A Review of Alexandra Bullen’s Wish
Ever since I got my Novel for Christmas, I’ve been devouring books like they’re a plate of fried calamari from Ronaldo’s in Hampton, New Hampshire.
One of the things that I love about my Novel is that I can sample books before purchasing them because, let’s face it, there are some really bad books out there that aren’t worth my money. However, I’ve been lucky and have come across a few gems over the past two weeks.
The other night I downloaded the teen book Wish by Alexandra Bullen. Yes, I do read books geared towards teenagers because I feel a good portion of them are far more interesting and well-written than their adult counterparts.
Anyway, Wish revolves around teenager Olivia Larsen who is struggling with life and her identity following the untimely and tragic death of her twin sister, Violet.
Olivia, along with her parents, move to San Francisco from Massachusetts to to start life anew in Olivia’s mother’s childhood home. But the move does not solve the family’s problems. Anger, resentment and sadness still permeate the air around them as they adjust to their new life — a life without Violet.
As if Olivia’s family life wasn’t hard enough, she also feels like she doesn’t fit in at school and that no one notices her. But everything changes for Olivia when she is granted three wishes by a local seamstress.
I don’t want to give the entire book away or what Olivia’s three wishes were, but I will say this. Wish captured my attention from the very first chapter and by the end of it, I was in tears. Olivia’s struggles with fitting in at school were easy for me to identify with because of my own experiences during my teenage years. I still remember how I felt back then, so it was very easy for me to slip into Olivia’s shoes and picture myself as her.
While some may feel letdown by Olivia’s last wish, I’m not one of them. (Although, it seems the general consensus is that this book is a definite winner based on customer reviews at Barnes & Noble.) I think Ms. Bullen ended the book exactly as she should have. It was beautiful and sad, all at the same time. And it’s a story that I will remember for a long time to come.
I can honestly say that I cannot wait to read the sequel Wishful Thinking. It’s sure to be great!
Before I close, I would like to encourage you to post what you would wish for if you had three wishes. There is one rule, you can’t wish for more wishes. So think about it. I can’t wait to see what you all would wish for.
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*If you would like me to review your book, please feel free to email me at [email protected].
Bailey says:
I like the preview idea. I hate buying a book that is not what it sold itself to be in the marketing campaign.
Jenn says:
My three wishes would be: health, wealth and wisdom. Boring and cliche, I know!
I don’t know if I could ever do an ereader to be honest. The look and feel of a book is part of the charm of reading I guess!
Daisy says:
3 wishes….one would be to win a large lottery, the second would be to return to more simple times, third would be that every child would be cared for and loved, not hungry or abused.
That’s my list today. Tomorrow it might be something different! LOL
Nikki says:
When they first came out, I wasn’t so sure myself. I do still love reading a book the traditional way. Having an ereader, though, helps me keep my home from becoming overcrowded. I will still collect certain books, though, like gardening, frugal living, dehydrating books.
Nikki says:
I think it would be nice to win the lottery, too. If I did, I’d buy a huge farm and have a huge garden and tons of animals. That’s always been my dream.
Nikki says:
I completely agree. I’ve found a couple of books that I really love by previewing them first.
Chrystal says:
I would never trades my books for the world! But, I have to say I LOVE my Nook. I got the Nook last July for my birthday and my online account has about 700 plus books stored there. Some I have read in regular book form, some I hope to read when my nose is not buried in text books. LOL I love that they allow you to read samples before you buy. This is no different than going into a bookstore and browsing so I don’t know why other companies selling ebooks don’t do that.
Ok, lets see, 3 wishes….lose weight so my body is healthy & strong both mentally and physically, win the lottery so I can take care of my family and my mom, have my own private plane that takes me back and forth to my cottage in Ireland.
Patrick says:
Three wishes eh…
More energy, I seem to run out each day way too fast.
Manage time better, to accomplish more with all that more energy.
With more time and more energy, the wisdom to use it productively.
Ashley says:
I LOVED WISH!!!!!!