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If You Wish
Usually fairy tales start off once upon a time, blah, blah, blah. I guess I could start off my story that way, but then the story wouldn’t be right. The truth is, I’m not a princess. And this really isn’t a fairy tale. There is no magic fairy godmother who goes around turning poor girls into princesses and pumpkins into carriages. So if you want that kind of story I suggest you read something else. This story is going to be about me, Ella. Just plain old boring me. I’m just a normal 16-year-old girl. I’m not special or different in any way at all. That is, I never thought I was special, until I met Julian. But he comes in later. You’ll have to start from the beginning. So go on. If you wish...
154 pages, Paperback
Published September 14, 2016
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74 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 26, 2016
My rating: 3.5 stars.
My opinion in short: There's hell of a lot potential - this might be the first version of a really good book! There are a lot of interesting characters, some of them should have got more time in the story. Some parts are too short and should be a bit more discriptive.
Important characters:
> Ella - main character's who is the narrator of the story. She lives with her stepmother and her stepsisters in a huge house in LA. Her father is mostly away from home, being very popular by directing films all over the world.
> Julian - Ella's friend and open ear for all her problems. He's the best friend you could wish for until his own secrets start to haunt him...
> Alexis - Ella's stepsister No. 1, who's (of course) way more popular than her. She loves to be the one in control and demonstrates that perfectly.
> Izzy - Ella's stepsister No. 2 who starts to break out of the image everyone has of her.
> Sarah - The stepmother... and when I say the stepmother, she is the exact way you imagine her to be: evil!
> Dylan - Alexis' lacrosse playing, handsome and rich boyfriend who's more to him than just being the popular guy.
What I liked:
> Julian seems to be a really nice person.
> I liked that the book is more of a short story (only 144 pages) - it's refreshing!
> Cassandra likes the same actors and books like me apparently - I love Lily James :)
> I love the setting - LA is one of the most beautiful cities I've ever been to.
> The ending of the book is really really nice - a bit unexpected, but still lovely.
What could be better // what I did not like:
> Even though Margaret is the only person in the family Ella bonds with, she's just passive when all those bad things happen to Ella. She should have at least tried to help her sometimes.
> I still don't get why Julians behaves as he does sometimes.
> Some scenes should be (as I already mentions) more.. just more of everything.
> Bit confused by Dylan's "prom proposal" behavior.
Thank you Cassandra for providing a copy!
My opinion in short: There's hell of a lot potential - this might be the first version of a really good book! There are a lot of interesting characters, some of them should have got more time in the story. Some parts are too short and should be a bit more discriptive.
Important characters:
> Ella - main character's who is the narrator of the story. She lives with her stepmother and her stepsisters in a huge house in LA. Her father is mostly away from home, being very popular by directing films all over the world.
> Julian - Ella's friend and open ear for all her problems. He's the best friend you could wish for until his own secrets start to haunt him...
> Alexis - Ella's stepsister No. 1, who's (of course) way more popular than her. She loves to be the one in control and demonstrates that perfectly.
> Izzy - Ella's stepsister No. 2 who starts to break out of the image everyone has of her.
> Sarah - The stepmother... and when I say the stepmother, she is the exact way you imagine her to be: evil!
> Dylan - Alexis' lacrosse playing, handsome and rich boyfriend who's more to him than just being the popular guy.
What I liked:
> Julian seems to be a really nice person.
> I liked that the book is more of a short story (only 144 pages) - it's refreshing!
> Cassandra likes the same actors and books like me apparently - I love Lily James :)
> I love the setting - LA is one of the most beautiful cities I've ever been to.
> The ending of the book is really really nice - a bit unexpected, but still lovely.
What could be better // what I did not like:
> Even though Margaret is the only person in the family Ella bonds with, she's just passive when all those bad things happen to Ella. She should have at least tried to help her sometimes.
> I still don't get why Julians behaves as he does sometimes.
> Some scenes should be (as I already mentions) more.. just more of everything.
> Bit confused by Dylan's "prom proposal" behavior.
Thank you Cassandra for providing a copy!
February 6, 2017
This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much Cassandra for sending me a signed copy of your debut novel.
When Cassandra Sage Briskman first messaged me asking if I was interested in reading and reviewing her debut novel I was head over heels. I read the synopsis and fell in love with the idea behind the story right away. I love fairytales and Cinderella definitely is by far one of my favorite fairytales ever so since ‘If you wish’ is a Cinderella re-telling/story (a modern day Cinderella) I was almost 100 % sure I’d love it.
In the book we meet Ella. Ella is an ordinary 16 year old girl who lives together with her stepmother and her two stepsisters who came into her and her father’s life a couple of years after her mother has died. Her father is a famous director and isn’t home very often. While her father is away touring the whole world making new movies Ella finds herself dealing with her horrid step mother and her mean two step sisters. So even though people might think that Ella is living the dream; being the daughter of some famous movie director and living in Los Angeles she’s just trying to live her life as normal as possible; trying to deal with the harassments by her so-called family. She doesn’t talk to her father about it, not wanting to ruin the very short time they spend together whenever he gets a chance to come home. But then along the way she meets Julian who manages to make her life a little more enjoyable but instead of falling for him, as you may assume, she falls in love with her stepsister’s boyfriend Dylan.
The book only has 145 pages so it’s a pretty quick read. I spent half of my Sunday afternoon reading the whole thing and really enjoyed it. This is the perfect book to read when you’re having a bad day. It’s cute and sweet and fluffy and it makes you forget real life for a couple of hours. It’s so easy to read but also thoughtful, it’s simple but cute and the characters seem real and relatable, more for teenagers though than for a grown up probably.
Maybe I’m already a little old for the book though. The story was written by a teenager for teenagers. I’m not really a teenager anymore but loved the book nonetheless but I think that if you’re younger you will enjoy this book much more since it’s so much easier to relate to the characters.
The characters were relatable, most of the time, but the thing I loved the most about the characters, especially about the main character, was, that she wasn’t cliché at all. I liked Ella, a lot. I also felt bad for her from time to time especially the farther we got in the story. The things her stepmother has done to her are awful. I couldn’t help but squeeze out a tear at some point. I really just wanted to punch Sarah and Alexis right into their pretty faces.
The book was full of drama, maybe a little too much. Although I would have wished for the story to be a bit less dramatic it still had a realistic feel to it.
SPOILER
I also really liked Dylan’s character. He went from jerk to nice guy back to jerk and to boyfriend material, which I loved. His character was really sweet and real and I love that he and Ella didn’t get their happy end. I mean well they kind of did because they became friends and stuff but I really loved that they didn’t fall in love in the end as you may assume. The ending surprised me and it was so nice to read about how important Julian is for Ella for example and that she wants to deal with her life and everything that has happened first before she throws herself into a relationship. That was so mature and sweet – I really loved that.
SPOILER END
What I also really liked was the fact that even though Ella’s dad is probably one of the richest guys in Hollywood she discovers money isn’t everything. Money doesn’t bring you happiness (unless you buy books of course haha). Her stepmother and stepsisters were the perfect example for that no matter how rich you are, how expensive your clothes is, how many cars you have and whatever – it doesn’t make you happy if you don’t have a family or friends. This is such an important message. Money isn’t everything. You can’t buy a family or friends (no real friends though), you can’t buy luck or good health. And this is exactly what Ella discovers and what makes her such a likeable character.
I also liked the writing. The writing was easy and quick; right to the point, easy to understand, modern and thoughtful. This book has a lot of potential though. I found quite a few typos and although the flow of the dialogue was nice sometimes it seemed a bit cheesy. I also found it very sad that it was such a short story. I would have loved to read some more about Ella and her friends and her family. The characters could be given more background and the ending felt a bit rushed with a bit too much drama for my taste.
SPOILER
My favorite thing about the book actually was that in the end we kind of go back to the beginning. The book starts off with Ella introducing herself and her life; her family … it feels like reading her diary and in the end we find out that it actually is her diary. That was really cool and a great idea to end and start the book with.
SPOILER END
All in all I really liked the book and I’m really looking forward to seeing what else Cassandra comes out with. If it’s another modern fairytale retelling – I’m totally in.
3.5 stars!
When Cassandra Sage Briskman first messaged me asking if I was interested in reading and reviewing her debut novel I was head over heels. I read the synopsis and fell in love with the idea behind the story right away. I love fairytales and Cinderella definitely is by far one of my favorite fairytales ever so since ‘If you wish’ is a Cinderella re-telling/story (a modern day Cinderella) I was almost 100 % sure I’d love it.
In the book we meet Ella. Ella is an ordinary 16 year old girl who lives together with her stepmother and her two stepsisters who came into her and her father’s life a couple of years after her mother has died. Her father is a famous director and isn’t home very often. While her father is away touring the whole world making new movies Ella finds herself dealing with her horrid step mother and her mean two step sisters. So even though people might think that Ella is living the dream; being the daughter of some famous movie director and living in Los Angeles she’s just trying to live her life as normal as possible; trying to deal with the harassments by her so-called family. She doesn’t talk to her father about it, not wanting to ruin the very short time they spend together whenever he gets a chance to come home. But then along the way she meets Julian who manages to make her life a little more enjoyable but instead of falling for him, as you may assume, she falls in love with her stepsister’s boyfriend Dylan.
The book only has 145 pages so it’s a pretty quick read. I spent half of my Sunday afternoon reading the whole thing and really enjoyed it. This is the perfect book to read when you’re having a bad day. It’s cute and sweet and fluffy and it makes you forget real life for a couple of hours. It’s so easy to read but also thoughtful, it’s simple but cute and the characters seem real and relatable, more for teenagers though than for a grown up probably.
Maybe I’m already a little old for the book though. The story was written by a teenager for teenagers. I’m not really a teenager anymore but loved the book nonetheless but I think that if you’re younger you will enjoy this book much more since it’s so much easier to relate to the characters.
The characters were relatable, most of the time, but the thing I loved the most about the characters, especially about the main character, was, that she wasn’t cliché at all. I liked Ella, a lot. I also felt bad for her from time to time especially the farther we got in the story. The things her stepmother has done to her are awful. I couldn’t help but squeeze out a tear at some point. I really just wanted to punch Sarah and Alexis right into their pretty faces.
The book was full of drama, maybe a little too much. Although I would have wished for the story to be a bit less dramatic it still had a realistic feel to it.
SPOILER
I also really liked Dylan’s character. He went from jerk to nice guy back to jerk and to boyfriend material, which I loved. His character was really sweet and real and I love that he and Ella didn’t get their happy end. I mean well they kind of did because they became friends and stuff but I really loved that they didn’t fall in love in the end as you may assume. The ending surprised me and it was so nice to read about how important Julian is for Ella for example and that she wants to deal with her life and everything that has happened first before she throws herself into a relationship. That was so mature and sweet – I really loved that.
SPOILER END
What I also really liked was the fact that even though Ella’s dad is probably one of the richest guys in Hollywood she discovers money isn’t everything. Money doesn’t bring you happiness (unless you buy books of course haha). Her stepmother and stepsisters were the perfect example for that no matter how rich you are, how expensive your clothes is, how many cars you have and whatever – it doesn’t make you happy if you don’t have a family or friends. This is such an important message. Money isn’t everything. You can’t buy a family or friends (no real friends though), you can’t buy luck or good health. And this is exactly what Ella discovers and what makes her such a likeable character.
I also liked the writing. The writing was easy and quick; right to the point, easy to understand, modern and thoughtful. This book has a lot of potential though. I found quite a few typos and although the flow of the dialogue was nice sometimes it seemed a bit cheesy. I also found it very sad that it was such a short story. I would have loved to read some more about Ella and her friends and her family. The characters could be given more background and the ending felt a bit rushed with a bit too much drama for my taste.
SPOILER
My favorite thing about the book actually was that in the end we kind of go back to the beginning. The book starts off with Ella introducing herself and her life; her family … it feels like reading her diary and in the end we find out that it actually is her diary. That was really cool and a great idea to end and start the book with.
SPOILER END
All in all I really liked the book and I’m really looking forward to seeing what else Cassandra comes out with. If it’s another modern fairytale retelling – I’m totally in.
3.5 stars!
April 15, 2017
I guess the aurthor could write much better i wanted depth and i wanted love it doesnt have that amout of love
December 20, 2016
This book was sent to me for an honest review.
Well first of all I want to congratulate Cassandra for writing such a lovely story and also for sending me a signed copy of her book!
This book is about 16 year old Ella who loses her mother and a young age and is left with her father, who's a famous director and isn't home very often. He gets married several years later and Ella finds herself dealing with her horrid step mother and her two step sisters. Classic Cinderella retelling with some twists along the way.
I found myself enjoying this book a lot. The flow of the dialogue was nice, the characters were relatable and the story as a whole was engaging. I found myself smiling a lot and feeling sorry for Ella. The only thing that fell a little short for me was that the story felt very melancholy and it all felt sort of like it was on the same level or close to the same level.
All in all I really did like it and I'm looking forward to seeing what else the author comes out with.
Well first of all I want to congratulate Cassandra for writing such a lovely story and also for sending me a signed copy of her book!
This book is about 16 year old Ella who loses her mother and a young age and is left with her father, who's a famous director and isn't home very often. He gets married several years later and Ella finds herself dealing with her horrid step mother and her two step sisters. Classic Cinderella retelling with some twists along the way.
I found myself enjoying this book a lot. The flow of the dialogue was nice, the characters were relatable and the story as a whole was engaging. I found myself smiling a lot and feeling sorry for Ella. The only thing that fell a little short for me was that the story felt very melancholy and it all felt sort of like it was on the same level or close to the same level.
All in all I really did like it and I'm looking forward to seeing what else the author comes out with.
August 31, 2017
A fun take on Cinderella.
February 23, 2017
Cassandra Sage Briskman is a young author at only 16 years of age, but her novel If You Wish proves that she is an old soul and has vast experience concerning such heavy topics as drug abuse and bullying. Her novel is written like a fairytale, but it is certainly not. I enjoyed how she took the classic writing style of a fairytale and presented the reader with a story that touched on many different emotions and dilemmas in a young adult's life. It made me happy to see such an intense novel written for the young adult audience.
However, I found the story to be written through a voice that was trying too hard to compare with the stereotypical teenage language. The narrator's voice did not seem genuine to me, and I had a hard time believing a lot of what she said. The backstory of the main character's circumstances was far fetched and hard to relate to on many levels. It almost seemed to me that the narrator was trying too hard to convince the reader that her life wasn't perfect even though her father was a celebrity. She seemed to expect pity from the reader at times, and it turned me away from her more than once. Her case of being an "ordinary teenager" could have been more believable if she hadn't tried so hard to prove it. The novel could also be wordy at times, and I found myself skipping over sentences that I found weren't necessary to the story.
But with that being said, I found If You Wish to have a promising basis for a story. It dealt with heavy topics, and young adults can relate to some of the events on many levels. Briskman also did an excellent job of including backstories for her characters and the reasonings behind their actions. Her story was well developed, and I didn't finish the novel with any questions remaining, showing me how well Briskman can wrap up a story in a timely manner. Briskman's writing has promise, and I look forward to watching her skill grow as she continues to write.
However, I found the story to be written through a voice that was trying too hard to compare with the stereotypical teenage language. The narrator's voice did not seem genuine to me, and I had a hard time believing a lot of what she said. The backstory of the main character's circumstances was far fetched and hard to relate to on many levels. It almost seemed to me that the narrator was trying too hard to convince the reader that her life wasn't perfect even though her father was a celebrity. She seemed to expect pity from the reader at times, and it turned me away from her more than once. Her case of being an "ordinary teenager" could have been more believable if she hadn't tried so hard to prove it. The novel could also be wordy at times, and I found myself skipping over sentences that I found weren't necessary to the story.
But with that being said, I found If You Wish to have a promising basis for a story. It dealt with heavy topics, and young adults can relate to some of the events on many levels. Briskman also did an excellent job of including backstories for her characters and the reasonings behind their actions. Her story was well developed, and I didn't finish the novel with any questions remaining, showing me how well Briskman can wrap up a story in a timely manner. Briskman's writing has promise, and I look forward to watching her skill grow as she continues to write.
March 8, 2017
If you wish is a Cinderella retelling that throws you into modern living. This small novel is a bit more modern than what I normally read but, i enjoyed it very much.
I enjoyed the cover and the smoothness of the story. The story was more of a stream of thoughts for me then anything and i was surprised to realize that I enjoyed that.
I loved Ella.
I hated Sarah.
I felt so so about the father.
Despised Alexis.
Wishy washy with Izzy.
Confused about Dylan.
Yet.... I do think i as supposed to feel that way with those characters.
One of the biggest cons was when the girls went to the studio with their father because i felt that just was a "filler" scene. Does anyone know what I mean? When your watching a series on Netflix and there is no point to this episode and does not add anything to the story line.
This is a great read for when you've gotten yourself in a book rut after reading too many psychological thrillers and are already emotionally stressed - AKA - a perfect beach read book.
One thing I do want to add is that the stepmother and step daughter dynamics were very true if extreme. If you've ever had step parents or several its extremely relatable!
I had the pleasure of having this novel sent to me and I opened it up just in the right time! I do look forward to what this teenage author comes out next and i am peaked to see what world she creates in her upcoming books.
I enjoyed the cover and the smoothness of the story. The story was more of a stream of thoughts for me then anything and i was surprised to realize that I enjoyed that.
I loved Ella.
I hated Sarah.
I felt so so about the father.
Despised Alexis.
Wishy washy with Izzy.
Confused about Dylan.
Yet.... I do think i as supposed to feel that way with those characters.
One of the biggest cons was when the girls went to the studio with their father because i felt that just was a "filler" scene. Does anyone know what I mean? When your watching a series on Netflix and there is no point to this episode and does not add anything to the story line.
This is a great read for when you've gotten yourself in a book rut after reading too many psychological thrillers and are already emotionally stressed - AKA - a perfect beach read book.
One thing I do want to add is that the stepmother and step daughter dynamics were very true if extreme. If you've ever had step parents or several its extremely relatable!
I had the pleasure of having this novel sent to me and I opened it up just in the right time! I do look forward to what this teenage author comes out next and i am peaked to see what world she creates in her upcoming books.
September 28, 2016
If you like John Green, you'll love Cassandra Sage Briskman. This is a modern day Cinderella story set in Los Angeles that tackles teen subjects such as bullying, LGBT rights, and alcohol abuse. The main character's father is a famous film director, and she lives in a fancy Hollywood mansion, but her life basically sucks because her step mother lives to make her miserable. Then she meets a boy who lives in a poor part of LA, and she discovers that money does not necessarily bring happiness. Not only that, but she finds herself having romantic feeling for her stepsister's boyfriend. It's really a great book. Very quick and easy to read. Cassandra Sage Briskman is only 16 years old, so she really understands teenagers. Highly recommended.
November 5, 2016
(**This book was sent to me for an honest review.**)
This cute, sweet, short little novel was not exactly what I was expecting when I picked it up and started reading. Truthfully, I chose to start it because I had a horrible day and I was feeling extremely down and I wanted something quick and light to cheer me up. Well, 145 pages later...
So, the premise of this book is simple: Ella lives together with her stepmother and her two stepsisters who came into her and her father's life a few years after her mother's death. Ella's father is a huge film producer so, naturally, he is away quite a lot which leaves her alone with the other three. In usual Cinderella-style, her stepmother is resentful towards Ella and gives her ridiculous amounts of errands to keep her life too preoccupied for a 16-year-old in order to enjoy her young life. However, Ella doesn't complain. She doesn't talk to her father about it, not wanting to ruin the very short few days they spend together, and she takes all horrid treatment and just goes on with her life. Along the way, she meets Julian, a much-needed friend. However, instead of falling for her as you may normally assume, she instead falls for her stepsister's boyfriend. "And blah, blah, blah".
Truth be told, I did not go into this book expecting to be blown away by the writing, the concept, the characters, etc which, if I did, I think I would have been disappointed. I can name a fair few issues that I found with these things (the writing, the concept, the characters, etc), though I feel that doing so is completely unnecessary. I loved this book for the real fact that it immediately shooed away the dark clouds over my head and took me back to the days where, after having a bad day at school, I would come home and watch Disney Channel Original Movies until I felt better.
Generally....
The writing: Easy, thoughtful.
The concept: Simple, cute.
The characters: Relatable, real.
I am honestly sad that it ended as quickly as it did and I still find myself curious about the continued life of these characters. I'm keeping my eye on you, Cassandra Sage Briskman.
Rating: 3.5 stars
<3
This cute, sweet, short little novel was not exactly what I was expecting when I picked it up and started reading. Truthfully, I chose to start it because I had a horrible day and I was feeling extremely down and I wanted something quick and light to cheer me up. Well, 145 pages later...
So, the premise of this book is simple: Ella lives together with her stepmother and her two stepsisters who came into her and her father's life a few years after her mother's death. Ella's father is a huge film producer so, naturally, he is away quite a lot which leaves her alone with the other three. In usual Cinderella-style, her stepmother is resentful towards Ella and gives her ridiculous amounts of errands to keep her life too preoccupied for a 16-year-old in order to enjoy her young life. However, Ella doesn't complain. She doesn't talk to her father about it, not wanting to ruin the very short few days they spend together, and she takes all horrid treatment and just goes on with her life. Along the way, she meets Julian, a much-needed friend. However, instead of falling for her as you may normally assume, she instead falls for her stepsister's boyfriend. "And blah, blah, blah".
Truth be told, I did not go into this book expecting to be blown away by the writing, the concept, the characters, etc which, if I did, I think I would have been disappointed. I can name a fair few issues that I found with these things (the writing, the concept, the characters, etc), though I feel that doing so is completely unnecessary. I loved this book for the real fact that it immediately shooed away the dark clouds over my head and took me back to the days where, after having a bad day at school, I would come home and watch Disney Channel Original Movies until I felt better.
Generally....
The writing: Easy, thoughtful.
The concept: Simple, cute.
The characters: Relatable, real.
I am honestly sad that it ended as quickly as it did and I still find myself curious about the continued life of these characters. I'm keeping my eye on you, Cassandra Sage Briskman.
Rating: 3.5 stars
<3
February 16, 2017
I read this book by talented young author Cassandra Briskman in one sitting! A modern day Cinderella story, this bright, breezy read follows Ella Jackson as she deals with living with her step mother and step sisters! This book covers a lot of topics that I think teenage readers will identify with.....and I also loved the references to To Kill A Mockingbird Bird throughout the book :)
All in all this is a great debut......If you like YA I think you will love this..... Cassandra Briskman is certainly someone to watch out for!!!!
I've given it 3/5 (however I think if I was reading it as someone younger it would be more like 4/5 )
January 7, 2017
If You Wish is a Cinderella re-telling/story so I already knew I'd love it!!
Even though it only had 145 pages, it was full of drama and everything you'd expect in a Cinderella story. It was cute, short story that I'd definitely re-read when I'm in need of a short, cute book to help me get out of a reading slump.
I loved Ella's character. Although, there could have been a lot of cliche things about her - she wasn't cliche at all but she still had the Cinderella feel to the story. I liked Ella's character right from the beginning.
So, here's what I liked about the book:
I liked that If You Wish had a realistic feel to it. It wasn't too extreme that it's not believable/realistic.
Dylan! He definitely shocked me. I was always expecting him to do something mean to Ella, but he definitely surprised me. His character was so sweet and I loved him!
The writing. Cassandra's writing was easy and quick to read which is always great because I hate when authors go on about something and you have no idea what they're talking about. But Cassandra got right to not point and it was easy to understand everything that was going on.
I loved that even though Ella's father is rich and famous, she discovers that money doesn't bring you happiness. Unlike her step mother and sisters, who rely on money for everything.
The fact that she didn't need a guy to save her was great! I absolutely hate that cliche where the guy is always saving the girl. Ella saves herself in this and she doesn't have to rely on a guy to make her happy.
Overall, this was a fast read which I enjoyed right to the end. I cannot wait to see what Cassandra brings us next.
Even though it only had 145 pages, it was full of drama and everything you'd expect in a Cinderella story. It was cute, short story that I'd definitely re-read when I'm in need of a short, cute book to help me get out of a reading slump.
I loved Ella's character. Although, there could have been a lot of cliche things about her - she wasn't cliche at all but she still had the Cinderella feel to the story. I liked Ella's character right from the beginning.
So, here's what I liked about the book:
I liked that If You Wish had a realistic feel to it. It wasn't too extreme that it's not believable/realistic.
Dylan! He definitely shocked me. I was always expecting him to do something mean to Ella, but he definitely surprised me. His character was so sweet and I loved him!
The writing. Cassandra's writing was easy and quick to read which is always great because I hate when authors go on about something and you have no idea what they're talking about. But Cassandra got right to not point and it was easy to understand everything that was going on.
I loved that even though Ella's father is rich and famous, she discovers that money doesn't bring you happiness. Unlike her step mother and sisters, who rely on money for everything.
The fact that she didn't need a guy to save her was great! I absolutely hate that cliche where the guy is always saving the girl. Ella saves herself in this and she doesn't have to rely on a guy to make her happy.
Overall, this was a fast read which I enjoyed right to the end. I cannot wait to see what Cassandra brings us next.
June 4, 2017
Read the FULL REVIEW here.
(First of all, I’d like to thank the lovely and ever so sweet Cassandra Briskman for giving me a free copy of her book!)
If there is really one thing I loved about this book, it would be Ella’s character. She isn’t your cliche “Oh stepmother would be very mad if I do not do this or that,” yet she still keeps the “Cinderella attitude” in her. She’s rather one kind of a bold and charming girl and I loved her for that.
I also loved the unpredictability of the plot. Seriously, at first I didn’t know who she was gonna end up with because there are two male (major/minor) characters. The book gave me an unexpectedness feeling as it unravels towards the end. And for a debut novel, Cassandra did so well.
Yet opposing the positive sides are a few flaws of the story. The narration could be a little better, the characters could be given more background (or else it confuses readers like what happened to me). And was it just me or the ending felt a bit rushed? Detailed and more concrete review about this certain part is on my blog.
Overall, the book has a bit of its own flaws but still is a beautiful and a fun read for a debut novel!
So, would I buy it in print format the time it would already be available in my local bookstore? Well, why not? Although I hope it would be a bit longer by then. Because despite the book’s imperfections, I really am still hoping to get another glimpse of Ella’s not-so magical fairy tale story.
(First of all, I’d like to thank the lovely and ever so sweet Cassandra Briskman for giving me a free copy of her book!)
If there is really one thing I loved about this book, it would be Ella’s character. She isn’t your cliche “Oh stepmother would be very mad if I do not do this or that,” yet she still keeps the “Cinderella attitude” in her. She’s rather one kind of a bold and charming girl and I loved her for that.
I also loved the unpredictability of the plot. Seriously, at first I didn’t know who she was gonna end up with because there are two male (major/minor) characters. The book gave me an unexpectedness feeling as it unravels towards the end. And for a debut novel, Cassandra did so well.
Yet opposing the positive sides are a few flaws of the story. The narration could be a little better, the characters could be given more background (or else it confuses readers like what happened to me). And was it just me or the ending felt a bit rushed? Detailed and more concrete review about this certain part is on my blog.
Overall, the book has a bit of its own flaws but still is a beautiful and a fun read for a debut novel!
So, would I buy it in print format the time it would already be available in my local bookstore? Well, why not? Although I hope it would be a bit longer by then. Because despite the book’s imperfections, I really am still hoping to get another glimpse of Ella’s not-so magical fairy tale story.
February 4, 2017
If You Wish by Cassandra Sage Briskman
# of Pages: 145
Genre: Contemporary
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Do I recommend this book?
Sure, if you're looking for a quick, easy read, this book is great.
Ratings (out of 10):
Quality: 8
Pace: 7
Plot development: 9
Characters: 8
Enjoyability: 9
Ease of Reading: 10
Summary from the back of the book:
Ella Jackson is an ordinary teenage girl who's father just happens to be a rich and famous film director. Her life must be awesome, right? Not exactly. Her father is always working and her stepmother and two step sisters basically live to make Ella miserable. Life sucks, until Ella meets Julian. But, instead of falling in love with him, she finds herself falling in love with the hottest boy at school...her step sister's boyfriend.
My Opinions (SPOILER FREE):
This was a very fun, nice read. It was easy to just pick it up and read through the whole thing.
I really liked a lot of the side characters. Ella was a fun character to follow, but at times I didn't like some of the decisions she made.
The writing was also pretty good. It wasn't fantastic, but it was good considering his is the author's first book.
I liked that the story was short, but it ended quite abruptly. I feel like the ending could've been done a different way, or just drawn out a little more.
There were also so many fun Cinderella references that I really enjoyed.
Overall, I did enjoy this book, so big thanks to the author for sending it to me. :)
# of Pages: 145
Genre: Contemporary
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Do I recommend this book?
Sure, if you're looking for a quick, easy read, this book is great.
Ratings (out of 10):
Quality: 8
Pace: 7
Plot development: 9
Characters: 8
Enjoyability: 9
Ease of Reading: 10
Summary from the back of the book:
Ella Jackson is an ordinary teenage girl who's father just happens to be a rich and famous film director. Her life must be awesome, right? Not exactly. Her father is always working and her stepmother and two step sisters basically live to make Ella miserable. Life sucks, until Ella meets Julian. But, instead of falling in love with him, she finds herself falling in love with the hottest boy at school...her step sister's boyfriend.
My Opinions (SPOILER FREE):
This was a very fun, nice read. It was easy to just pick it up and read through the whole thing.
I really liked a lot of the side characters. Ella was a fun character to follow, but at times I didn't like some of the decisions she made.
The writing was also pretty good. It wasn't fantastic, but it was good considering his is the author's first book.
I liked that the story was short, but it ended quite abruptly. I feel like the ending could've been done a different way, or just drawn out a little more.
There were also so many fun Cinderella references that I really enjoyed.
Overall, I did enjoy this book, so big thanks to the author for sending it to me. :)
December 2, 2016
This book is AMAZING, I am 12 years old and I loved it. The writing is amazing, the characters were so funny and fun. This is one of the best books I have ever read by far.
Cassandra Sage Briskman brings out the best and worst parts of every character.
I read this book 4 times and every time I loved it every time.
This book is full of fun, excitement, humor, love, and so much more.
If You Wish is one of the best YA books of the year!!!
The only problem is that I think that it is to short... I wish there was more!!!
Cassandra Sage Briskman brings out the best and worst parts of every character.
I read this book 4 times and every time I loved it every time.
This book is full of fun, excitement, humor, love, and so much more.
If You Wish is one of the best YA books of the year!!!
The only problem is that I think that it is to short... I wish there was more!!!
November 6, 2016
So, I really give this book 4 stars but I found quite a few typos and that was a bit distracting. BUT rated on content I totally give it a 4/5. I actually really liked the characters, I felt like the story had a realistic progression and the dialogue flowed very well. I am very pleased with this book and would DEFINITELY read more from this author! She has a similar style to Sarah Dessen with a little more grit. I hope she continues writing. ❤️
January 19, 2017
I really loved this book. It is a short, easy, enjoyable read. The book is a modern day Cinderella retelling, but it's cleverly written and surprising. The characters are extremely likable and don't fall into the usual stereotypes. I would definitely recommend this book.
November 29, 2016
Definitely wouldn't recommend this to an adult... a teen might like it.
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