Scan barcode
A review by shimauchiha
The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury
5.0
Let's face it, as much as I love Jasmine and her fabulous hair, the real love story in Aladdin is between Aladdin and the genie. The most emotional moment in the movie isn't when Aladdin kisses Jasmine, it's when he uses his last wish to free his bro from the lamp. #Bromance
Now, while that would be the stuff of a dream for an LGBT retelling, The Forbidden Wish is the next best thing. This book does what the most successful retellings aim for, it is original and creative but it still perfectly captures the heart of Aladdin, not just in shifting the romance but also in honouring the significant part of the strong women at the core of the story. Jasmine is one of the strongest old heroines of Disney, here not only is Cespida an amazing woman but so are her watchmaidens and most importantly so is the genie.
The Forbidden Wish has everything I wanted from it, it has incredible romance (and it had been a very long time since I read such a beautiful relationship), amazing badass female characters with swords and sass and heartwarming female friendships that transcends the ages. On top of all ot this, it manages to keep the balance between keeping the powerful genie magic and still not rendering the plot moot by making the reader wonder "Why doesn't the all-powerful genie just do it?" or even worse by having the all-powerful genie just do it.
These are not everything the book has, its writing is gorgeous and the humour is top notch and the inspiration from Arab culture is just enough to add the setting flavour without taking over all the world-building.
It's not the most serious book, it's not thought-provoking or particularly shocking, but that's not what every book needs to be. This book is sweet and beautiful and its guaranteed to make you smile and sometimes that's everything that you need.
Now, while that would be the stuff of a dream for an LGBT retelling, The Forbidden Wish is the next best thing. This book does what the most successful retellings aim for, it is original and creative but it still perfectly captures the heart of Aladdin, not just in shifting the romance but also in honouring the significant part of the strong women at the core of the story. Jasmine is one of the strongest old heroines of Disney, here not only is Cespida an amazing woman but so are her watchmaidens and most importantly so is the genie.
The Forbidden Wish has everything I wanted from it, it has incredible romance (and it had been a very long time since I read such a beautiful relationship), amazing badass female characters with swords and sass and heartwarming female friendships that transcends the ages. On top of all ot this, it manages to keep the balance between keeping the powerful genie magic and still not rendering the plot moot by making the reader wonder "Why doesn't the all-powerful genie just do it?" or even worse by having the all-powerful genie just do it.
These are not everything the book has, its writing is gorgeous and the humour is top notch and the inspiration from Arab culture is just enough to add the setting flavour without taking over all the world-building.
It's not the most serious book, it's not thought-provoking or particularly shocking, but that's not what every book needs to be. This book is sweet and beautiful and its guaranteed to make you smile and sometimes that's everything that you need.