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A review by rgyger
The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury
5.0
4.5 Stars
This was such a good read. From the first time I saw the word, "Habiba', I was hooked. Aladdin was never one of my favorite stories as a kid, but this was a pretty good retelling. Aladdin was my favorite character, even though he wasn't actually the main one of this story, and I can only hope more retellings like it.
There were some weak points. A lot of the magic is ambiguous, without much so far as explanation, and the fights between the jinni were a little hard to keep track of because I was not sure how to interpret how badly someone was losing.
However, the other conflicts were well portrayed, with stakes that were both personal and far reaching. There are also some really strong female characters, and not the typical "strong" heroines in YA who are really just brooding jerks. These girls are tough and loving, setting a good example of how to be feminine and still stand on their own to feet. I highly recommend it.
This was such a good read. From the first time I saw the word, "Habiba', I was hooked. Aladdin was never one of my favorite stories as a kid, but this was a pretty good retelling. Aladdin was my favorite character, even though he wasn't actually the main one of this story, and I can only hope more retellings like it.
There were some weak points. A lot of the magic is ambiguous, without much so far as explanation, and the fights between the jinni were a little hard to keep track of because I was not sure how to interpret how badly someone was losing.
However, the other conflicts were well portrayed, with stakes that were both personal and far reaching. There are also some really strong female characters, and not the typical "strong" heroines in YA who are really just brooding jerks. These girls are tough and loving, setting a good example of how to be feminine and still stand on their own to feet. I highly recommend it.