The Wish

by Nicholas Sparks

Story of young woman dying of cancer

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Christmas, Audiobook, Book Club, Contemporary, Chick Lit

382 pages, Paperback

First published September 28, 2021

About the author

Nicholas Sparks is one of the world’s most beloved storytellers. All of his books have been New York Times bestsellers, with over 130 million copies sold worldwide, in more than 50 languages, including over 92 million copies in the United States alone.

Sparks wrote one of his best-known stories, The Notebook, over a period of six months at age 28. It was published in 1996 and he followed with the novels Message in a Bottle (1998), A Walk to Remember (1999), The Rescue (2000), A Bend in the Road (2001), Nights in Rodanthe (2002), The Guardian (2003), The Wedding (2003), True Believer (2005) and its sequel, At First Sight (2005), Dear John (2006), The Choice (2007), The Lucky One (2008), The Last Song (2009), Safe Haven (2010), The Best of Me (2011), The Longest Ride (2013), See Me (2015), Two by Two (2016), Every Breath (2018), The Return (2020), The Wish (2021), and Dreamland (2022), as well as the 2004 non-fiction memoir Three Weeks With My Brother, co-written with his brother Micah. His twenty-fourth novel, Counting Miracles, will be published on September 24, 2024.

Film adaptations of Nicholas Sparks novels, including The Choice, The Longest Ride, The Best of Me, Safe Haven (on all of which he served as a producer), The Lucky One, Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John and The Last Song, have had a cumulative worldwide gross of over three-quarters of a billion dollars. The Notebook has also been adapted into a Broadway musical, featuring music and lyrics by Ingrid Michaelson.

Sparks lives in North Carolina. He contributes to a variety of local and national charities, and is a major contributor to the Creative Writing Program (MFA) at the University of Notre Dame, where he provides scholarships, internships, and a fellowship annually. He co-founded The Epiphany School in New Bern, North Carolina in 2006. As a former full scholarship athlete (he still holds a track and field record at the University of Notre Dame) he also spent four years coaching track and field athletes at the local public high school. In 2009, the team he coached at New Bern High School set a World Junior Indoor Record in the 4×400 meters, as well as US High School National Records in the 800 Medley and 1600 Medley. Click to watch the Runner’s World video with Nicholas.

The Nicholas Sparks Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was founded in 2011, to provide scholarships and fund educational programs for underprivileged and disadvantaged youth. Between the foundation, and the personal gifts of the Sparks family, more than $15 million dollars have been distributed to deserving charities, scholarship programs, and projects. Because the Sparks family covers all operational expenses of the foundation, 100% of donations are devoted to programs.

Reviews

[Marisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is VINTAGE Nicholas sparks - full of damn good story telling, characters you fall in love with, and backstories that break your heart. Hard to believe that Sparks has been writing for 25 years and just keeps getting better and better.

I love when Sparks uses the “story within a story” literary device-he used this in The Notebook and The Longest Ride- it’s fun to be able to get involved in both stories.

THE WISH is a complex story that addresses: teen pregnancy, adoption, parental expectations, cancer, first loves. 10 percent in I had my first cry. I loved all the characters. I loved the setting and the story itself. Maggie will forever remain in my heart.

I am beyond grateful to Gallery books, Edelweiss and Nicholas Sparks for the early read. Cannot wait to share this story with EVERYONE September 2021.

[Kezia Duah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sparks: You will cry.
Me: Wow, so confident. Well challenge accepted!
Also me by the end of the book: *Uncontrollably sobbing* I’m never going to recover from this😭.

Seriously guys! I haven’t cried this hard since It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover. I was hooked from the beginning, and it got more and more interesting, and sadder and sadder. I swear some of these books have no respect for my grades. Like stop being so good! I have to study. After a few chapters, I could tell that this book was going to break me.The ending was shocking and perfect. I loved this book so much!


‼️SPOILERS‼️
Maggie’s family was so awful. I’m so happy that she met Bryce. Maggie was so mature though. I’m glad it wasn’t some unrealistic romance where they gave up everything just to be with each other, but Maggie talked some sense into him. And then they didn’t get to say goodbye😭. And then he died😭😭!! I literally saw it coming and started weeping before I actually read the words. And fucking Mark! I started to suspect him after a while. I just couldn’t figure out how exactly he could be connected to Maggie, and then I knew even before he gave her the gift. I was like there literally is no perfect ending than that. On top of all this, he reminds her of Bryce. When she said in her letter that Bryce somehow affected who Mark is today, it didn’t make sense but also it made perfect sense.

Great job Sparks!

[Joanna Chu (The ChuseyReader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unpopular opinion...I feel so heartless I didn’t feel much from this book haha, apart from the ending! I think I came in with the wrong expectations, this book just wasn't for me.

Pick this up if you enjoy and/or don’t mind:

🐢 Turtle pace slow burn friends to lovers (and I normally love slow burn romances)

💑 Coming of age teen Romance (I prefer something more mature)

🤏 Not much romance (I wanted more)

🤰 Split between past and present with an emphasis on the past and Maggie's pregnancy

⚕️ Heavy topic (the medical diagnosis)

😭 A bit sad and depressing

What I enjoyed:

Honestly I don’t have much to say about this book because not much actually happened.

It was nicely written and the characters were well developed.
The only thing I actually liked was the ending even though it was MEGA predictable. It did hit me in the feels. But I wish it was throughout.

What I didn’t enjoy:

This book wasn’t what I expected, I just couldn't connect with the story or Maggie. Really not much happened at all as the majority of the book explored Maggie’s past in Ocracoke and in painfully minute detail of her thoughts and uneventful days. Boring.

I kept on waiting for something to happen but it just kept dragging on and on and the chapters were so long. Luckily I had the audio book and listened while walking, else I probably would've cracked it and lost my patience reading it.

[Ana | SheSaidYestoBooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

How are we supposed to be excited about a book we already know how it’s going to end by the second chapter?

Besides, I love reading. Reading is my happy place. I don’t read to get depressed. I read to run far far away from depression. And this book is the depression itself in pages.

I lost my father to cancer and reading this book was like reliving the nightmare he went through. I couldn’t finish it. Not only was it VERY depressing, but it was also boring and predictable.

I don’t think this is a book for anyone who has been touched by cancer in some way. So fair warning ⚠️ cruel and brutal details of the disease described in minute detail.

Can’t this author give us a happy ever after for once???

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dang it, Nicholas Sparks! I had to run, not walk, to find a tissue multiple time while I finished this book. In my opinion, this is the best title from you in years. My favorite has always been A Walk to Remember and this recent release contains some of the elements that make for a wonderful read. At the top of the list would be combining young love and a tragic illness in the narrative. There are some beautiful themes in this new title affirming motherhood, pursuing your passions, life, adoption, and homeschooling. There are two timelines that are intertwined. One is mostly in 1995-6 while the more current one is in 2019. In both we find our characters exploring what love is and how we show or act on that love. There is a difference between not wanting to lose someone and truly loving them. I couldn't help but think of this verse from I John.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear ~ I John 4:18a
This is a holiday read that will remind you to cherish those you love best and extend grace to those in your life who love you more than they can show you.

[Mischenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maggie Dawes made a mistake—a mistake that turned her teenage life upside down. Her parents made the difficult decision to send her away to Ocracoke, North Carolina to live with her aunt. Here on this island she feels isolated and misses her life back home. After sulking around day after day, her aunt recommends she go out and try to make some friends. She happens to meet a boy named Bryce who’s similar in age and takes interest in her. He begins tutoring her because she struggles with her schoolwork. Bryce also teaches Maggie all about photography, but most importantly, he doesn’t judge her for her past mistakes. He shows her that nobody’s perfect and that she deserves to be loved.

Fast forward to 2019 with Maggie now in her 30s. She has become a popular travel photographer and shares her images at her very own gallery in New York. She also has a large online presence from creating videos on YouTube and maintaining a successful blog. When Maggie is stricken with a life-threatening disease, she turns to the internet to share her treatment and progress. Here she gets plenty of support, but during her weakest moments, she now needs assistance at the gallery. A young man, Mark Price, shows interest in the job. As Maggie and Mark get to know one another, Maggie reminisces and shares her life story with Mark.

This story grabbed me by the heartstrings, similar to some of this author’s previous novels like The Notebook and The Best of Me. I was hooked from the beginning.

Nicholas Sparks has a way of writing characters that are incredibly easy to latch on to. There weren’t many characters to dislike in this book. While I didn’t love Maggie’s parents, they still had likable qualities. Maggie’s character felt genuine, and seeing her growth throughout the book was one of my favorite aspects. She’s caring and honest. I consistently related to her with everything she was going through in this story. Even though the decisions she made when she was younger weren’t what I wanted them to be, I was accepting of it all in the end. The heart of this story is the love between Maggie and Bryce as teens, but it’s woven seamlessly with Maggie’s present-day perspective.

Bryce was also a favorite character. He’s unbelievably mature for his age and becomes a huge support person for Maggie. Not only is Bryce attractive—he’s kind, charming, intelligent, and inspiring. Along with Maggie’s aunt, It’s wonderful how impactful both of them are in this story. Aunt Linda, a previous nun, is full of wisdom to steer Maggie toward healing.

“It’s important to remember that none of us is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. All we can do is try to be the best version of ourselves as we move forward. In this case, if he asks, you can tell the truth, or you can lie. I suppose it comes down to the kind of person you want to see when you look in the mirror.”

It took me by surprise that there wasn’t any romance in this book. I’ve come to expect it in books by Nicholas Sparks; although, it certainly didn’t need any. The times in this story occur around Christmas, but the book isn’t overly Christmassy at all. Readers may want to be aware that it does deal with a sick person living with cancer. It’s also a book with the power to make you bawl your eyes out like a baby, which is exactly what I did.

Nicholas Sparks is a talented storyteller and remains one of my favorite authors today. He still duped me with the ending of this book. My overall rating for The Wish is 5*****.

[Karen J · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Wish” by Nicholas Sparks
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I absolutely loved this book, went through a box of Kleenex and I never cry. What helped make this incredible story even better was I listened to the audiobook. The narrator did an absolute amazing job. I became addicted and had to listen to it through the night…Kleenex beside me.
The first few books I read by Nicholas Sparks I had to keep checking to see if it was actually written by a man and not a woman. The depth of compassion, love, insight into how a woman feels and especially how Nicholas Sparks knows how to write from the heart makes me fall I love with everything he writes.

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edit: The chapters were insanely long, but I still LOVED this book so much!!!!

OH MY GOSH!!!!!! The Wish was so good!! I have read many other books by Nicholas Sparks, but The Wish is the best one he has written. I absolutely adored this book, it was so heart touching. This novel had me hooked from the very first page, and I couldn't put it down. When I thought I knew what was going to happen I was completely wrong. The Wish destroyed my heart with each page, I was a sobbing mess.

1996 was the year that changed Maggie Dawes's life forever. At the age of 16 Maggie was sent away to live with her aunt in Ocracoke, North Carolina because of personal reasons. Maggie has a sister Morgan who she thinks that her parents favor. Maggie is nothing like Morgan at all. Maggie doesn't think she doesn't belong in Ocracoke because it's such a small island, and she thinks there's no one her age around. When Maggie is on a ferry ride with her aunt Linda, she meets Bryce Trickett, he's one of the few teenagers on the island as well.

When Maggie is sent away she's not allowed to tell her friends why she's being sent away. When Maggie arrives in Ocracoke she can only think of the friends and family she's left behind in Seattle. Bryce shows Maggie around the town, he also tutors Maggie for school, and shows her the love of photography, which she instantly falls in love with. When Maggie got to Ocracoke she was failing all her classes and not doing very well, her aunt Linda was fairly worried about her so she wants Bryce to help Maggie.

By 2019, Maggie is a renowned photographer. Maggie owns a gallery and lives in New York. Maggie is also suffering from a personal medical diagnosis which leaves her not to be able to always be at work. Maggie hires Mark, Luanne, and Trinity to help her out at the gallery when she can't be there. During the Christmas season Maggie and Mark stay behind, and Maggie tells Mark the story of her life in Ocracoke.

Bryce and Maggie were such sweet people, my heart broke for Maggie throughout the whole story. Maggie will always remain in my heart. All I can say is have a box of tissues ready because this novel will destroy you. I'm so happy I picked up this novel it was that good!! I often found myself wanting to hug Aunt Linda, Maggie and Bryce, they touched me so much!! Mark seemed like such a sweet soul also.

[Larry H · Rating 5 out of 5]

With his new book, The Wish , the master of the romantic tearjerker is back to tug at your emotions!

Is there anyone else who stays up super late to finish a book and it seriously rips you apart? Well, I wasn't surprised, but Nicholas Sparks’ new book definitely did that to me. It reminded me of some of his classics like The Notebook .

Maggie is 16 in 1996 when she is sent away to live with her aunt in the remote village of Ocracoke, on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. It’s a fairly solitary life—she mostly does her schoolwork and helps keep the house clean—and she misses her friends. But it’s not long before she strikes up a friendship with Bryce, one of the few other teenagers on the island.

Bryce starts tutoring Maggie to help her keep up with her schoolwork. He starts to show her things he loves about the island and he introduces her to photography, which becomes a love of hers. And little by little, the two fall hard for one another. But Maggie knows she’ll be headed home to Seattle in May, and she knows they’re both too young to derail the course of their lives.

In 2019, Maggie is a famous photographer who co-owns an NYC gallery, where she works when she’s not traveling the world. But faced with a serious medical diagnosis, she needs to hire an assistant for the gallery. As her condition worsens, she and the young man she hires develop a friendship, and she tells him the story of that Christmas in 1996, and its impact on her life.

Not much in The Wish surprised me (there was one twist that threw me) but I was fully immersed in it, falling in love with the characters and the love story. My eyes are still puffy this morning, but boy, it was a good cry!!

See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.

Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.

[Hannah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dear Nicholas Sparks, the audacity! Next time you have the nerve to write from a pregnant, 16 year old female’s perspective, do us all a favor and don’t.

There were so many cringeworthy parts of this book. Like the time you described the bright side of her postpartum depression was losing all the baby weight. Gross.

The ONLY reason I finished (skimmed the heck out of) this book was to confirm that I had the entire story figured out within the first two chapters, which I did.

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book that made me cry was Charlotte’s Web in first grade. I read it over and over and cried every time. I have a long history with loving emotional reads. 😂 The Notebook also made me cry. The story reminded me so much of my grandparents.

The Wish definitely had me crying big tears. Maggie is sent to live with an aunt in isolated, coastal Ocrakoke (my family used to camp there when I was a young child; it was too remote for me then! 😂). While there, she meets Bryce who immediately captures her heart. He shows her around the island and how beautiful the rustic place can be. He also teaches her the basics of photography.

Years later, Maggie is a travel photographer with her own gallery in New York. She normally travels over the holidays, but not this year. She’s grappling with a new medical diagnosis. She begins to share her story with her assistant. Well, not just any story. It’s one from years before. A magical Christmas that shaped the trajectory of her life.

Easy-to-read, emotional, and answering that “what if” question I so often think about, The Wish is all we expect from a Nicholas Sparks novel. My tissues got a workout.

I received a gifted copy.

Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader

[Jackie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I felt like I was reading a list of facts in a high schooler's report. I could not engage with anyone or any event in the story. Even the events that were supposed to be heartbreaking.
Another disappointment from Sparks. His earlier books were better.

[Maryam · Rating 1 out of 5]

This story is basically Catholic propaganda promoting adoption over abortion in the event of teen pregnancy, which notably occurs in higher rates in regions which promote Catholic teachings such as abstinence-only sex education and not using condoms. The medical circumstances of pregnancy are diminished to a big belly and some morning nausea. Giving birth was presented as easy as some pushes and then voila! You can sleep easily for 24 hours! You can lose all pregnancy weight gain in a few months. Not only will your grades get better during the pregnancy but also a perfect boy falls in love with you and wants to be your baby’s father. This rosey picture about teen pregnancy is absolutely wrong. Teen pregnancy risks are higher and complications do happen, especially in a country without universal health care.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great, gripping story of life and love! 9 of 10 stars

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down ,,, read with a box of kleenex

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

⛵️ The Wish ⛵️

The year is 2019, and although Maggie Dawes has yet to see her 40th birthday, she knows this Christmas will be her last. Despite her ongoing battle against Melanoma, it’s metastasized to stage IV.

As a well known travel photographer, she & her friend opened an art gallery together. Maggie runs the place with one other employee, Luanne, who hopes to go away for the holidays. But with Maggie’s health on the decline they need to find someone to hire & fast. This is where Mark comes in- a handsome, sweet , intelligent young man who plans to go to college to be a Minister. It’s through him that she begins her journey back to 1996 when she experienced the best holiday season of her life. This includes meeting Bryce, her one and only true love.

The two co-workers become closer than they ever could have imagined. While Mark admires everything from Maggie’s creativity to her strength, he becomes the shoulder to lean on that Maggie didn’t know she needed.

This is a heart-hitting one but not one that made me sob for days like some of his! But it’s a tale I’ll never forget.

“…I wanted to be around someone like that forever. Someone who could laugh at the inconveniences of life and find joy in any occasion.”

“Reliving the past had revived her in a way she hadn’t expected.”

“Wanting to be with someone is a positive thing. It’s about love and respect and desire. But not wanting to lose someone isn’t about those things, it’s about fear.”

5/5⭐️
1/5 💧

💭 What was the last hard-hitting book you read?

🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚

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[zainab]

Maggi, who is terminally ill, tells her work colleague Mark her life story of her great love. She was 16 years old when she was sent by her parents, because of special circumstances, to her aunt in Ocracoke. There she meets and falls in love with the handsome young man Bryce. The two are inseparable. But Maggi's time on the island is limited and so she returns home after a few months. The contact between the two held, as well as the promise that they gave the two. But the fate wants it differently. Maggi has never forgotten him and in the end returns to the promise. Nikolas Sparks' new book once again tells a beautiful love story. This time it is not only about the love between man and woman, but also about the love of parents, family and the love between mother and child. The book takes a wonderful turn that I did not expect in advance.

[Rosemean · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know for sure I will never read another Nicholas Sparks book. So predictable. I had guessed the ending way before the middle of the book and was reading the book just in the hopes that I may be wrong. Alas, I wasn’t wrong.

[luna_inthesouth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having Goosebumps! ....the ending!


I liked the story, but I need to share my thoughts with you guys, so here we go!

First of all, I know she went through A LOT, having a child when you are sixteen, and that she had to let them go by the rule is not something that you could easily go through or ever forget by any means! The mental strength you should have to be able to do this can’t be measured for sure, but besides all that I still don't understand why she said we have to meet again in 7 YEARS when we are 24!

I also understand that it takes years to get to a point in life where you would be able to provide for a family and be financially stable. However, they could still study, find a job, and somehow achieve all that in a shorter amount of time, or get together sooner, so they could still have some time together. None of that was going to change the fact that she was going to get cancer in the years to come, and probably he wouldn't have died, it was definitely not her fault, but they could have some time together!

And the fact that he was going to give up on his dream so they could get married and adopt the child sounded doable when they were at least adults, like 3 or 4 years after the child was born, but I'm not sure if they could do that so yeah just a thought!

My point is, that they still could have had some years of happiness together. When you find THE ONE, you should not just leave each other like that. The fact that she couldn't even say goodbye to him makes it even sadder!
Life is too short to give up on these rare chances, and her story proves that life is extremely unpredictable. Now that she doesn't have much time to live, all she has is a heavy heart and the love she could experience. I'm glad at least she had the chance to meet her son, even though she didn't have much time to begin with.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

" Somehow, through me, Bryce became a part of you. When he took me in his arms, you absorbed a piece of him; when we spent Our sweetest days together in Ocracoke, you somehow inherited his unique qualities. You are a child, then, of both of us. I know such a thing is impossible. But I choose to believe that the love Bryce and I felt for each other somehow played a role in producing the remarkable young man I've come to know and love. To my mind, there's no other explanation."

[Heidi Gorecki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I realize I seem to be in the minority on my average rating for this but honestly I just got really bored with this one. It was pretty predictable but was so slow getting there without a lot happening in the process.

Part of me wonders if the higher rating for people is because Maggie has cancer and people are afraid to separate rating the overall book from the events in it, as if they were rating the seriousness and tragedy of cancer, and therefore feel like it needs to be higher. I’ve had stage 3 cancer twice myself so that part is easy to separate for me I guess. I’m not holding my breath waiting to see how Maggie’s situation is going to end or feeling devastated by it because I’ve experienced a good portion of it. Yes cancer is terrible and Mr Sparks’ description is not wrong. It’s actually pretty accurate in most cases outside a few things.

But I wanted there to be more in the story. Half of it just felt like an interview between Maggie and Mark and that’s where I got lost. There just wasn’t a lot happening. But I realize that’s also a preference thing.

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maggie Dawes is a photographer of some fame, a woman who knows she is dying, and has shared some of her journey with melanoma with her online followers. It is a given from the start that her prognosis isn’t a positive one, but this is more a story of her journey through her life.

This is a story that weaves back and forth through time, from the present to her early teenage years, and especially one year where she spent most of that year with her Aunt, an Aunt who used to be a nun. It is the year that changes her life, among those changes it is the year she discovered a passion for photography.

Her passion becomes her life, a life that has her travel around the world, and loving what she does. The places she travels to, the people who she meets in her travels become another kind of family for her. The love and recognition she’s lacked in her younger years she finds in the appreciation of her work, and of those who work for her.

When her health continues to decline, she needs to hire someone to assist the woman who works for her in her art gallery in New York City, her friend Luanne. When a young man, Mark, applies for the job after seeing her videos about her journey with cancer, and when asked by Luanne why he wants the job, he responds by sharing that ’Art and photography...allowed for the communication of new ideas, often in ways that words did not.’ Luanne hires him despite his lack of experience in the field, and he seems to be enthusiastic about his new job, and willing to put in the effort to be of assistance. As Christmas draws near, and Luanne has a vacation scheduled, it is up to Mark to keep the art gallery running smoothly, with Maggie helping out when she feels up to it.

There are twists and turns in both timeframes of this one, as her story is slowly revealed. Fans of Nicholas Sparks will definitely want to have tissues on hand, I’m surprised his books don’t automatically come with tissues, or Amazon doesn’t include one of their messages akin to ‘because you bought this book by Nicholas Sparks, you might want to consider purchasing some kleenex, as well.’

[Sherri Thacker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my 8th book I’ve devoured by Nicholas Sparks and I think it may be his best book to date! (I recently listened to him on XM Radio and he himself said this was his best book to date). This has all the “feels” and I just could not put it down!! I loved the storyline, the characters and everything about it! I never, ever cry while reading books … ok, maybe only a handful of books I have cried while reading and I did with this one!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ all the way!!!!

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was received as an ARC from Hachette Book Group - Grand Central Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This story was very heartwarming and the love, optimism and passion Maggie had her whole life was very inspiring to read and made me want to read more. I also loved the relationship Maggie had with Mark (her assistant) and how he stopped at nothing to remain professional and showed his love for photography and the gallery then just naturally Maggie ended up having feelings for Mark and creating the very situation she wanted to avoid in the first place. Dealing with a terminal illness, you can't help but wonder what if, and Nicholas Sparks does it again with a heartwarming novel that is set to leave you breathless.

We will consider adding this title to our Adult Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read a lot of Nicholas Sparks, but what I have read has been hit or meh. Never a miss though. Sparks has a way of climbing into your heart. I found The Wish to be a nice way to pass the time but the plot's extreme predictability (in my opinion) distracted away from those intense emotions Sparks is known to solicit. Still, the story showcases important subjects, and at its core, it is sweet and redemptive. Pretty perfect for its Christmas setting. If you're a Sparks fan, definitely check it out.

My favorite quote:
"That was the thing about battling cancer. The waiting. So much of the last few years had been about waiting. Waiting for the appointment with the doctor. Waiting for the treatment. Waiting to feel better after the treatment. Waiting to see whether the treatment had worked. Waiting until she was well enough to try something new. Until her diagnosis, she viewed waiting for anything as an irritation. But waiting had slowly but surely become the defining reality of her life. Even now, she suddenly thought, here I am waiting to die."

[Sierra Schultzzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that really makes you feel. I hadn’t read Nicholas Sparks since high school but this book makes me want to pick up more of his novels! A really sweet story of love and family with all the coziest holiday vibes. Dragged a little bit in the middle, and I definitely saw the ending coming, but a solid 4 star read.

[Теодор Панов · Rating 4 out of 5]

За 2022 г. си поставих предизвикателство – да прочета 3 автора, които преди по една или друга причина са били игнорирани от моя страна. Първият такъв автор беше Нарине Абгарян, вторият е Никълъс Спаркс. Винаги съм го намирал за автор твърде ориентиран към дамската аудитория, разказващ преобладаващо мелодраматични сюжети.

Дори едно от най-популярните му произведения „Тетрадката“ – не съм го чел, нито пък съм гледал филма по него (така и не провокира интерес у мен).

От филмите по неговите книги съм гледал единствено „Последната песен“ (и то най-вече заради Майли Сайръс 😍) и по много далечни спомени „Писмо в бутилка“ но съм забравил сюжета в по-голямата му част.

„Желанието“ е първата ми книга от Никълъс Спаркс, която чета. Впечатленията ми са задоволителни, но като цяло след прочита й мнението ми за автора се препотвърди. Никълъс Спаркс залага твърде много на драмата, която в определени моменти може да ти подейства доста потискащо и депресиращо. Особено пък когато действието се развива по време на Коледа, придружено с безнадеждност и обреченост, какъвто е и случаят с живота на главната героиня. Добре, че не я четох около коледно-новогодишните празници, книгата изобщо е крайно неподходяща да се чете по това време.

Романтичната история между главната героиня и нейната първа любов, за която научаваме, докато тя се връща към спомените си през своите тийнейджърски години, е представена много чисто и благородно. В тази си част книгата ми хареса. Никълъс Спаркс тук наистина е създал едни красиви отношения между двамата.

Като история и изживяване оценявам книгата с 3, като стил на писане – 4 (Никълъс Спаркс пише и разказва увлекателно, не може да му се отрече).
Средна оценка ~ 3.5 ⭐

P.S. В крайна сметка след прочита на „Желанието“ у мен не се породи желание да се запозная и с други книги на автора, та явно засега ще си останем само с тази ни среща.

[Nadine Schrott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicholas Sparks ist einfach der Meister des Herz Schmerzes....unfassbar mitreißend erzählt....Tief emotional....und tief traurig hoffnungsvoll....

Maggie ist eine außergewöhnliche Frau....Kunst Fotografin, Inhaberin einer Galerie, erfolgreich.....und totkrank an Krebs erkrankt.
Sie erzählt ihrem neuen Mitarbeiter, zu dem sie Vertrauen gefasst hat, ihre Lebensgeschichte, die sie als 15jährige Schwangere auf eine entlegene Insel zu ihrer Tante geführt hat.
Dort ist sie erst tief unglücklich.....bis ihre Tante ihr einen jungen Mann vorstellt, der ihr Nachhilfe geben soll.....

Ein paar Tränen sind schon bei mir geflossen....und das will etwas heißen!!!

Einfach lesenswert!

[♡ Kim ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the stars!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE WISH absolutely shredded my heart! Nicholas Sparks speaks to my heart with each and every novel he has written and THE WISH is no exception. What a beautiful story of second chances, love, guilt, family and fate. Nicholas Sparks owes me a box of tissues!! THE WISH is wonderful and is everything I fell in love with about his writing since my very first book by him. I found myself with tears streaming down my face while reading one scene and a big smile on my face during other scenes. I like books that can make me feel something while reading them and this one certainly did.

Maggie is 16 in 1996 when she is sent away to live with her aunt in the remote village of Ocracoke, on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. It’s a fairly lonely life. She does her schoolwork and helps clean the house, but she really misses her friends. It’s not long after she arrives that she becomes friends with Bryce, one of the few other teenagers on the island. My heart hurt for these two. Maggie, Bryce and her situation. The odds seemed stacked against these two at times, but I really rooted for them.

In 2019, Maggie is a famous photographer who co-owns an NYC gallery. This is where she works when she’s not traveling the world. She is burdened with a serious medical diagnosis and knows she needs to hire an assistant for the gallery. As her condition worsens, she and the young man she hires develop a friendship, and she tells him the story of that Christmas in 1996, and its impact on her life. Now that I’m finished reading THE WISH I want to read it all over again!! It is a beautiful and emotional love story of past and present. It’s one of those books that will stick with you after you finish reading it. I’m sure it’s one I won’t be forgetting any time soon.

THE WISH will surely pull at your heart strings and make it very hard for you to put down. If you are like me, you won’t be able to stop until you know what happens to Maggie, Bryce, and Mark. What would you do if God finally brought you your soulmate and then took him away? Make yourself a cup of coffee or tea get your favorite blanket and get on the couch. THE WISH is an awesome way to spend the afternoon or evening. Once you start reading, you won’t be able to put it down and will find yourself cheering for Maggie as she tries to navigate her way through a very different and unique situation. Nicholas Sparks will pull you in from the very first page and never let you go! How a man can write such emotional and heart tugging contemporary romance is beyond me, but I have loved all of his books and he is forever one of my auto buy authors!

[Olga Kowalska (WielkiBuk) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Niewielu jest pisarzy, których opowieści wzruszają mnie szczerze do łez, którzy potrafią rozłożyć mnie na łopatki, nawet wtedy, gdy przewiduję wydarzenia fabularne. Nicholas Sparks potrafi!

Sparks zabiera nas na wyspę Ocracoke, pełną malowniczych morskich krajobrazów, gęstą od bajecznych zachodów słońca, z budzącą wyobraźnię latarnią morską. Poznamy łamiącą serce historię miłosną, zanurzymy się w rozterkach młodej dziewczyny, która oddaje własne dziecko, spojrzymy na świat jej pełnymi nadziei oczami. Na wyspie wszystko się dla niej zaczęło i tam również wszystko się zakończy. A Nicholas Sparks nie spocznie póki nie wyciśnie z nas wszystkich możliwych emocji, nie doprowadzi na skraj i wreszcie porzuci, dając tylko odrobinę ukojenia.

Wrażliwi czytelnicy znajdą w „Jednym życzeniu” wszystko to, co sprawia, że proza Sparksa hipnotyzuje i porywa. Ciekawie zarysowanych bohaterów, którzy z każdą kolejną stroną stają się coraz bliżsi. Niezapomniane lokacje, które zabierają nas w podróż, chociaż z bezpiecznej odległości kanapy. Wartości, które wydają się czasami banalne, ale okazują się najważniejsze, gdy powoli gaśnie słońce. Piękna lektura obyczajowa piękna opowieść, mistrzowski Nicholas Sparks. Jeden z najlepszych.