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morgangiesbrecht's review
4.0
A perfectly sweet, touching middle grade story! I have a special place for all things Peter Pan so this light retelling aspect was a treat.
Without being preachy, Alissa crafted a beautifully accurate story about the struggles of growing up, including strong Christian themes and lessons dealing with truthfulness, friendship, family relationships, and bearing good fruit. And her characters are so real: I loved the story of Mona and Lisa’s names, Polly was a dear, and Jeremy perfectly lovely and yet comical.
I look forward to what Alissa writes next and would love a sequel of this story!
Without being preachy, Alissa crafted a beautifully accurate story about the struggles of growing up, including strong Christian themes and lessons dealing with truthfulness, friendship, family relationships, and bearing good fruit. And her characters are so real: I loved the story of Mona and Lisa’s names, Polly was a dear, and Jeremy perfectly lovely and yet comical.
I look forward to what Alissa writes next and would love a sequel of this story!
sarahbaylorwrites's review
4.0
I really enjoyed The Wishing Seed by Alissa J. Zavalianos! I loved the character development throughout the whole book, as well as the relatability to the characters, specifically Mona for me. The lesson and theme of the book were well written and encouraging for me too. The twist at the end was super fun! I cannot wait to read more of Alissa's books and I'm hoping she one day writes a sequel for The Wishing Seed!
erinphillipsauthor's review
5.0
I was blown away by this book! I mean, I always am by Alissa Zavalianos' stories, and The Wishing Seed was no exception!
She did a fantastic job with the story and the characters and I loved each of them dearly. The relationships were all so genuine and authentic to how things are at that age, and remarkably represented. I wish this book had been around when I was a young girl because I think I would have related so much to Mona and learned a lot from her as well.
I won't give away any spoilers, but the twist at the end was absolutely delightful! I was grinning from ear to ear and so excited at how the story was unfolding! A spectacular surprise indeed!
But, of course, the themes of the story were what captivated me the most. Alissa did such a fantastic job of creating a picture of repentance and sanctification that really meets kids where they are, while also serving my heart and helping me to see what a heart of obedience looks like in a new light.
10/10 would recommend to all ages!
She did a fantastic job with the story and the characters and I loved each of them dearly. The relationships were all so genuine and authentic to how things are at that age, and remarkably represented. I wish this book had been around when I was a young girl because I think I would have related so much to Mona and learned a lot from her as well.
I won't give away any spoilers, but the twist at the end was absolutely delightful! I was grinning from ear to ear and so excited at how the story was unfolding! A spectacular surprise indeed!
But, of course, the themes of the story were what captivated me the most. Alissa did such a fantastic job of creating a picture of repentance and sanctification that really meets kids where they are, while also serving my heart and helping me to see what a heart of obedience looks like in a new light.
10/10 would recommend to all ages!
mgraham93's review
5.0
This is a sweet book that teaches the importance of being honest, not only with yourself but others, and the consequences that follow if your not. Mona’s family was amazing. Her parents were there to correct and love her along the way and help her learn from her mistakes. After a few struggles, Mona makes some amazing friends with a few secrets of their own. Oh and this book has an ending you’ll never see coming.
mrsdeatonreads's review
5.0
A delightful tale about growing up and discovering the meaning of “good fruit.”
Mona and her family moved to New England from Arizona toward the end of the summer. The night before the first day at her new school, 7th grader Mona happens upon a strange seed in her new backyard, and proceeds to sneak out and plant it during the night. Though she wishes the seed would grow into a beanstalk or something magical to transport her somewhere else, she can hardly believe it when the tree that grows truly is a magical one. As Mona navigates her new school, new and old relationships, she learns just how impactful the consequences of her choices can be.
I really enjoyed this middle grade adventure! Mona is a relatable character; she is anxious about making friends and succeeding in her new school. We have all felt that way at some point. But, she does make some friends - her friend Jeremy had me cracking up at times! Mona gives into the temptation to lie about certain things, and she learns the hard way that lying is never a good choice. Mona matured as a result of this experience, and it was encouraging to read - I love to see a character (or a person) succeed. I enjoyed her journey - and I don’t know if there’s a book 2 in the works, but it would be amazing!! This book has Christian themes, but it isn’t preachy. This is the type of wholesome literature I love. I definitely recommend this one!
*I received a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.*
Mona and her family moved to New England from Arizona toward the end of the summer. The night before the first day at her new school, 7th grader Mona happens upon a strange seed in her new backyard, and proceeds to sneak out and plant it during the night. Though she wishes the seed would grow into a beanstalk or something magical to transport her somewhere else, she can hardly believe it when the tree that grows truly is a magical one. As Mona navigates her new school, new and old relationships, she learns just how impactful the consequences of her choices can be.
I really enjoyed this middle grade adventure! Mona is a relatable character; she is anxious about making friends and succeeding in her new school. We have all felt that way at some point. But, she does make some friends - her friend Jeremy had me cracking up at times! Mona gives into the temptation to lie about certain things, and she learns the hard way that lying is never a good choice. Mona matured as a result of this experience, and it was encouraging to read - I love to see a character (or a person) succeed. I enjoyed her journey - and I don’t know if there’s a book 2 in the works, but it would be amazing!! This book has Christian themes, but it isn’t preachy. This is the type of wholesome literature I love. I definitely recommend this one!
*I received a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.*
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