Reviews

What You Wish for by Katherine Center

manderzreadz's review against another edition

5.0

Never miss a chance to celebrate, and choose joy everyday. What amazing mottos to live by! This was my first book by Center and I’m immediately a fan! Read in one sitting, you’ll not be able to stop!

eggjen's review against another edition

4.0

Heavier than I signed up for but like all of Center's books it sucked me up around halfway through and consumed all my thoughts until I finished it, literally carrying it around with me all day to read between responsibilities.

theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition

2.0

What You Wish For by Katherine Center is not what I expected from reading the blurb. I was looking forward to reading something light and entertaining (I wanted a change of pace). I thought it had a rough beginning where I felt I was plopped into the middle the book instead of the beginning. Samantha “Sam” Casey is the librarian at the Kempner School on Galveston Island, Texas. Sam loves her apartment, her friends, the staff, students, and her job. Max and Babette Kempner founded the school and have become surrogate parents to Sam. She lives in the apartment in their carriage house. I did not like Sam. She is an insecure woman who rattles on endlessly. She has an eclectic wardrobe. What You Wish For is told in the first-person so we get to know Sam’s every thought. The reason Sam left her last job was utterly ridiculous. There was a great deal of repetition of information (I lost track of how many times we are told Duncan is goofy, she had a crush, Tina did not like her) and there is foul language as well. I believe the book is supposed to be humorous, but it missed the mark. Samantha’s full name is not mentioned until the fourth chapter and I thought all the characters lacked development (they are not fleshed out especially Sam’s friend, Alice). There were two scenes that went on way too long. One is the dance party which could have been cute if it had not felt like it lasted five hours instead of five minutes. The other is a touching scene with Clay Buckley (the sweetest young man) near the end. I did appreciate the epilogue that wrapped up What You Wish For. There were some areas that could have been humorous with a little tweaking. The main themes of the book are to find joy in your life and find reasons to celebrate. We all need happiness and hope in our lives. The author did touch on serious subjects which were PTSD, bullying, and school safety. I struggled to finish What You Wish For because I wanted to dump the book after reading the first chapter. I found the story to be cheesy which resulted in eye rolling and me yelling at the book. I did, though, enjoy the descriptions of the Kempner School which is in a beautiful building and of Galveston Island. I suggest you read a sample to see if this book is what you are looking for. What You Wish For was not a wish come true for me.

cathy_acasefullofbooks's review against another edition

4.5

Another great Katherine Center book! I loved this one. The elementary school librarian main character was so fun! I also loved seeing Duncan get his own story (took me half the book to realize he was Helen's brother from Happiness for Beginners 😅).

Content/Trigger Warnings include but are not limited to: language, school shooting recounted in detail, death of a loved one on page, epileptic seizures, and parental abandonment.

drlou's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

This was very predictable. Really didn’t enjoy it. Don’t waste your time. 

christinegiff's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

lj99's review against another edition

3.0

She was always running away from stuff and I just know I would not have gotten along with her but it was really fun to read about a school and teachers and I related a lot to the little things and there were a lot of harsh realities in there but overall I enjoyed it but it was a buffer book for me

lorireads3's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

spclteach's review against another edition

5.0

Loved it

This book has so many good things about it. I loved the school setting and ways to deal with PTSD! I thought the story was great and I highly recommend it.

aecinf's review against another edition

4.0

This was such a nice, beach-y read. Perfect for clearing the mind after a year of nonfiction and personal growth and other heavy ilk.