!
Kayla always finds herself in sticky uncomfortable situations. Especially around Ben. These things just keep happening to her when he's around! She falls out of desks and does everything possible to ignore him, so than there is no chance he'll kiss her! I especially liked Ben! He was so dreamy and I wanted him to want her so bad. I loved the chemistry. I loved it all. You Wish is brilliant! Funny. It makes you want to jump up and down wishing for that pony or having your own gumballs fall out of your pockets! It will keep you up all night reading wanting to know what-else Kayla wished for!
I loved love loved loved this book! I just can't praise it enough. It it so cute! It is so funny! And with the romance between Ben and Kayla thrown in, its one of the best books I've read all year! I recommend this to all you who love a cute romance and lots of laughs! If you want to keep yourself sane until August and get a taste of Mandy's awesome books, go buy Prada And Prejudice to hold you over until than!
Overall:This book is yummy. It is addicting! You will start reading and want to know what her other wishes were! You will feel like your on a journey with Kayla while all her wishes unravel right before your eyes! If I could give this book more than 5 cupcakes I would. Heck, I'd give it a whole cake. This book was amazing. It was so darn cute, I'm still grinning from ear to ear about it!
Cover: Love it! Whats not to love? A hot pink cover, a cupcake with a pony! Perfection!
Kayla always finds herself in sticky uncomfortable situations. Especially around Ben. These things just keep happening to her when he's around! She falls out of desks and does everything possible to ignore him, so than there is no chance he'll kiss her! I especially liked Ben! He was so dreamy and I wanted him to want her so bad. I loved the chemistry. I loved it all. You Wish is brilliant! Funny. It makes you want to jump up and down wishing for that pony or having your own gumballs fall out of your pockets! It will keep you up all night reading wanting to know what-else Kayla wished for!
I loved love loved loved this book! I just can't praise it enough. It it so cute! It is so funny! And with the romance between Ben and Kayla thrown in, its one of the best books I've read all year! I recommend this to all you who love a cute romance and lots of laughs! If you want to keep yourself sane until August and get a taste of Mandy's awesome books, go buy Prada And Prejudice to hold you over until than!
Overall:This book is yummy. It is addicting! You will start reading and want to know what her other wishes were! You will feel like your on a journey with Kayla while all her wishes unravel right before your eyes! If I could give this book more than 5 cupcakes I would. Heck, I'd give it a whole cake. This book was amazing. It was so darn cute, I'm still grinning from ear to ear about it!
Cover: Love it! Whats not to love? A hot pink cover, a cupcake with a pony! Perfection!
September 1, 2010
"Be careful what you wish for."
March 20, 2015
I wish my birthday wishes actually came true. Because they never freakin' do.
Don't know about you, but I remember being very silly while making a wish for my birthdays.
A barbie-alike friend? Totally me!
A room full of chocolate and other sweets? Oh, boy.. I might still want to make this wish. Add some ice-cream and some M&Ms and please make it true :P
A kiss from my crush? You bet!
Big boobs? Ha haa, that too!
I remember wishing for a "Saylor Moon" costume (in fact Jupiter was my favorite, so a 'Sailor Jupiter' costume), and a tree house (I still want that), I remember falling in love with Leonardo DiCaprio after watching Titanic and totally dreaming about him (if there was no birthday wish about him, I might have asked Santa in a letter LOL).
So what if all my birthday wishes came to life in this particular moment? Would it be fun? Well, yeah, for you it would probably be, for me.. ahh.. not so much!
So this book is all about silly wishes (great silly wishes) and trying to get out of this situation, because when Kayla wants her wishes to come true (because they never freakin' do!) she doesn't have any idea that this time they really will.
I bed she wants her younger self to have been a bit smarter (not smarter, more like 'more mature') and make wishes about something less embarrassing - and not a pink pony, or dolls, or..
No, no, no, I won't spoil her wishes for you.. If you need something fun to read, pick up this book and enjoy all its silliness and the next time you make a wish - be careful what you wish for, because it might come true ;)
3.5 smiles.. I mean, stars :)
Review originally posted at ReadingAfterMidnight.com
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October 18, 2010
You Wish is an addictive, wild and quirky read that cleverly manages to explore some meaningful themes under the madness.
You Wish was always unexpected - anything could happen with the wishes and the way they cropped up in Kayla's life was so creative. It really felt like Mandy Hubbard had a blast while writing this, letting her imagination go wild. She wreaked havoc on poor Kayla with so many cringe-worthy and hilarious situations.
Despite the craziness of the wishes - it did have me thinking about things I've wished for and reminded me of that lovely innocence and make-believe of childhood. At it's core it's a classic coming of age story - Kayla is in a swirl of her childhood wishes while watching others around her growing up and changing (including her best friend who suddenly blossoms and is leaving Kayla behind for the popular crowd).
As a protag, Kayla is very relatable: she is confident in who she is but unsure of her place among her peers and so wants to be accepted for her quirky, slightly geeky self. She's also crushing on her best friends boyfriend - I think teen readers will find it easy to crush on Ben too - he's pretty spunky, with his grin and motorbike tricks and easy-going nature.
You Wish is an infectious kind of read - dizzying with wackiness yet touching with some genuinely heart-felt moments.
I recommend this to teens (and it would also appeal to mature pre-teens) who are looking for a fun, quirky and unpredictable read - this could easily cross over into upper MG with it's clean story (no swearing/illicit substances/sex). It's also perfect for reluctant readers, with it's fast pace and accessible prose.
On occasion it was a touch too cute for my tastes - but I think it's spot on for the audience it is written for :)
You Wish was always unexpected - anything could happen with the wishes and the way they cropped up in Kayla's life was so creative. It really felt like Mandy Hubbard had a blast while writing this, letting her imagination go wild. She wreaked havoc on poor Kayla with so many cringe-worthy and hilarious situations.
Despite the craziness of the wishes - it did have me thinking about things I've wished for and reminded me of that lovely innocence and make-believe of childhood. At it's core it's a classic coming of age story - Kayla is in a swirl of her childhood wishes while watching others around her growing up and changing (including her best friend who suddenly blossoms and is leaving Kayla behind for the popular crowd).
As a protag, Kayla is very relatable: she is confident in who she is but unsure of her place among her peers and so wants to be accepted for her quirky, slightly geeky self. She's also crushing on her best friends boyfriend - I think teen readers will find it easy to crush on Ben too - he's pretty spunky, with his grin and motorbike tricks and easy-going nature.
You Wish is an infectious kind of read - dizzying with wackiness yet touching with some genuinely heart-felt moments.
I recommend this to teens (and it would also appeal to mature pre-teens) who are looking for a fun, quirky and unpredictable read - this could easily cross over into upper MG with it's clean story (no swearing/illicit substances/sex). It's also perfect for reluctant readers, with it's fast pace and accessible prose.
On occasion it was a touch too cute for my tastes - but I think it's spot on for the audience it is written for :)
June 30, 2011
I read this synopsis and immediately put a hold on it at the library. I thought it sounded original and hilarious. I had high hopes for it, so as soon as I picked it up, I dove into it.
And that's when it started to go downhill.
Let me say first off, overall, I found this book enjoyable. However, it just did not live up to the expectations I had after reading the synopsis. The main character, Kayla, wasn't very likeable in my opinion. She has this whole cynical grunge thing going on which I would have identified with if I had read this in middle school, but now I just found it annoying. The guy she was interested in didn't have great appeal to me, and when I read a romance story, I want to be in love with the person that my heroine is in love with. And I just wasn't. Kayla's best friend was alright, but I never felt like her character was developed enough for me to connect with. The only character I really enjoyed was Ann, the doll who came to life. Her childishness and naivety were amusing and fun.
As for the plot and writing, there were some funny moments, but not as many as I expected there to be. Also, I expected the pace to seem much quicker so I wouldn't want to put the book down, but I found it very easy to put down. The pace wasn't slow exactly; I mean, it wasn't painful to read. It was just all around average.
To sum it up, I'd say You Wish by Mandy Hubbard is an easy, quick read with some humorous moments, but overall forgettable.
And that's when it started to go downhill.
Let me say first off, overall, I found this book enjoyable. However, it just did not live up to the expectations I had after reading the synopsis. The main character, Kayla, wasn't very likeable in my opinion. She has this whole cynical grunge thing going on which I would have identified with if I had read this in middle school, but now I just found it annoying. The guy she was interested in didn't have great appeal to me, and when I read a romance story, I want to be in love with the person that my heroine is in love with. And I just wasn't. Kayla's best friend was alright, but I never felt like her character was developed enough for me to connect with. The only character I really enjoyed was Ann, the doll who came to life. Her childishness and naivety were amusing and fun.
As for the plot and writing, there were some funny moments, but not as many as I expected there to be. Also, I expected the pace to seem much quicker so I wouldn't want to put the book down, but I found it very easy to put down. The pace wasn't slow exactly; I mean, it wasn't painful to read. It was just all around average.
To sum it up, I'd say You Wish by Mandy Hubbard is an easy, quick read with some humorous moments, but overall forgettable.
April 1, 2011
Looking at the cover of this book (which is pretty much in pink), I thought it would all be about a young girl and her childish adventures. And in some way, I was actually right. But it was deeper than that... So much deeper.
You Wish is about the whirlwind of events in Kayla McHenry' s life just because of her Sweet Sixteen's birthday wish which in turn made her past birthday wishes come true (well actually, not all, only 14, it surely doesn't include her wish when she was one). Now she has to go through 2 weeks with one birthday wish coming to life each day. She encounters a pony, gum balls, a doll named Ann, Barbie's Ken and so much more but she has to undo all of these before what she fears the most will happen--- kissing Ben, her bestfriend Nicoles' s boyfriend.
Although it seemed to me that Kayla would just be reliving her childhood memories and what she used to be when she was a child, but these actually contributed to the development of her character. Ann, for example, opened up her eyes to the things that she has been avoiding and denying for the past years. The two weeks have also made her realize that it was her choice to suffer from these problems, to have only one friend, to be a loner and to be angry at her mother. It's really amazing how in a short amount of time, she rediscovers herself, fixes her issues with Nicole and finally gets the courage to ask Ben out (and even kiss him!).
It just would've been better if Kayla' s issues with her father were resolved or if more details on her relationship with her mother were given. I also can't help but wonder how Kayla was able to forgive Nicole so easily for ditching her to hang out with her new friends. I know, I know, she has her reason and she actually has a point but it still doesn't her the right to just leave her bestfriend. Maybe she should have trusted Kayla enough, that maybe she has changed and that she would not make fun of her wanting to be popular and that she would instead support her since she was still her bestfriend. Another thing, why and how she has made her sweet sixteen' s wish come true still remains a mystery. Was it something with the party or was it the cake? Hmm. It still gives the readers something to ponder upon.
This book, You Wish, lets us embrace our inner "childness" and allows us to remember that who we were when we were still young somehow reflects who we are now, no matter how different we have become. It shows how one wish can change everything, in a good or bad way. And that when our wishes finally do come true, we may not love all of them and even regret these wishes. Indeed, we should remember: "Be careful what you wish for." It also points out the power of the choices we make, how it changes our lives, but at the same time, it tells us how we could still manage to fix these choices in some way to open up a new chapter in our lives.
You Wish is about the whirlwind of events in Kayla McHenry' s life just because of her Sweet Sixteen's birthday wish which in turn made her past birthday wishes come true (well actually, not all, only 14, it surely doesn't include her wish when she was one). Now she has to go through 2 weeks with one birthday wish coming to life each day. She encounters a pony, gum balls, a doll named Ann, Barbie's Ken and so much more but she has to undo all of these before what she fears the most will happen--- kissing Ben, her bestfriend Nicoles' s boyfriend.
Although it seemed to me that Kayla would just be reliving her childhood memories and what she used to be when she was a child, but these actually contributed to the development of her character. Ann, for example, opened up her eyes to the things that she has been avoiding and denying for the past years. The two weeks have also made her realize that it was her choice to suffer from these problems, to have only one friend, to be a loner and to be angry at her mother. It's really amazing how in a short amount of time, she rediscovers herself, fixes her issues with Nicole and finally gets the courage to ask Ben out (and even kiss him!).
It just would've been better if Kayla' s issues with her father were resolved or if more details on her relationship with her mother were given. I also can't help but wonder how Kayla was able to forgive Nicole so easily for ditching her to hang out with her new friends. I know, I know, she has her reason and she actually has a point but it still doesn't her the right to just leave her bestfriend. Maybe she should have trusted Kayla enough, that maybe she has changed and that she would not make fun of her wanting to be popular and that she would instead support her since she was still her bestfriend. Another thing, why and how she has made her sweet sixteen' s wish come true still remains a mystery. Was it something with the party or was it the cake? Hmm. It still gives the readers something to ponder upon.
This book, You Wish, lets us embrace our inner "childness" and allows us to remember that who we were when we were still young somehow reflects who we are now, no matter how different we have become. It shows how one wish can change everything, in a good or bad way. And that when our wishes finally do come true, we may not love all of them and even regret these wishes. Indeed, we should remember: "Be careful what you wish for." It also points out the power of the choices we make, how it changes our lives, but at the same time, it tells us how we could still manage to fix these choices in some way to open up a new chapter in our lives.
November 4, 2012
3.5 stars
Brief summary:
Kayla is a bit of misfit, cynical and disenchanted. When her sixteenth birthday party is a disaster, she makes a wish that all her wishes actually would come true. Each day for the next two weeks she receives one of her past birthday wishes. These include everything from suddenly knowing perfect Italian to having the ability to turn into a mermaid.
Kayla lives in fear of her final wish coming true, the one she made on her 15th birthday that Ben would kiss her. Ben is her best friend Nicole's boyfriend and the boy Kayla has been secretly in love with for years. As the wishes wreak havoc with her life, she wonders if she even still has a best friend. In addition, she is fast becoming an outcast at school, and she's fighting with her mother. In the end, the wishes do finally disappear, but not before Kayla learns some valuable life lessons.
Review:
It started out a little slow, but it did pick up towards the end. I wouldn't say this was laugh out loud funny, but it was amusing. I liked Kayla as a character. She was very independent and self aware. I also liked Ben, and although he wasn't a super developed character, I totally understood why he was crush worthy.
The plot was pretty straight forward and resolved itself in a pretty predictable manner. Kayla learns to enjoy people and experiences again as she once did as a child, without pessimism and without fear of what others might think or expect from her. She learns the danger of labeling people and that even if a person changes, she can still be your friend.
I think the author could have had Kayla have a little more fun with her wishes. I was even kind of hoping that one or two of her wishes could have stuck around in the end. Overall, this was an easy read with a touch of whimsy and a touch of fairy tale.
Brief summary:
Kayla is a bit of misfit, cynical and disenchanted. When her sixteenth birthday party is a disaster, she makes a wish that all her wishes actually would come true. Each day for the next two weeks she receives one of her past birthday wishes. These include everything from suddenly knowing perfect Italian to having the ability to turn into a mermaid.
Kayla lives in fear of her final wish coming true, the one she made on her 15th birthday that Ben would kiss her. Ben is her best friend Nicole's boyfriend and the boy Kayla has been secretly in love with for years. As the wishes wreak havoc with her life, she wonders if she even still has a best friend. In addition, she is fast becoming an outcast at school, and she's fighting with her mother. In the end, the wishes do finally disappear, but not before Kayla learns some valuable life lessons.
Review:
It started out a little slow, but it did pick up towards the end. I wouldn't say this was laugh out loud funny, but it was amusing. I liked Kayla as a character. She was very independent and self aware. I also liked Ben, and although he wasn't a super developed character, I totally understood why he was crush worthy.
The plot was pretty straight forward and resolved itself in a pretty predictable manner. Kayla learns to enjoy people and experiences again as she once did as a child, without pessimism and without fear of what others might think or expect from her. She learns the danger of labeling people and that even if a person changes, she can still be your friend.
I think the author could have had Kayla have a little more fun with her wishes. I was even kind of hoping that one or two of her wishes could have stuck around in the end. Overall, this was an easy read with a touch of whimsy and a touch of fairy tale.
November 5, 2014
What would you do if all the birthday wishes you've ever made in your life come true? Me? I'd probably be a 5"9 genius/billionaire/actress married to Daniel Radcliffe (I had weird wishes -- ambitious, but weird).
Kayla McHenry had eccentric wishes of her own and when her 16th birthday came she got the surprise of her life. She had a real-life My Little Pony, a Raggedy Ann bff, and a Ken doll boyfriend to name a few. Her crazy and all out hilarious scenarios were a good reading experience.
I did like the self-realization Kayla reached at the end, not only did it make me reflect on my own personal growth but it made me rejoice in the individual that I have become.
In the book I didn't like Nicole all that much. I mean it was good that she wanted to pursue her dreams but still ahe was pretty shallow. You don't need to transform into a perfect barbie doll kind of girl to gain recognition and feel proud of yourself, you just have to believe in yourself.
But anyway, I liked this book. It was funny and cute and memorable for me. I recommend it to middle schoolers and people who want a light, humorous read.
Kayla McHenry had eccentric wishes of her own and when her 16th birthday came she got the surprise of her life. She had a real-life My Little Pony, a Raggedy Ann bff, and a Ken doll boyfriend to name a few. Her crazy and all out hilarious scenarios were a good reading experience.
I did like the self-realization Kayla reached at the end, not only did it make me reflect on my own personal growth but it made me rejoice in the individual that I have become.
In the book I didn't like Nicole all that much. I mean it was good that she wanted to pursue her dreams but still ahe was pretty shallow. You don't need to transform into a perfect barbie doll kind of girl to gain recognition and feel proud of yourself, you just have to believe in yourself.
But anyway, I liked this book. It was funny and cute and memorable for me. I recommend it to middle schoolers and people who want a light, humorous read.
February 25, 2025
As a 40-something picking up something that was CLEARLY a young adult book, I have absolutely no basis to complain that it was TOO young adult for me. And yet…
This one was mostly fun/partly cringe. How do you make the birthday of a 16-year-old whose mother threw her a Sweet 16 she didn’t want (apparently on a school night? Is that a thing?) and whose best friend forgot about it and instead celebrated her three month anniversary with her new boyfriend who, by the way, she is in love with, even worse? (Yes I realize that was a crazy run on sentence). Start making all of her birthday wishes come true every day for the next two weeks. And by “all”, I mean all - dating back to as long as she was old enough to make birthday wishes.
This sounds highly entertaining - and at times it was. But it also reminded me of just how far away I am from 16 (as much as I hate to admit it). Kayla came across as obnoxious to me - don’t get me wrong, I love expressions of individuality, but her whole “thing” wasn’t about “being herself”; it was more about “not being everybody else” who she felt she was too good for. And to her credit she eventually realizes this - but it was a bit too little too late to endear her to me. The constant early 2010s pop culture references also made me crazy, not because they were dated but because there were so many of them.
Overall I think this one would definitely be enjoyed more by the younger audience it was intended for. 2.5 stars, rounded up.
This one was mostly fun/partly cringe. How do you make the birthday of a 16-year-old whose mother threw her a Sweet 16 she didn’t want (apparently on a school night? Is that a thing?) and whose best friend forgot about it and instead celebrated her three month anniversary with her new boyfriend who, by the way, she is in love with, even worse? (Yes I realize that was a crazy run on sentence). Start making all of her birthday wishes come true every day for the next two weeks. And by “all”, I mean all - dating back to as long as she was old enough to make birthday wishes.
This sounds highly entertaining - and at times it was. But it also reminded me of just how far away I am from 16 (as much as I hate to admit it). Kayla came across as obnoxious to me - don’t get me wrong, I love expressions of individuality, but her whole “thing” wasn’t about “being herself”; it was more about “not being everybody else” who she felt she was too good for. And to her credit she eventually realizes this - but it was a bit too little too late to endear her to me. The constant early 2010s pop culture references also made me crazy, not because they were dated but because there were so many of them.
Overall I think this one would definitely be enjoyed more by the younger audience it was intended for. 2.5 stars, rounded up.
September 23, 2011
This book is about a 16 year old girl who is madly in love with her best friends boyfriend, and is battling with the Queen Bee of her high school (already so cliche it hurts)
Then her birthday rolls around and she blows out the candle and wishes that all of he wishes would finally come true.
And so she wakes up the next morning to find a bright pink live sized my little pony outside her window. You'd expect the book to get funny and moderately enjoyable around this time, but it didn't at ALL the writing stayed boring, and the plot didn't pick up in the least. I was just as bored reading Kayla's encounter with the pony of her 5 year old self's dreams as I was reading about Kayla and her oh so torturous fishnets, and how Ben thinks they're "Hot".
But not only was the writing boring, it was god frickin' awful. Not to mention inconsistent. One minute, Ben's wearing loose fitting clothes, and the next his shirt is so tight you can see his muscles bulging out of it.
When she's not CHANGING details from one page to another, she's overusing phrases. Maybe she should do viceversa, and her writing might not suck quite this much? Don't get me wrong, she'd still be awful, but it'd help a little bit, am I right?
Within a two page span, I read Kayla's comparison between her best friend and the lottery twice.
The author spends so much time describing a blue sailor dress that no one gives a flying wad of bird poop about, but then forgets to mention that the main character has been carrying a can of soda the entire party, and has just now decided to crush it withing her crazy teenage death-grip. I assume she's buff, because I've never heard of a girl crushing a full can with her bare hands. Must be full, since we never heard of her grabbing, let alone grabbing the thing.
But don't worry, just because she doesn't remember to tell us about the soda, certainly does not mean she forgets to specify what kind of soda. Diet Coke, in case you were wondering.
I think the author herself must have known how completely and utterly awful her writing was, as several times she points toward popular culture amongst teens to keep her young readers involved.
The only problem? The author has no friggin' clue what she's talking about. All of her crappy Disney references really and truly made no sense. You'd think the author had skimmed a Teen Bop in order to obtain her facts. This is not a method I recommend trying.
If there is any good thing that came out of reading this, it is the word "Snarkalicious" Which has officially made it's way into my vocabulary.
This does not, however make up for the two hours of my life I have lost at the hands of Mandy Hubbard. Yes. Two Hours. No lie. I have the Skype chat to prove it. Me and Stevie spent two hours reading this wad of trash, and only made it to page 42. Each paged dragged, like a knife against my cheek. I felt like I'd been reading this thing for a lifetime. The only thing enjoyable about this book was laughing about how horrid it was with Stevie.
Never again will I touch a Mandy Hubbard novel.
It pains me to give this novel one star, as it doesn't even deserve the OPTION of being rated above 0.
Then her birthday rolls around and she blows out the candle and wishes that all of he wishes would finally come true.
And so she wakes up the next morning to find a bright pink live sized my little pony outside her window. You'd expect the book to get funny and moderately enjoyable around this time, but it didn't at ALL the writing stayed boring, and the plot didn't pick up in the least. I was just as bored reading Kayla's encounter with the pony of her 5 year old self's dreams as I was reading about Kayla and her oh so torturous fishnets, and how Ben thinks they're "Hot".
But not only was the writing boring, it was god frickin' awful. Not to mention inconsistent. One minute, Ben's wearing loose fitting clothes, and the next his shirt is so tight you can see his muscles bulging out of it.
When she's not CHANGING details from one page to another, she's overusing phrases. Maybe she should do viceversa, and her writing might not suck quite this much? Don't get me wrong, she'd still be awful, but it'd help a little bit, am I right?
Within a two page span, I read Kayla's comparison between her best friend and the lottery twice.
The author spends so much time describing a blue sailor dress that no one gives a flying wad of bird poop about, but then forgets to mention that the main character has been carrying a can of soda the entire party, and has just now decided to crush it withing her crazy teenage death-grip. I assume she's buff, because I've never heard of a girl crushing a full can with her bare hands. Must be full, since we never heard of her grabbing, let alone grabbing the thing.
But don't worry, just because she doesn't remember to tell us about the soda, certainly does not mean she forgets to specify what kind of soda. Diet Coke, in case you were wondering.
I think the author herself must have known how completely and utterly awful her writing was, as several times she points toward popular culture amongst teens to keep her young readers involved.
The only problem? The author has no friggin' clue what she's talking about. All of her crappy Disney references really and truly made no sense. You'd think the author had skimmed a Teen Bop in order to obtain her facts. This is not a method I recommend trying.
If there is any good thing that came out of reading this, it is the word "Snarkalicious" Which has officially made it's way into my vocabulary.
This does not, however make up for the two hours of my life I have lost at the hands of Mandy Hubbard. Yes. Two Hours. No lie. I have the Skype chat to prove it. Me and Stevie spent two hours reading this wad of trash, and only made it to page 42. Each paged dragged, like a knife against my cheek. I felt like I'd been reading this thing for a lifetime. The only thing enjoyable about this book was laughing about how horrid it was with Stevie.
Never again will I touch a Mandy Hubbard novel.
It pains me to give this novel one star, as it doesn't even deserve the OPTION of being rated above 0.
November 13, 2012
Reviewed by Andrea for TeensReadToo.com
In YOU WISH by Mandy Hubbard, Kayla is not excited about her sixteenth birthday - at all. Life is not happy right now: her dad has left, her best friend is dating the boy she secretly likes, and her grades are not good.
So when it's time to blow out her birthday candles, she made an impossible wish - for all her past birthday wishes to come true.
Little did she know that the impossible was about to happen! She had to stop the wishes before they all came true, because the one that she made last year was for a certain boy to kiss her. And that boy is now her best friend's boyfriend!
This is a cute contemporary fantasy story. It got me thinking about what would happen if I got all of my birthday wishes. I know that the ones during my teenage years were definitely boy related, but I have no idea what I wished for as a kid.
I really liked Kayla. Reading the back cover, I thought "Oh no - another book about a girl stealing her best friend's boyfriend." But this plot actually worked for me. I also liked the secondary characters of Nicole and Ann. I felt that Kayla and Nicole both grew throughout the story and Ann was just a fun character!
This book was light and fluffy, and I look forward to reading more by Mandy Hubbard.
In YOU WISH by Mandy Hubbard, Kayla is not excited about her sixteenth birthday - at all. Life is not happy right now: her dad has left, her best friend is dating the boy she secretly likes, and her grades are not good.
So when it's time to blow out her birthday candles, she made an impossible wish - for all her past birthday wishes to come true.
Little did she know that the impossible was about to happen! She had to stop the wishes before they all came true, because the one that she made last year was for a certain boy to kiss her. And that boy is now her best friend's boyfriend!
This is a cute contemporary fantasy story. It got me thinking about what would happen if I got all of my birthday wishes. I know that the ones during my teenage years were definitely boy related, but I have no idea what I wished for as a kid.
I really liked Kayla. Reading the back cover, I thought "Oh no - another book about a girl stealing her best friend's boyfriend." But this plot actually worked for me. I also liked the secondary characters of Nicole and Ann. I felt that Kayla and Nicole both grew throughout the story and Ann was just a fun character!
This book was light and fluffy, and I look forward to reading more by Mandy Hubbard.
September 13, 2010
Original post at One More Page
Totally honest moment: I know I said I hardly buy books because of their cover, but the main reason why I wanted to have this book when I saw it is because of the pink. This is probably the brightest book in my shelf right now, and I'm pretty sure my guy friends would not get this book because of that cover (unless you believe that real men wear...er, read pink-covered books?). But I just love it. The pink, the cupcake, the pony -- it's like a little girl's dream birthday cake on a book! :)
But Kayla McHenry, You Wish 's protagonist hated the pink. She hated everything during her sixteenth birthday party where her mom used it more as an event to market herself as an event organizer for the sweet sixteen birthday market, and her best friend ditched her for a date with her boyfriend, who incidentally, Kayla has been in love with for the past three years. (Okay that sentence was mouthful) It was a truly sucky birthday, and I couldn't blame Kayla for acting that way, and wishing that wish that changed everything.
And wishes. I've written about how I used to make wishes with my review of Jackson Pearce's As You Wish, but Mandy Hubbard's newest novel literally takes the cake at wish fulfillment. You Wish is a sweet, sort of coming of age story with lots of fun, toys and lessons learned for girls who are growing up. The entire story kind of reminds me of 13 Going on 30, but perhaps it may just be because of the pink and yes, the wish. For the next two weeks after Kayla's disaster of a sixteenth birthday, one wish from her past birthdays come true, with hilarious results. A real pink My Little Pony? Raggedy Ann Doll coming to life? A shower of gumballs? Become a mermaid? Have bigger breasts? Practically everything that a little girl and a teenager would wish for as she grows old came true for Kayla, and it wasn't fun at all. Not to mention that Kayla's best friend is slowly drifting apart from her, and she feels more and more attracted to Ben...Kayla had to find a way to undo the wish, and fast, before her last wish for Ben to kiss her comes true.
I haven't been reading much contemporary YA lately because I feel like almost everything has been overdone. Come to think of it, I think this may pass as speculative fiction given the magical elements, so yeah, I guess I still stayed away from them! But I digress. I love how the author tackled the story without magic overpowering everything. True, having all those wishes coming true at that extent is unbelievable, but at some point in the story, I started to believe that those things were actually happening to Kayla. The magic wasn't a way to escape, too, but to show Kayla how much she's changed, and how much things are changing around her. These wishes also taught her that she also had the power to change herself and somehow effect the same change around her if she really wanted it.
Kayla's character development was painful to read for me, because I know how it feels like to "lose" a good friend because she suddenly had a boyfriend. I wasn't in love with her boyfriend, mind you, but she was so in love with him that our friendship was...well, discarded. Thinking about it still kind of stings until now, and unlike Kayla, I haven't had the chance to repair that discarded friendship because the other party doesn't seem to want to (or maybe she's kind of oblivious). I wanted to reach inside the book and comfort Kayla in her lonely moments, but I was glad at how the author handled that in the story, by not pointing the blame at a single person. Friendship issues are never uncomplicated, because as the saying says it takes two to tango. Kayla and Nicole's friendship in the book was at the stage where they could choose to grow in it or just leave it, and Ms. Hubbard resolved it beautifully.
As for the romance aspect, I liked it. Ben wasn't my type of guy, but I thought his chemistry with Kayla felt real. It didn't make me all tingly all over, but it was a pretty cute high school romance. :)
I'd totally recommend Mandy Hubbard's You Wish to all girls and girls at heart (and yes, even boys, too, if they can stomach the pink!). You Wish is a thoughtful novel about friendship, family, body issues, conformity, clean slates, and yes, wishes. Be careful what you wish for, because you never know when another wish could make them come true! :)
Totally honest moment: I know I said I hardly buy books because of their cover, but the main reason why I wanted to have this book when I saw it is because of the pink. This is probably the brightest book in my shelf right now, and I'm pretty sure my guy friends would not get this book because of that cover (unless you believe that real men wear...er, read pink-covered books?). But I just love it. The pink, the cupcake, the pony -- it's like a little girl's dream birthday cake on a book! :)
But Kayla McHenry, You Wish 's protagonist hated the pink. She hated everything during her sixteenth birthday party where her mom used it more as an event to market herself as an event organizer for the sweet sixteen birthday market, and her best friend ditched her for a date with her boyfriend, who incidentally, Kayla has been in love with for the past three years. (Okay that sentence was mouthful) It was a truly sucky birthday, and I couldn't blame Kayla for acting that way, and wishing that wish that changed everything.
And wishes. I've written about how I used to make wishes with my review of Jackson Pearce's As You Wish, but Mandy Hubbard's newest novel literally takes the cake at wish fulfillment. You Wish is a sweet, sort of coming of age story with lots of fun, toys and lessons learned for girls who are growing up. The entire story kind of reminds me of 13 Going on 30, but perhaps it may just be because of the pink and yes, the wish. For the next two weeks after Kayla's disaster of a sixteenth birthday, one wish from her past birthdays come true, with hilarious results. A real pink My Little Pony? Raggedy Ann Doll coming to life? A shower of gumballs? Become a mermaid? Have bigger breasts? Practically everything that a little girl and a teenager would wish for as she grows old came true for Kayla, and it wasn't fun at all. Not to mention that Kayla's best friend is slowly drifting apart from her, and she feels more and more attracted to Ben...Kayla had to find a way to undo the wish, and fast, before her last wish for Ben to kiss her comes true.
I haven't been reading much contemporary YA lately because I feel like almost everything has been overdone. Come to think of it, I think this may pass as speculative fiction given the magical elements, so yeah, I guess I still stayed away from them! But I digress. I love how the author tackled the story without magic overpowering everything. True, having all those wishes coming true at that extent is unbelievable, but at some point in the story, I started to believe that those things were actually happening to Kayla. The magic wasn't a way to escape, too, but to show Kayla how much she's changed, and how much things are changing around her. These wishes also taught her that she also had the power to change herself and somehow effect the same change around her if she really wanted it.
Kayla's character development was painful to read for me, because I know how it feels like to "lose" a good friend because she suddenly had a boyfriend. I wasn't in love with her boyfriend, mind you, but she was so in love with him that our friendship was...well, discarded. Thinking about it still kind of stings until now, and unlike Kayla, I haven't had the chance to repair that discarded friendship because the other party doesn't seem to want to (or maybe she's kind of oblivious). I wanted to reach inside the book and comfort Kayla in her lonely moments, but I was glad at how the author handled that in the story, by not pointing the blame at a single person. Friendship issues are never uncomplicated, because as the saying says it takes two to tango. Kayla and Nicole's friendship in the book was at the stage where they could choose to grow in it or just leave it, and Ms. Hubbard resolved it beautifully.
As for the romance aspect, I liked it. Ben wasn't my type of guy, but I thought his chemistry with Kayla felt real. It didn't make me all tingly all over, but it was a pretty cute high school romance. :)
I'd totally recommend Mandy Hubbard's You Wish to all girls and girls at heart (and yes, even boys, too, if they can stomach the pink!). You Wish is a thoughtful novel about friendship, family, body issues, conformity, clean slates, and yes, wishes. Be careful what you wish for, because you never know when another wish could make them come true! :)
March 25, 2017
Sympathique lecture, personnage attachant. L'idée de départ est rigolote mais le livre est plus profond, même si reste léger, que ce à quoi on s'attendrait.
April 29, 2010
As soon as I saw the cover for You Wish, I knew I wanted to read it. I'm into cupcakes, My Little Ponies, and birthdays, so this cover stole my heart.
After I read the summary, I wanted to read it even more! It sounded like an awesome, light, fun read.
And the verdict is:
YAY!
You Wish may seem like it's going to be all fluff and predictable, but the plot (a girl's wishes from her past birthdays coming true, for those of you that did not read the summary) kept me guessing (and squealing when I found out what some of the wishes ended up being).
I had a smile on my face the whole time I was reading You Wish. My Little Pony, gumballs, dolls - all of the wishes were so appropriate to the age she was when she wished them. Our main character spends time working on her list of wishes, trying to remember what she wished for every birthday... and that made me reflect and try to remember what I'VE wished for. Unfortunately I can't really remember any to share with you.
Each of the wishes are very well executed - not only does Ken (of Barbie and Ken fame) appear, but he treats Kayla just like we would expect Ken to, and dresses like we would expect Ken to, and drives a car like we would expect Ken to. This is true for all of the wishes - I won't tell you about any of the others, but you'll see what I mean when you read it.
The friend/boy situation in this book wasn't one of my favorites, but my love for the wishes made me not care much.
An awesomely fun read, You Wish is great for those who love making wishes - and even better for those who lived in the 80's and 90's who will recognize some of the wishes Kayla made. I'm so glad this book lived up to my expectations!
After I read the summary, I wanted to read it even more! It sounded like an awesome, light, fun read.
And the verdict is:
YAY!
You Wish may seem like it's going to be all fluff and predictable, but the plot (a girl's wishes from her past birthdays coming true, for those of you that did not read the summary) kept me guessing (and squealing when I found out what some of the wishes ended up being).
I had a smile on my face the whole time I was reading You Wish. My Little Pony, gumballs, dolls - all of the wishes were so appropriate to the age she was when she wished them. Our main character spends time working on her list of wishes, trying to remember what she wished for every birthday... and that made me reflect and try to remember what I'VE wished for. Unfortunately I can't really remember any to share with you.
Each of the wishes are very well executed - not only does Ken (of Barbie and Ken fame) appear, but he treats Kayla just like we would expect Ken to, and dresses like we would expect Ken to, and drives a car like we would expect Ken to. This is true for all of the wishes - I won't tell you about any of the others, but you'll see what I mean when you read it.
The friend/boy situation in this book wasn't one of my favorites, but my love for the wishes made me not care much.
An awesomely fun read, You Wish is great for those who love making wishes - and even better for those who lived in the 80's and 90's who will recognize some of the wishes Kayla made. I'm so glad this book lived up to my expectations!
September 9, 2011
Holy multiplying gumballs, Batman! This book was SO MUCH FUN!
16-year old Kayla has a problem - all the birthday wishes she ever made are coming true.
It all starts with a frosted, four-tiered, pink birthday cake where, out of frustration, Kayla makes an impromptu Dear-God-My-Life-Sucks-Cut-Me-Some-Slack wish. A wish that somehow makes all her birthday wishes so far, come true.
First, a kicking and breathing, hot-pink 'My Little Pony' appears in her backyard, complete with an ice cream cone tattoo on its butt. Then, her entire room is filled with truckloads of gumballs. And then, her favourite childhood doll comes to life. And then, Ken (Barbie's Ken) shows up at her doorstep claiming to be her boyfriend. AND THEN, she turns into a mermaid.
She finally hits the panic button when she realises that her last birthday wish was for her long time crush, Ben Mackenzie, to kiss her - Ben Mackenzie who is now her BFF Nicole's boyfriend. So, before her friendship with Nicole - who is, for some reason, distancing herself from Kayla - is ruined for ever, Kayla has to find a way to stop this "magic" from spiraling out of control!
A cute read with more than a few laughs. Utterly loved Kayla and Ann. Alternatively cheered and groaned with Kayla at all her antics, and giggled each time the gumballs popped up everywhere. Nicole thoroughly annoyed me throughout the book, but kind of redeemed herself in the end. While Ben was nice, the author did more of a "telling" than a "showing" where he was concerned - we only heard about how he and Kayla were soul mates but it never shone through in the story. The ending was very abrupt and that was about the only thing about this book that I did not like.
16-year old Kayla has a problem - all the birthday wishes she ever made are coming true.
It all starts with a frosted, four-tiered, pink birthday cake where, out of frustration, Kayla makes an impromptu Dear-God-My-Life-Sucks-Cut-Me-Some-Slack wish. A wish that somehow makes all her birthday wishes so far, come true.
First, a kicking and breathing, hot-pink 'My Little Pony' appears in her backyard, complete with an ice cream cone tattoo on its butt. Then, her entire room is filled with truckloads of gumballs. And then, her favourite childhood doll comes to life. And then, Ken (Barbie's Ken) shows up at her doorstep claiming to be her boyfriend. AND THEN, she turns into a mermaid.
She finally hits the panic button when she realises that her last birthday wish was for her long time crush, Ben Mackenzie, to kiss her - Ben Mackenzie who is now her BFF Nicole's boyfriend. So, before her friendship with Nicole - who is, for some reason, distancing herself from Kayla - is ruined for ever, Kayla has to find a way to stop this "magic" from spiraling out of control!
A cute read with more than a few laughs. Utterly loved Kayla and Ann. Alternatively cheered and groaned with Kayla at all her antics, and giggled each time the gumballs popped up everywhere. Nicole thoroughly annoyed me throughout the book, but kind of redeemed herself in the end. While Ben was nice, the author did more of a "telling" than a "showing" where he was concerned - we only heard about how he and Kayla were soul mates but it never shone through in the story. The ending was very abrupt and that was about the only thing about this book that I did not like.
July 31, 2010
When I got this book, I was so excited to read it. I was ready for a light read. However, I was a little disappointed with this read. I'll say now that I seem to be in the minority for this read. I'll admit it is a fun read, but it was a bit too fantastical for me.
I will say that I did appreciate Kayla. Going through all of her wishes in only a matter of days, she had to develop rather quickly. It made it really easy for me to understand her. She also had a likable spunk, which worked well in the book.
There were also surprisingly deeper elements in the book, such as Kayla's relationship with her father. With the majority of the other elements being lighter, it put me a little at odds with the deeper moments. While I appreciated them, they almost felt like interruptions. I know life's not roses and Kayla is particularly unhappy with hers, in this otherwise light novel that was a bit out there, the deeper moments didn't fit to me.
Overall the novel was funny and an easy read. For some reason I can't put my finger on, it just didn't sit well with me. Don't get me wrong, it had its moments. It just wasn't for me. Again, I'm in the minority with this.
I will say that I did appreciate Kayla. Going through all of her wishes in only a matter of days, she had to develop rather quickly. It made it really easy for me to understand her. She also had a likable spunk, which worked well in the book.
There were also surprisingly deeper elements in the book, such as Kayla's relationship with her father. With the majority of the other elements being lighter, it put me a little at odds with the deeper moments. While I appreciated them, they almost felt like interruptions. I know life's not roses and Kayla is particularly unhappy with hers, in this otherwise light novel that was a bit out there, the deeper moments didn't fit to me.
Overall the novel was funny and an easy read. For some reason I can't put my finger on, it just didn't sit well with me. Don't get me wrong, it had its moments. It just wasn't for me. Again, I'm in the minority with this.
January 20, 2012
3.5 stars
Oh God. I actually laughed till I cried at one point, and how often does that really happen? Read this for the complete and utter fail that is Kayla trying to deal with the fallout of fourteen years of birthday wishes coming true. A taste:
Just before I flip the shower on, I turn around and happen to glimpse myself in the mirror.And let out a bloodcurdling scream.
Oh. Mio. Dio.
Boobs.I have boobs.
I clamp my hand over my mouth and stare, my eyes wider than they’ve ever been, at my chest. I wore a tank top to bed, and I have enough cleavage to work at Hooters. And I’m not even wearing a bra.Er, I don’t think I even own a bra that would harness these things.I swallow and step forward until I am directly in front of the mirror.
“Honey? You okay in there?” my mom calls through the door. The knob is turning. Uh-oh.
“Don’t come in!” I shout. “I’m, uh, naked. I’m okay, I just . . . um, stubbed my toe. I’m fine!”
*wipes tear*
Maybe you had to be there.
You Wish is short, but cute, and hilariously funny.
Oh God. I actually laughed till I cried at one point, and how often does that really happen? Read this for the complete and utter fail that is Kayla trying to deal with the fallout of fourteen years of birthday wishes coming true. A taste:
Just before I flip the shower on, I turn around and happen to glimpse myself in the mirror.And let out a bloodcurdling scream.
Oh. Mio. Dio.
Boobs.I have boobs.
I clamp my hand over my mouth and stare, my eyes wider than they’ve ever been, at my chest. I wore a tank top to bed, and I have enough cleavage to work at Hooters. And I’m not even wearing a bra.Er, I don’t think I even own a bra that would harness these things.I swallow and step forward until I am directly in front of the mirror.
“Honey? You okay in there?” my mom calls through the door. The knob is turning. Uh-oh.
“Don’t come in!” I shout. “I’m, uh, naked. I’m okay, I just . . . um, stubbed my toe. I’m fine!”
*wipes tear*
Maybe you had to be there.
You Wish is short, but cute, and hilariously funny.
July 15, 2014
I quickly started and finished this book today in not long a time at all. Personally, it was sweet and funny and I loved the way all the disasterous moments added up in the end. However there was a more serious side of the book when the main character (Kayla) realised that she'd been letting other people change her life too much, and in return, she had been cutting off her relationship with her best friend. I loved Raggedy 'Ann' and Ken, who were perfect additions to the story
The only really annoying part of this book I found was when Kayla was constantly complaining (or hoping - it was hard to tell) that Ben would kiss her. That part dominated the fun aspect every time that she received a new, late birthday wish from the past because it always disappointed her when she realised her mistakes now and the fun life she used to have.
All in all, I would recommend this to a young teen as there is hardly any details of more than kissing and no violence apart from a couple of accidents on bikes...
The only really annoying part of this book I found was when Kayla was constantly complaining (or hoping - it was hard to tell) that Ben would kiss her. That part dominated the fun aspect every time that she received a new, late birthday wish from the past because it always disappointed her when she realised her mistakes now and the fun life she used to have.
All in all, I would recommend this to a young teen as there is hardly any details of more than kissing and no violence apart from a couple of accidents on bikes...
November 13, 2012
i thoroughly enjoyed this book.
it reminded me so much of my childhood. the good thing about it is the moral that comes after. it's refreshing.
it's also exciting to find out what the next wish will be.
i like that although it was a happy ending it wasn't overly done. it still had the right component to make it feel realistic (the ending, not the wishes).
overall, i highly recommend this book especially to anyone who also wants to revisit their own childhood.
it reminded me so much of my childhood. the good thing about it is the moral that comes after. it's refreshing.
it's also exciting to find out what the next wish will be.
i like that although it was a happy ending it wasn't overly done. it still had the right component to make it feel realistic (the ending, not the wishes).
overall, i highly recommend this book especially to anyone who also wants to revisit their own childhood.
May 2, 2015
actual rating:3.5 i really enjoyed this!! definitely one of the funniest books I've ever read i lost count how many times i rolled over laughing
September 18, 2019
“I wish all my birthday wishes actually came true. Because they never freakin’ do.” Kayla McHenry never thought that her 16th birthday wish would be as dangerous as it was. But it’s not long until she discovers an unpleasant surprise.
Each day, another past childhood birthday wish comes true. The phrase “be careful what you wish for” has never felt so true.
As if dealing with all of her sudden wishes weren’t enough, Kayla is hopelessly in love with her best friend’s boyfriend, Ben. There is no end in sight, especially since Kayla wished that Ben would kiss her on her 15th birthday.
And each day, that birthday wish inches closer, going to come true eventually and ruin her life.
The worst part? Kayla has no idea how to stop it.
Mandy Hubbard explores this fantastical concept, mixed with first love, in her third novel. She touches on themes of self-love and finding happiness. The main character’s internal struggle is one that others could find relatable: feeling incredibly guilty yet filled with a longing desire.
Hubbard, currently the author of 11 novels, has written books like Prada & Prejudice, and Ripple, concentrating more on the young adult genre. Additionally, Hubbard has founded the Emerald City Literary Agency, and works as a literary agent on the other side of the publishing process.
My favorite aspect of You Wish is that there are two conflicts going at once: the birthday wishes coming true each day, and the guilt Kayla feels about her feelings for Ben. The integration of these two storylines keeps the reader on the edge of their seat for the entire novel.
This book is perfect for any young adult fans who enjoy fantasy and romance genres, since this novel expertly connects the two themes. Readers find themselves entranced by Kayla’s story and want to read more as the suspense builds throughout the book.
Who wouldn’t love it if all of their birthday wishes came true?
Each day, another past childhood birthday wish comes true. The phrase “be careful what you wish for” has never felt so true.
As if dealing with all of her sudden wishes weren’t enough, Kayla is hopelessly in love with her best friend’s boyfriend, Ben. There is no end in sight, especially since Kayla wished that Ben would kiss her on her 15th birthday.
And each day, that birthday wish inches closer, going to come true eventually and ruin her life.
The worst part? Kayla has no idea how to stop it.
Mandy Hubbard explores this fantastical concept, mixed with first love, in her third novel. She touches on themes of self-love and finding happiness. The main character’s internal struggle is one that others could find relatable: feeling incredibly guilty yet filled with a longing desire.
Hubbard, currently the author of 11 novels, has written books like Prada & Prejudice, and Ripple, concentrating more on the young adult genre. Additionally, Hubbard has founded the Emerald City Literary Agency, and works as a literary agent on the other side of the publishing process.
My favorite aspect of You Wish is that there are two conflicts going at once: the birthday wishes coming true each day, and the guilt Kayla feels about her feelings for Ben. The integration of these two storylines keeps the reader on the edge of their seat for the entire novel.
This book is perfect for any young adult fans who enjoy fantasy and romance genres, since this novel expertly connects the two themes. Readers find themselves entranced by Kayla’s story and want to read more as the suspense builds throughout the book.
Who wouldn’t love it if all of their birthday wishes came true?
June 11, 2018
Kayla is not liking life. She hardly sees her mother, her father has moved to Italy and got a new partner and her best friend is going out with the boy she’s had a crush on for years. So when she has the 16th birthday party from hell - complete with sugar pink cake - she makes a wish for all her birthday wishes to come true.
In the spirit of ‘Big’ and movies of the 80s/early 90s her wish comes true...and it causes a lot more trouble than she was expecting.
From the bright pink pony to the room full of gum balls, Kayla cannot believe what she is experiencing. What seemed like a good thing to wish for at seven - being a mermaid - turns out to have a very different reality.
A salutary tale to make people think carefully about what’s important to them, how they change and the need to be kind to yourself as you go through life.
Silly? Of course, but it’s also rather cute.
In the spirit of ‘Big’ and movies of the 80s/early 90s her wish comes true...and it causes a lot more trouble than she was expecting.
From the bright pink pony to the room full of gum balls, Kayla cannot believe what she is experiencing. What seemed like a good thing to wish for at seven - being a mermaid - turns out to have a very different reality.
A salutary tale to make people think carefully about what’s important to them, how they change and the need to be kind to yourself as you go through life.
Silly? Of course, but it’s also rather cute.
June 17, 2018
Yeah, so I adored this plot. It was such a great idea, but the execution of it was rather drab. I didn’t connect with any of the characters, or even the main character. At the end of the book, when Kayla’s dad arrived to see her, she completely rejected him, which was terrible. It was probably really hard for him to get the guts to go speak to her and she acted as if he was the spawn of Satan. Yeah, he’s not about to win dad of the year, but give the guy some credit. And a,os, Kayla acted as if she was a terrible person and needed a “clean slate”. Let me tell you, Nicole was awful. I despised her. And if you don’t think you can tell your best friend that you kinda like a guy in 6th grade, that’s really sad. Anyways, in the end this book was mildly entertaining but it was overall kind of “meh”. Thanks for reading 🤩
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2017
Somehow I lost the power to be happy, but I'm taking it back.
Such a cute, fun, light read by Mandy Hubbard. Kayla McHenry's sweet 16 isn't all that great, her best friend is dating her secret crush, the pink party (and she hates pink) is thrown by her mother with an underline selfish reason, and above all her wishes never come true. Except this time they do!
Basically a whole book centered around the saying be careful what you wish for. Kayla soon finds out that having all that you wished doesn't bring all the happiness she hoped for. My main problem with the book was Kayla was a little to awkward for me most times throughout the book; through stuff she did and stuff she said.
December 11, 2021
li no começo do ano mas n tinha colocado kkkk
October 22, 2017
SOOOOOO FUNNY! I laughed so hard during this book! Best scenes were with the Ken doll, I've never laughed so hard in my life, my family was so confused of why I was laughing so hard. It was just gold!
I'm so glad I finally read the book! I can officially say that You Wish was such a good book (Shout out to you Wisty!)
I'm so glad I finally read the book! I can officially say that You Wish was such a good book (Shout out to you Wisty!)
August 20, 2010
I was so excited to receive a copy of You Wish to review- luckily it was everything I had hoped for and more!
I loved how relatable and down to earth the main character, Kayla, was. She was just a normal high school student dealing with a lot of everyday problems. Kayla was determined to be different, and I loved this about her. She didn't care what others thought about her and always stood up for what she believed in.
There were a variety of characters introduced over the course of this novel, but the main ones were Ben, Nicole, and Ann. I loved all of them. Ben was a sweet and caring guy and Nicole and Ann were both understanding and great friends. Nicole changed a lot over the course of the novel, but she was still the same sweet girl at heart. I could understand her want to come out of her shell and do something she'd always dreamed of doing. Ann (hint: one of the wishes) was a quirky and good natured character and I loved watching her experiencing so many "human" things. Kayla's family was small. Her mother was a work a holic and didn't have any time for Kayla or her needs.
As for the plot, it was one of the most fun and original of any book I've read. The idea of your birthday wishes actually coming true was such a cool concept and I was on the edge of my seat wanting to know what wish would happen each day. The novel was mainly building up to Kayla's fifteenth birthday wish- for Ben Mackenzie to kiss her and unfortunately he was also her best friend Nicole's boyfriend! A variety of other wishes occurred, mainly silly, like a My Little Pony coming to life as well as various other toys/dolls. Kayla had to work hard to make sure her secret was kept, well, secret. She couldn't tell anyone what was going on and she had a hard time concealing the pony and Ken (her "boyfriend"). I enjoyed reading each page, something interesting was always happening and you never knew what was going to happen next.
This is a perfect summer read. It is light hearted and fun, with some more serious events occurring, and Kayla learns a lot about herself, and those around her, by the end of the book.
I have yet to read Mandy's debut, Prada and Prejudice, but I definitely want to after reading You Wish! Out in paperback, I definitely recommend picking this up to read before summer ends or once fall arrives! An entertaining and original read, you'll be left wondering what would happen if your birthday wishes came true!
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
I loved how relatable and down to earth the main character, Kayla, was. She was just a normal high school student dealing with a lot of everyday problems. Kayla was determined to be different, and I loved this about her. She didn't care what others thought about her and always stood up for what she believed in.
There were a variety of characters introduced over the course of this novel, but the main ones were Ben, Nicole, and Ann. I loved all of them. Ben was a sweet and caring guy and Nicole and Ann were both understanding and great friends. Nicole changed a lot over the course of the novel, but she was still the same sweet girl at heart. I could understand her want to come out of her shell and do something she'd always dreamed of doing. Ann (hint: one of the wishes) was a quirky and good natured character and I loved watching her experiencing so many "human" things. Kayla's family was small. Her mother was a work a holic and didn't have any time for Kayla or her needs.
As for the plot, it was one of the most fun and original of any book I've read. The idea of your birthday wishes actually coming true was such a cool concept and I was on the edge of my seat wanting to know what wish would happen each day. The novel was mainly building up to Kayla's fifteenth birthday wish- for Ben Mackenzie to kiss her and unfortunately he was also her best friend Nicole's boyfriend! A variety of other wishes occurred, mainly silly, like a My Little Pony coming to life as well as various other toys/dolls. Kayla had to work hard to make sure her secret was kept, well, secret. She couldn't tell anyone what was going on and she had a hard time concealing the pony and Ken (her "boyfriend"). I enjoyed reading each page, something interesting was always happening and you never knew what was going to happen next.
This is a perfect summer read. It is light hearted and fun, with some more serious events occurring, and Kayla learns a lot about herself, and those around her, by the end of the book.
I have yet to read Mandy's debut, Prada and Prejudice, but I definitely want to after reading You Wish! Out in paperback, I definitely recommend picking this up to read before summer ends or once fall arrives! An entertaining and original read, you'll be left wondering what would happen if your birthday wishes came true!
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
February 11, 2011
You Wish has to be one of the funnest, cutest, quirky books I've ever read. The insane humor and interesting concept made it a perfect read to lighten up your mood. Romance and some more serious events balance out the fun, turning You Wish into a perfect read. Before picking this one up, I expected a predictable fluffy read, but it surprised me in more than one way.
Hubbard creates an average teen named Kayla. She doesn't care what anyone else thinks and is just herself. She also has a great personality, making her likable. Her main problems mostly consist of the whole being in love Ben, her best friend's boyfriend, and dealing with her workaholic problem. But bigger problems arise when her sixteen birthday wish comes true. All her past birthday wishes start coming to life. Imagine a real life Ken, a pink pony, a lifetime supply of gumballs, and worst of all a kiss from Ben...
The characters were hilarious, as were the wishes. The wishes kept on getting better and more crazy as they went along. I would eagerly wait to see what was thrown at Kayla next. As for the characters, I easily connected with each and every one of them. Ben and "Raggedy Ann" were my favorite. Ben was what most girls look for in a guy-down to earth, sweet, and funny. I absolutely loved whatever connection Kayla and Ben had. Anne on the other hand, was the funnest thing to watch transition from doll to human.
Even though the plot was funny and entertaining, it had a more serious note, giving readers a powerful message. Over the course of the wishes, Kayla really got to find herself while learning not to grow up too fast.
You Wish is very original and definitely one of my favorites of the year! Anyone who loves romances and laugh out loud books, will eat this up. In fact, pretty much anyone would enjoy this one. I know I'm going out to by myself a copy to reread in the future.
Taken from my book review blog @ http://sarasbookjourney.blogspot.com/...
Hubbard creates an average teen named Kayla. She doesn't care what anyone else thinks and is just herself. She also has a great personality, making her likable. Her main problems mostly consist of the whole being in love Ben, her best friend's boyfriend, and dealing with her workaholic problem. But bigger problems arise when her sixteen birthday wish comes true. All her past birthday wishes start coming to life. Imagine a real life Ken, a pink pony, a lifetime supply of gumballs, and worst of all a kiss from Ben...
The characters were hilarious, as were the wishes. The wishes kept on getting better and more crazy as they went along. I would eagerly wait to see what was thrown at Kayla next. As for the characters, I easily connected with each and every one of them. Ben and "Raggedy Ann" were my favorite. Ben was what most girls look for in a guy-down to earth, sweet, and funny. I absolutely loved whatever connection Kayla and Ben had. Anne on the other hand, was the funnest thing to watch transition from doll to human.
Even though the plot was funny and entertaining, it had a more serious note, giving readers a powerful message. Over the course of the wishes, Kayla really got to find herself while learning not to grow up too fast.
You Wish is very original and definitely one of my favorites of the year! Anyone who loves romances and laugh out loud books, will eat this up. In fact, pretty much anyone would enjoy this one. I know I'm going out to by myself a copy to reread in the future.
Taken from my book review blog @ http://sarasbookjourney.blogspot.com/...
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