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letsbebookfriends's review against another edition
5.0
*4.5 stars*
This was wonderful! The world building was enchanting. Both the primary and secondary characters were engaging, and the execution of the retelling of the Aladdin tale was AMAZING! I loved this book.
This was wonderful! The world building was enchanting. Both the primary and secondary characters were engaging, and the execution of the retelling of the Aladdin tale was AMAZING! I loved this book.
thereticentseer's review against another edition
5.0
I haven't read many Aladdin retellings, but this is like the BEST retelling I've ever seen?? I'm a sucker for books centering on Middle Eastern-like settings and characters, but Zahra and Aladdin have a special place in my heart rn. And the prose? One of the best I've ever read. I now have too many highlights on my ebook lol
betwixt_the_pages's review against another edition
5.0
She is the most powerful Jinni of all. He is a boy from the streets. Their love will shake the world...
When Aladdin discovers Zahra's jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn't seen in hundreds of years—a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra's very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes.
But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?
As time unravels and her enemies close in, Zahra finds herself suspended between danger and desire in this dazzling retelling of Aladdin from acclaimed author Jessica Khoury.
- - - - -
Rating: 5/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: an inventive retelling...with a slight character twist; THIS is the story of Aladdin I've been dying to read for years (without knowing it, of course); awesome, emotionally-charged action and a heady, over-the-moon sort of love; poetic, beautiful prose; so many twists and creative additions to genie/jinn lore; I LOVED this book!
And mahGOSH, is the cover absolutely stunning. Go ahead—go stare at it for five minutes. I totally give you permission. Heck, you can drool a little if you want; I won't tell anyone.
The prose is poetic—soft and smoky, a hint of roses and something ancient, a forgotten magic, blending with the words. Jessica Khoury knows how to weave her words with the fairy tales of old...and yet, somehow, make the story entirely her own. I will admit: I was hesitant going in to this read. I've been a bit disappointed with recent “hyped” books...and I was worried this would become the next one to let me down. Thankfully, I was much mistaken—this book is gorgeous, inside and out.
The action scenes are well-written, filled with dramatics and flair...and enough to make a reader long to pull their hair out in anxiety or frustration. I was surprised how quickly I formed attachments to these characters; despite having grown up adoring Aladdin (the Disney version, of course), I wasn't sure that partiality would journey to book-form. There are also some steamy, heart-melting love scenes; some gorgeously-done girl-power scenes; some fight-to-the-death scenes. In all honesty, there's a little bit of something for every type of reader.
The characters are just the perfect blend of realistic, fantastical, and snarky-daggers. I particularly enjoyed Zhara and Aladdin's back-and-forth relationship. However—while a large portion of this read does revolve around love—it's not romantic love that gets the main focus. Instead, girl-power and the love of best friends takes main stage—which I absolutely ADORED. Yes, there is romantic love...but it sort of falls by the wayside and lets the rest of this book shine on its own. It was a great breath of fresh air for me, given how often YA harps on about romance.
The chapters are also broken up, now and then, with “fairy tale” snippets. This helped not only to shape and mold Zhara as we grew to know her throughout the read...but also the world surrounding her, and Aladdin. Without these morsels, the story might have come off a bit confusing, the transitions awkward. Instead, Jessica Khoury found a way to work in the backstory without making it obvious that's what she was doing. And everything—and I mean EVERYTHING—comes full circle at the end, even the smallest things, the things we never thought to think twice about.
I just... I absolutely adored this read. The prose is breath-taking, the cover is stunning, the characters and the focus on best friends over romance is so well-done... I can't find enough words to tell you how much I love this book. I highly recommend this to lovers of Aladdin, fairy tale retellings, and girl-power. I feel everyone can find something to love in this read, so if you've been thinking about picking it up, you totally should! Instant favorite.
When Aladdin discovers Zahra's jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn't seen in hundreds of years—a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra's very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes.
But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?
As time unravels and her enemies close in, Zahra finds herself suspended between danger and desire in this dazzling retelling of Aladdin from acclaimed author Jessica Khoury.
- - - - -
Rating: 5/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: an inventive retelling...with a slight character twist; THIS is the story of Aladdin I've been dying to read for years (without knowing it, of course); awesome, emotionally-charged action and a heady, over-the-moon sort of love; poetic, beautiful prose; so many twists and creative additions to genie/jinn lore; I LOVED this book!
And mahGOSH, is the cover absolutely stunning. Go ahead—go stare at it for five minutes. I totally give you permission. Heck, you can drool a little if you want; I won't tell anyone.
“I know that look.”
“What look?”
“Don’t sweat it, sister. We’ve all had it.” She sighs. “The girls he loved and left.”
Irritably, I look away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure you don’t.” Dal smiles sadly. “You can either hate him or accept that that’s just who he is. When Aladdin sets his heart on something— or someone— nothing can stop him from getting it. And when he does have it, he realizes it’s not what he wanted after all, and then something else will catch his eye, and off he goes again. Over and over. And here we are, the casualties.”
“I’m nobody’s casualty.”
The prose is poetic—soft and smoky, a hint of roses and something ancient, a forgotten magic, blending with the words. Jessica Khoury knows how to weave her words with the fairy tales of old...and yet, somehow, make the story entirely her own. I will admit: I was hesitant going in to this read. I've been a bit disappointed with recent “hyped” books...and I was worried this would become the next one to let me down. Thankfully, I was much mistaken—this book is gorgeous, inside and out.
The action scenes are well-written, filled with dramatics and flair...and enough to make a reader long to pull their hair out in anxiety or frustration. I was surprised how quickly I formed attachments to these characters; despite having grown up adoring Aladdin (the Disney version, of course), I wasn't sure that partiality would journey to book-form. There are also some steamy, heart-melting love scenes; some gorgeously-done girl-power scenes; some fight-to-the-death scenes. In all honesty, there's a little bit of something for every type of reader.
“Love is a path lined with roses,” I say bitterly. “But it leads to a cliff’s edge, and all who follow it tumble to their doom. You will not find your happiness there.”
The characters are just the perfect blend of realistic, fantastical, and snarky-daggers. I particularly enjoyed Zhara and Aladdin's back-and-forth relationship. However—while a large portion of this read does revolve around love—it's not romantic love that gets the main focus. Instead, girl-power and the love of best friends takes main stage—which I absolutely ADORED. Yes, there is romantic love...but it sort of falls by the wayside and lets the rest of this book shine on its own. It was a great breath of fresh air for me, given how often YA harps on about romance.
The chapters are also broken up, now and then, with “fairy tale” snippets. This helped not only to shape and mold Zhara as we grew to know her throughout the read...but also the world surrounding her, and Aladdin. Without these morsels, the story might have come off a bit confusing, the transitions awkward. Instead, Jessica Khoury found a way to work in the backstory without making it obvious that's what she was doing. And everything—and I mean EVERYTHING—comes full circle at the end, even the smallest things, the things we never thought to think twice about.
I lift my eyes, above it all, and see the one weaving the stars. Imohel, the God of Gods. He smiles and pauses briefly to touch a finger to the center of my forehead, and at his touch, I fall.
Fall through the stars.
Through time.
Through light and wind and fire.
Through smoke and a sky gray like ashes.
I just... I absolutely adored this read. The prose is breath-taking, the cover is stunning, the characters and the focus on best friends over romance is so well-done... I can't find enough words to tell you how much I love this book. I highly recommend this to lovers of Aladdin, fairy tale retellings, and girl-power. I feel everyone can find something to love in this read, so if you've been thinking about picking it up, you totally should! Instant favorite.
vikkisgrotto's review against another edition
I'd probably pick this one back up in the future, I'm just not in the mood for it now.
rosatulipan's review against another edition
4.0
General Rating: 8/10
Personal Rating: 8/10
This was literally such a cute love story and a fun read!
I love the ending and the fact that this story kind of feels like those really good 2D movies that dream works used to do!
Personal Rating: 8/10
This was literally such a cute love story and a fun read!
I love the ending and the fact that this story kind of feels like those really good 2D movies that dream works used to do!
pineconebiscuit's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing retelling of Aladdin, and Khoury really makes it her own. I grew to love the main characters and the history of Jinni and the kingdoms. Not a very long read so definitely recommend
crimsoncor's review against another edition
3.0
Start with Disney's Aladdin. Gender-swap Genie. Oh, and Genie fucks. It is a cute premise with decent execution.
Spoiler
The romance didn't really feel earned. Like, why did these two characters actually fall for each other, besides it being the plot? The final battle was pretty meh. And really didn't understand having to completely nuke Zahra's powers at the end. Must remove a powerful woman's power so she can find happiness with a man. ugh.joana_stormblessed's review against another edition
3.0
This book is difficult for me to review...
I love Aladdin, which is why I was so excited to read this one. I mean Aladdin and the Jinni is a girl? Yes please!!
And the story was just fine. I liked the characters and the plot, but it wasn't anything special. I knew that in the end all would be okay and that is something I don't necessarily love in a book.
The narrator for the audiobook was ok. I did not like the voice she made for the Jinni and so I found myself often mocking or being a bit annoyed.
Also, the miscommunication in this book is so annoying !!!!!!!!!!! I was soooooo frustrated that I even screamed in my car and said that I would dock one star for it.
All in all I liked the book, but it was nothing special
I love Aladdin, which is why I was so excited to read this one. I mean Aladdin and the Jinni is a girl? Yes please!!
And the story was just fine. I liked the characters and the plot, but it wasn't anything special. I knew that in the end all would be okay and that is something I don't necessarily love in a book.
The narrator for the audiobook was ok. I did not like the voice she made for the Jinni and so I found myself often mocking or being a bit annoyed.
Also, the miscommunication in this book is so annoying !!!!!!!!!!! I was soooooo frustrated that I even screamed in my car and said that I would dock one star for it.
All in all I liked the book, but it was nothing special
renee_c's review against another edition
5.0
5/5 more reviews at reinereviews.blogspot.com !
After trying to read a few books that just weren't doing it for me, I found exactly what I was looking for: a fantasy novel with themes of freedom and loyalty, friendship and responsibility, led by an amazing cast of characters.
The Forbidden Wish is sold as an Aladdin retelling, but it is much more than that. Khoury has loaded it with history and intricacies so that the story is completely new. Zahra, our lead jinni, is direct, strong, and vulnerable. I love how Khoury made sure we never forget that Zahra isn't human, but at the same time incited sympathy. The mystery of piecing together the sins of the past and exactly what crimes were committed kept me eagerly reading. Following Zahra's fight for freedom and watching her scheme to achieve her own goals all while staying within the limitations set on her made me a loyal fan of hers.
I also adored Aladdin and Caspida, and I wish they had gotten even more of the spotlight. Our eyes were always focused on Zahra, but in our peripheral vision Khoury allowed us to see how Aladdin and Caspida were each strong and complete characters. We got glimpses of how much was on each of their plates and could decipher the reasoning behind their actions-- a sign of good writing that Khoury was able to show us what Aladdin and Caspida felt and thought, even if Zahra didn't specifically acknowledge it. The Forbidden Wish could definitely be re-written from either Aladdin's or Caspida's point of view, and it would tell a different story that I would 100% want to read.
The ending may be a little bit of a stretch, but is overall a small imperfection. The Forbidden Wish mixes the complicated navigation of courts and lies, duty and freedom, and love and loyalty. I would highly recommend it, particularly to fans of The Winner's Curse and Strange the Dreamer. Plus, who can ever say no more Aladdin?
After trying to read a few books that just weren't doing it for me, I found exactly what I was looking for: a fantasy novel with themes of freedom and loyalty, friendship and responsibility, led by an amazing cast of characters.
The Forbidden Wish is sold as an Aladdin retelling, but it is much more than that. Khoury has loaded it with history and intricacies so that the story is completely new. Zahra, our lead jinni, is direct, strong, and vulnerable. I love how Khoury made sure we never forget that Zahra isn't human, but at the same time incited sympathy. The mystery of piecing together the sins of the past and exactly what crimes were committed kept me eagerly reading. Following Zahra's fight for freedom and watching her scheme to achieve her own goals all while staying within the limitations set on her made me a loyal fan of hers.
I also adored Aladdin and Caspida, and I wish they had gotten even more of the spotlight. Our eyes were always focused on Zahra, but in our peripheral vision Khoury allowed us to see how Aladdin and Caspida were each strong and complete characters. We got glimpses of how much was on each of their plates and could decipher the reasoning behind their actions-- a sign of good writing that Khoury was able to show us what Aladdin and Caspida felt and thought, even if Zahra didn't specifically acknowledge it. The Forbidden Wish could definitely be re-written from either Aladdin's or Caspida's point of view, and it would tell a different story that I would 100% want to read.
The ending may be a little bit of a stretch, but is overall a small imperfection. The Forbidden Wish mixes the complicated navigation of courts and lies, duty and freedom, and love and loyalty. I would highly recommend it, particularly to fans of The Winner's Curse and Strange the Dreamer. Plus, who can ever say no more Aladdin?
mea9an's review against another edition
5.0
Oh my goodness, Guys! That was the cutest book ever! Like, I don't even want it to be a sequel. I just want it to stay exactly where it is.
The ending was perfect, okay? It had a beautiful happy ending just like every Disney movie retelling should have. It had bad-ass women who didn't need men in their lives to tell them what to do. It had the right amount of magic and the way the magic sort of disappeared was beautiful.
I've only read a few retellings in my time, but I really enjoyed this one. I don't know why I loved it so much, because it had a strange love triangle, and there were a few mishaps here and there, but altogether it was beautiful.
A perfect book for me! It was fantasy and sort of contemporary! Making it a weird combination, but very interesting.
This review probably isn't going to make anyone want to read the book, unless you really like my opinion, but I say read it. Give it a chance, and if you don't like it, don't finish it.
The ending was perfect, okay? It had a beautiful happy ending just like every Disney movie retelling should have. It had bad-ass women who didn't need men in their lives to tell them what to do. It had the right amount of magic and the way the magic sort of disappeared was beautiful.
I've only read a few retellings in my time, but I really enjoyed this one. I don't know why I loved it so much, because it had a strange love triangle, and there were a few mishaps here and there, but altogether it was beautiful.
A perfect book for me! It was fantasy and sort of contemporary! Making it a weird combination, but very interesting.
This review probably isn't going to make anyone want to read the book, unless you really like my opinion, but I say read it. Give it a chance, and if you don't like it, don't finish it.