Reviews

As You Wish by Chelsea Sedoti

sunshine169's review

2.0

The concept drew me into this book. A small town in the Mojave Desert that has a cave that grants wishes when someone turns 18. I love to have magical realism in my stories. I also loved the concept of going around asking others what they wished for and how they feel about it. As a historian this oral history of sorts really interested me. What ruined the book was the boarish main character who was egotistical and self-loathing the entire time right up until he took his selfish wish. The parts I loved saved this from being a two star rating.

jessethereader's review

I honestly thought I was going to hate this, because there are so many negative reviews for this book! I ended up really enjoying it. I wasn't the biggest fan of Chelsea Sedoti's first book, but I could definitely see improvement with this one. I liked following our unlikable main character's story and seeing how it all played out. It went in a direction I was not expecting it to go in, which was a nice surprise.

lattelibrarian's review

4.0

Everyone's wished upon a star before, or upon a penny thrown into a wishing well.  But what happens when everyone in a podunk town in the middle of the Mojave Desert gets a wish on their 18th birthday?  What began as a quirky little read turned into something I didn't expect one bit.  This book left me asking questions that I'd hardly ever given a thought to.  If I could wish for one thing and have it come true (within limits), what would it be?  Would it be for myself or someone else?  Something big, something small?  And what would happen if my wish was worded wrong, or it came true, but in a thoroughly unexpected way?

Sedoti explores these questions by navigating Eldon through a personal project: in order to find out what he wants to wish for (and what he doesn't), he interviews the townspeople.  And their stories are heartbreaking, full of misworded wishes, accidental wishes, misguided wishes, secret wishes...And what is he to do when his mother pressures him to wish for money?  

Luckily, he has his friends.  Unluckily, he has a bit of an anger issue.  And an impulsivity issue.  And an indecisive issue.  Which is what makes him so compelling.  He's a flawed character (aren't we all?), yet he must make the "perfect wish."  But what is that?  

This book does an incredible job exploring what happens when your deepest wish--a wish you make at the age of 18--comes true, and how it affects everyone around you.  Because there, in that little town in the Mojave Desert, anything can be permanent and anything can be temporary.  Even love.  Even fame.  Even life.  

Review cross-listed here!

gabizago's review

5.0

Ever thought how life could be if your wishes could come true? In a small town in the desert called Madison, they can. Or, rather, one of your wishes can come true. And you get the opportunity to do your wish on your 18th birthday. “As You Wish” is a YA novel full of adventures, aliens, and desert. It’s actually a pretty fun reading, more than I thought it would be. The characters are interesting, and the narrative is intercalated with descriptions of past wishes from residents, that will do everything to try to keep their secret safe from outsiders. That’s why you can only wish for something that can take place within the city limits. You should definitely read this if you have a chance. It’s fun, there’s suspense, and you will be dying to know what Eldon, the main character, is going to wish for. He’s a jerk, but somehow you will be rooting for him. Spoiler alert: you have to read more than 30 chapters to find out his wish.

webz's review

4.0

This is a bit of an out of the ordinary book for me to read and like. The main character is not the normal likable person that you find as the main character in pretty much any book. Eldon pushes people who love or care about him away from him, often being mean in the process. He get's into fights (physical ones.) But he is like a lot of people out in the world and is realistic because of that. I first came into this thinking it would be more of a light but fun read, but in all honesty, Eldon seems in a usual state of real downess and is pretty cranky and angry throughout the whole book. That along with different events that go on don't make you come away with the feeling that the book is a light read necessarily. But it is still a pretty good book. Eldon definitely grows a little bit as a character (by the end of the book he realizes fighting physically isn't the way to go about things and doesn't run away from an issue he created at the end.) but not in any crazy dramatic way that you wouldn't be able to tell him apart from the person he started out as at the beginning of the book.

Some general interesting quotes that stuck out to me include:

Spoiler

"No one speaks. Some people bow their heads. Some people's shoulders hunch. A girl who I think is a freshman starts crying. But most people file silently out of the room. They'll go home, I suppose. They'll go to be as if it's any other night. And in the morning, they'll get up and start figuring out how to live in a world where they have to forge their own paths."
I think it is really noteworthy to acknowledge the fact that people wishing like they do in Madison causing them to not forge their own paths that come of their own making. So many people regretted their choices when it came to wishing and the whole rest of their lives would either be affected in a huge way positively or negatively because of that one choice they made upon turning 18. I 100% think that Eldon made the right choice at the end by wishing for the wish cave to not grant any more wishes at the end of the book.

Another quote I really liked included this one where Eldon's dad is talking to him after he breaks down towards the end of the book.
""Eldon, we all mess up. No one should measure their worth by how often they screw up. What matters most is how a person deals with the aftermath. How they grow and change.""
This is such a good quote. Eldon responds by asking the question of what if he doesn't grow, and his dad tells him he has.

So in conclusion, while Eldon is not necessarily an amazingly likable main character he is a really realistic one. This book really made you think about how things could go if there were such a thing as wishes being granted, and overall the story takes you on a pretty nice ride. I would say to anyone thinking of reading this to definitely just give it a try. I would say it is worth it.

gggina13's review

3.0

The premise of this book was interesting and the plot was well driven, enough to keep me reading fast. The writing style is quick-paced and easy to read. However, Eldon, the main character, is such an awful brat. I didn't feel connected to any of the characters. Overall, I enjoyed the read.

*I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

edgy_pebbles's review

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

alongreader's review

5.0

A fantastic, thought provoking book. Although I had an idea what he might wish for, it was still great to watch it happen. I was trying to think what I might wish for, and I couldn't - eighteen is so young to have to decide something that important! I'm almost glad I've never had to make a decision like this one.
Norie may be my favourite, but all the characters were good in different ways. I felt very sorry for Eldon's mother, trapped in that situation. Not something anyone should have to go through.

Thank you netgalley and Sourcebooks for allowing me to read.

newbeeplans's review against another edition

4.0

This was a really interesting book, yeah? I was drawn in by the storyline and concept, and I really enjoyed the way it was executed. The protagonist was flawed and complex, which was also refreshing to read, and the friendships and familial relationships really fleshed out the narrative. The further you get into the book, the more you begin to expect the ending, but the literary journey is still full of unexpected twists and it is a fun ride overall.

briaraq's review against another edition

3.0

I love the wish history chapters. I think it’s really cool to see what people wish and how they came to that decision. And I love that Eldon did his own research before he decided his wish.

This book was just okay, though. Chelsea Sedoti’s books just aren’t for me. I would’ve loved them in middle school but not now.