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Will

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No power comes without a price! A supernatural thriller that will make you wonder, "What would I have done?"

What would you do if you stumbled across a magic eight ball with all the answers? Would you ask it for lottery numbers? Would you ask about the love of your life? That’s what thirty-six-year-old Will Pearce did. However, nothing good comes without a price. Will learns that with the good, comes the bad. How much is Will prepared to pay for the answers that he seeks?

Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2021

12 people are currently reading
45 people want to read

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Christine Bernard

11 books45 followers

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5 stars
36 (33%)
4 stars
35 (32%)
3 stars
24 (22%)
2 stars
11 (10%)
1 star
3 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
Profile Image for Melissa Delport.
Author 94 books319 followers
January 4, 2018
4.5 stars

This book is insane. I won't be forgetting it in a hurry. I have so many questions, which I think is the point, but my mind is literally blown. Creepy and addictive, I finished it in one sitting!


Magic eight ball, will I ever truly understand what just happened!?

"Outlook not good."
158 reviews
September 24, 2019
Updated! I listened to the Audible version because I enjoyed this so much.

I love this book so much. So much so, in fact, I listened to the Audible version even though I have read the book.
In this story, you follow Will around in his mundane, orderly life. One day he goes into a strange shop he has never noticed. His off beat choice has repercussions that will effect more than just himself.
You get a sense of what madness looks like. You will be hooked from the beginning. And in the end, you might wonder what you would have done.


This book will make you sit on the edge of your seat to see what choices Will makes! I am still thinking...Would I do the same? And the plot is so different than anything I have read. An original for sure.
Christine's writing style is just up my ally. I could hardly put the book down! This is easy to read in one day if you have a free afternoon.
I can't wait to read another book by Christine!
Profile Image for Joan.
397 reviews28 followers
August 26, 2019
This was a very interesting story about a guy, Will, whose life is taken over by a magic 8 ball.
While I did enjoy the story and liked the characters, there was a lot of things left unexplained and the ending is very anti-climatic. I would have loved to know why/how the magic 8 ball made Will do all those things. Was it possessed? A curse? But we never really find out and I feel it is a big gap missing out of the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Hayley Long.
49 reviews
December 1, 2017
Recently I had the privilege of reading Will and I was not disappointed. I identified with the main character so much, that I almost convinced myself that Christine had installed surveillance cameras in my house. At times I wanted to shake Will and scream “Don’t do it”, (I might have actually shouted at my poor Kindle a few times) and there was even a moment that I got a bit teary. Will has to be one of my favourite books of 2017 and a must read for lovers of dark and twisty.

Profile Image for Nerine Dorman.
Author 70 books238 followers
Read
December 18, 2017
Can't rate this 'cos I edited. But what a delightfully twisty, quirky and squirmy read. Loved working on this project so very much. Read Christine's books. They're lovely.
Profile Image for Kayla Krantz.
Author 45 books742 followers
December 21, 2019
So wow! I have so many good things to say about this book.

It’s not very often that I find a book that I think about for hours after I finish reading it, but Will was definitely one of those.

Will is a boring run of the mill guy. He works the same job, living in his boring house, with his boring morning routine. He’s not a wild card. Never has been. So when he finds a magic eight ball in an odd shop one day, he doesn’t know what possesses him to buy it. At first, it’s a nostalgic piece of his childhood, but when it gives him the lottery numbers, he realizes that what he’s discovered isn’t an ordinary magic eight ball. It’s magic. Literally. As the requests begin to grow darker and darker, Will finds himself trapped in a situation that makes him realize there are worse things in life than being boring.

Every character in this book was super well flushed out, and I can’t get over how real Will felt as I was reading. His thoughts, actions, and dialogue was intriguing. There were a few times I found myself relating to him and laughing out loud. It’s not long that I connect to an MC like this, but with the writer’s smooth style it was easy. Oh, and not to mention that twist at the ending. I loved it!

Narration was absolutely wonderful. Every character had a different voice, and even the emotions of the MC were done in a professional manner.

This is probably the best audiobook I’ve listened to in a while, and that’s saying a lot since I listen to so many a year.

Christine Bernard is now one of my favorite authors.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
Profile Image for Siobhan.
266 reviews11 followers
January 4, 2019
What a fantastic read!
I was hooked until the end because this book is filled with so many twists and turns that you HAVE to know what is going to happen next. You just cannot help being sucked into this awesome book.
Keeps you on your toes, written fantastically and you won't regret indulging in this.
Profile Image for N.
60 reviews4 followers
January 13, 2019
Great read

Starts out with a character a lot of us may relate to, that quickly turns into a strange twist of him being submissive to a magic 8 ball he thought could give him all the things in life he wanted.

Be careful what you ask for. But yikes, I'd love a story from Christine on Ouija, in her writing style, and The Lady in the Mirror. Creepy childhood games.
Profile Image for Lisa Coventry.
6 reviews
February 18, 2019
Strange, I am actually only reviewing this about 2 weeks after finishing, and I don't normally review books. But I find myself thinking of this book at odd random moments, and more and more often, because it was so different to what I expected, and because the ending took me by complete surprise (why I'm not sure, I should have seen it coming, but still) and really bothers me these days. Not in a "I didn't enjoy the book" way but rather like a sore tooth kind of thing, even though it's sore you keep playing with it. I would imagine that that's what authors want though, like artwork that generates conversations long after you looked at it.
Profile Image for Terry.
1,068 reviews34 followers
September 1, 2019
Audiobook review

This is about a magic 8 ball of such huge power I can’t even imagine!
I didn’t want to stop listening when I got to the end of my 1st work day & has to wait until the next day to finish it.
Absolute mind blowing story. How could he, why did he, but what would you do. Got me thinking and wondering.
Narrator was great, kept this going so well. Love when I get lost in a voice and story.
9 reviews
December 4, 2017
Having read Christine Bernard’s first book, Unravel, I was quite intrigued to read her new novel, Will. I knew nothing about it, and decided not to read any other reviews. I had absolutely no idea what to expect. From the beginning, there was this underlying menace that something evil was about to happen, and it was spot on.
Will is a rather ordinary guy, not very adventurous, just intent on getting by. Then he finds a magic eight ball in a strange old shop. Nostalgia makes him take it home. His best friend tells him to have some fun and do whatever the magic eight ball tells him to do, just for the weekend. He starts off with a couple of random questions, ending with him painting his house orange.
He starts asking more and more questions, getting answers that are not on the magic eight ball’s list of standard answers. These answers start changing his life and his personality for the better. And his reliance on the ball becomes more intense.
The ball takes over his life in one swift command, and that’s when the threatened evil becomes apparent and unavoidable.
Once again, like Unravel, the book has a less than satisfying ending for anyone that likes things neatly tied up and explained. However, the horror that is implied is a much better ending in my opinion. Plan to read it in one sitting. You’ll need to know what happens.
Profile Image for Cassey.
1,346 reviews4 followers
December 14, 2017
I'm starting to wonder if Christine Bernard just doesn't like people ;) Her poor poor characters are always being tortured. They're given a taste of the good life, and then bam...she pulls the rug out from under them.

I enjoyed this story more than Unravel. And it's far more dark and twisty. So worth the read.

*I'm a lucky fish and on the author's ARC team*
Profile Image for Joni Janice Mielke.
470 reviews9 followers
April 10, 2019
Following Christine Bernard's nailbiting, page turning debut thriller, Unravel, this novel is as brilliant in its own right and just as addictive. Will takes a paranormal slant on the mystery of a life that goes from ordinary and predictable to never-ending, demon-fuelled rollercoaster in the time that it takes to purchase a magic eight ball.

Just as Bernard's titular character is led down the proverbial rabbit hole into a life that seems to bear little resemblance to the one he has known for so long, so the reader is drawn to the question that haunts the mind long after you've closed the book after the final page. Would you have done any differently? Will you?
Profile Image for Angelique Pacheco.
43 reviews2 followers
December 1, 2017
This book took the supernatural to a whole new level. I was torn between wanting to read the book finished and keeping it in the freezer (it’s less scary that way). Christine takes a seemingly innocent item and transforms it into a terrorizing object to be feared. Please don’t ever write about chocolate! This is an immensely enjoyable thriller that should be read in bed, on a day off, during rainy weather with copious amounts of snacks available. This book will blow you away!
Profile Image for Milan Watson.
Author 45 books139 followers
January 7, 2018
What an interestingly different book. I can actually imagine watching a movie about it and loving every minute. Christine Bernard writes in a refreshing manner that keeps you pinned to the pages until the very end. The conclusion: Read every book she writes and stay away...far away from magic eight balls.
Profile Image for Chandre Blignaut.
11 reviews
May 12, 2018
The plot has a lot of potential and it’s a very different idea. I just found the ending lacking and a bit abrupt. So much more could be done.
Profile Image for Lady Safari.
278 reviews5 followers
July 18, 2018
Fun and different

This isn’t a book I’d normally read. It is was fun and fast paced. I didn’t know what to expect and kept my interest.
Profile Image for Terri.
16 reviews
December 9, 2019
It was an interesting concept, but the writing was fairly poor. It was also contrived and predictable, and in places, utterly stupid. I listened to it on audio, I wouldn't have even finished it if I'd tried to read it in text form, but as I was doing something else while listening (and I had nothing else to listen to) I stuck it out. I picked it up based on reviews here, so I thought I'd leave one of my own, because to me they seem more than a little off the mark. Marked as horror or thriller, well, not so much there either, seemed more like a high school general level story assignment that got long.

SPOILERS:

At one point the MC asked the 8 ball what gift he should buy for his girlfriend's mother, and it told him to get hershey's kisses and flower seeds, lilies. When he gave it to her, he found out that there was a dead sister his girlfriend had not told him about, her name was Lily and her favourite thing was Hershey's kisses. Of course the family got terribly offended by this and told him it was a cruel joke! I spent that section especially with a raised eyebrow. I'm not sure what kind of world the author lives in, but this is nothing but a sad regurgitation of "the monkey's paw" parable, with a lot of things that will make you want to scratch your head.
Profile Image for Yorick.
36 reviews4 followers
October 10, 2019
Answer Hazy, Ask Again!
I was given a free Audible audiobook copy of this title for an honest review.

This book according to the stars, is pretty good. It reads like a Twilight Zone episode, and I really like Twilight Zone. Will, the title character finds a Magic Eight Ball in a hole-in-the-wall used bookstore/novelty shop. He buys it for nostalgic reasons and races out of the store because the clerk creeps him out.

At first it seems like a normal kids toy, but soon, its answers start having more direct impact / connection with Will's world. After that, things get weird and ominous. It drew me into the story. Like watching a horror movie, I found myself thinking the equivalent of, "Don't open that door!"

It's an entertaining read. I can't really say more about the story without leaving spoilers. If you like stories that were in The Twilight Zone, you'll like this book. If you really don't know anything about The Twilight Zone, let me say that the book is mysterious, eerie, and is a look at what a normal person might do under unexplainable circumstances. You might not want to read it alone at night. Or maybe that's the best time for a shiver!
Profile Image for Ryan H.
232 reviews3 followers
September 4, 2019
Wow, holy moly did this whenever surprise me. It literally came out of left field for me. It is so addictive that you’ll find it hard to put down. The characters are well developed and woven into the storyline amazingly. Parts of this book are so creepy that it will leave you wanting more and I have many many questions about this book but it is just like I sometimes say some mysteries are left unsolved for a reason. I was completely grabbed by this book and invested right from the gecko. The performance is actually quite good even though it has its parts where I thought it could’ve went another way it always seem to grab me right back in. The pacing is very good and he does not seem rushed even during those tents scenes. Character voices are very well done and easily distinguishable between each. This one will finish quite high on my audiobook list of 2019. I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review from audiobook Boom. This in no way affected my opinion of this work.
Profile Image for Book My Imagination.
278 reviews1 follower
February 23, 2023
"What would you do if you came across a magic eight ball with all the answers?

🎱This is the premise of WILL.
🎱I am pretty sure we have all seen or heard of the magic eight ball. If not,... google it 😆
🎱And considering I remember playing the old "does such and such like me?" Or " Will I get my licence today?", with a friend's magic eightball, I went into this read thinking that it was going to be a bit quirky and fun.
🎱I underestimated (and I should have known better having read a few of this author's other books) that it wouldn't be fun forever.
🎱Poor Will, he did the same thing. Especially after a few good answers to life problems.
But it soon turned darker.
🎱This raises a great question that I am sure Christine intended for her readers.
👉 At what point do you let others make your decisions, and at what point do you stand up for doing the right thing?
🎱This is another great read from this author, and she always raises great questions for her readers and gives us wonderfully off centre scenarios to think about.
Profile Image for N.V. Cefalo.
162 reviews5 followers
September 9, 2019
*This book was given to me by the author at my request, and I provided this voluntary, unbiased review.*

4.5/5

I absolutely loved this story. It sort of hit me in the feels, but also took a sinister turn as well. Bernard took a question I think we all have asked before, and turned it into a dark story that has plenty to offer. I really only had two gripes: first being that the narrator could not pronounce some common words or acronyms, which bothered me -- but that didnt take anything away from the story as I knew what she meant. The second was the phone interractions between MC and best friend; while I am sure that guys do call each other to talk about things, I dont think the amount of time spent on the phone chit-chatting about their days/current events reflects real life typical guy phone interaction. :)

Other than that, this is really great story that I would recommend to others!
Profile Image for Steve Gougeon.
27 reviews
October 5, 2019
Oh my, what a sneaky, creepy little book! Started all cute, I mean who has not played with a magic 8 ball and laughed at its answers, then bent toward rom-com status then it got real creepy. Very interesting take on the whole thing, I enjoyed it as it kept me coming back for more.

Narration was good, nice, distinctive switch between voices of characters. One thing though and I don't know where to put it but the production of the audiobook was a little uneven. For some chapters there was a kind of hissing sound in the background, no matter what device (iPhone 7 or iPad Pro) or or headphones (corded or bluetooth, many different ones), the sound was still there, but as I said, only on some chapters starting with chapter 17 or so. Then around chapter 26, there was one chapter that sounded all cavernous. Odd.

Other than that, it was a very entertaining listen.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
277 reviews4 followers
August 29, 2021
This story is fantastic!
It may not be visually exciting to be turned into movie, but it works great in ebook and audiobook. (The narrator interpretation also helps with the ambience, the characters creation and their personality).
I loved the ideia of a magic 8 ball giving advice/orders that one would have to follow (or else...).
I don't want to give spoilers but I'm fascinated with the concept of existing a higher being that can turn our life to it's best if we listen, and that even bad things can turn out to have some silver lining even if we can't see it at first.
The ending will surprise you, even though it was staring us in the face all along. I do wish this book has a follow up because, like many other "physiologic thrillers", this one still fails to give us any backstory as to why the "magic" exist in the first place or what it's his real purpose.
You will probably be as curious as me - be warned! ;)
4 reviews
February 9, 2018
Will is one of those books you'll never forget. I related to the main character, Will on so many levels, it's not even funny. I'm a really fussy reader, so if something doesn't grab me from the first two pages, I lose interest quickly. But, with Will, I was hooked from the very first few sentences. Christine has a beautiful way of making the reader feel as though they are right there experiencing everything through the eyes of Will. I cringed, laughed and cried throughout this book and was actually really sad when it came to an end. It's one of those stories that make you think about life and the "what if" situation. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone looking for a fantastic, entertaining read along the lines of some supernatural and a little of the psychological. It's a book I had a hard time putting down and literally finished in 2 days.
Profile Image for Ann.
1,049 reviews2 followers
November 22, 2018
Wow.... I just finished the book and I can't get my head around.
Starting with the basics: the writing is flowing nicely, the pace is good, the characters are believable and there is even a lot of humor. A few grammar and spelling errors seems to have been overlooked towards the end but that didn't bother me much.
The story sucked me in from the first pages. I could identify myself so much with the main character and I laughed about his observations of the world.
But right from the beginning, there was an underlying malvolence shining through the haze or will it be not so bad? Does it only serve a greater good? Not knowing in which direction this is heading was one of the major drives in this story.
5 straight stars - this book will keep me thinking about free will, magic and faith or mental illness for a while.
Profile Image for Hazel Bright.
1,337 reviews34 followers
October 15, 2019
Starts out interesting, but gets increasingly stupid.

Terrible audiobook narrator who talks like a male valley girl, pronouncing the contraction, "didn't" variously dinnet, dinnen, or dinnent. Similar pronunciations for "couldn't" - counnut, counnun, or counnunt. Pronounced the word "hiccough" (should be 'hiccup') like the spelling - hic-cough. There were similar valley girl errors in the actual writing as well. I also got really tired of hearing about the love interest's "chocolate" eyes.

Profile Image for JC  Cornell.
687 reviews
December 31, 2019
Starting this book my first thought was "I have seen this movie before"... I was wrong.

This story does feel familiar in a good luck/bad luck, relying on magic that turns evil kind of a way, and you think you'll know where this ends. And while you may guess the ending (I did) the story swept me along and kept me interested throughout. The twists were subtle and clever which made the tension in the book all the better.

Excellent read, enjoyed every minute of it.
Profile Image for megan lewis.
10 reviews1 follower
March 9, 2018
Very interesting.

Will was definitely unique and not something I've read before. It started out telling us about our main charcters very boring life that he was very annoyed with. When he comes acrossed a magic shop and his life all of a sudden takes a very big change. I will say that towards the middle of the book when things kept going to good for him I got a bit bored but labored on for a very surprising ending. Over all a very fun read and crazy ending.
Profile Image for Judy Alexander.
10 reviews
July 4, 2018
Excellent Book

When I first saw this book and what it was about, I was unsure if I wanted to read it. Boy, was I wrong. Once I started to read "Will" I could not put it down. The story was so different from what I was used to and such a great storyline. The ending was so unexpected. I would recommend this book to anyone.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews

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