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A review by greatolcatsby
The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury
3.0
For thousands of years Zahra is the most powerful jinni until being trapped in a lamp for the past 500 years in a city that has been long forgotten. She thinks that the hope for seeing the outside world again and be free of her lamp would be impossible until a boy named Aladdin comes in the desolate city and finds her lamp.
After Zahra has been summoned, she has been given a quest that, if she succeeds, she will win her freedom from the lamp forever. Will she betray the person she’s slowly growing to love for her own needs or save him and his home from the wrath that will come if the order she was given fails?
This may be an Aladdin retelling but the story isn’t about the street-smart thief we all know. Instead we get to see the jinni’s side of the story and the way that was done was very engaging. Zahra may be powerful, but she is also a dreamer for the outside world and freedom, and we she’s filled with much guilt over a woman she considers a sister who she calls Habiba. The way the story is told was unique because it sounded as if Zahra is actually talking to the friend and is constantly addressing her by name or by Habiba. We get to see more of their relationship during the course of the book and everything about it is so touching.
Even though Aladdin is flirty, mischievous, he’s also very loyal with a need for revenge due to his haunting past.
The book mentions that Zahra falls in love with Aladdin, but I couldn’t really feel the relationship between the two. They fit into each other’s lives just fine as friends but I couldn’t really see how their relationship really began.
One of the best things about this book is the girl power. So many strong female characters! Caspida is a strong-minded princess and just like her band of watchmaidens, they’re feisty and know how to take down anybody who gets in their way.
After Zahra has been summoned, she has been given a quest that, if she succeeds, she will win her freedom from the lamp forever. Will she betray the person she’s slowly growing to love for her own needs or save him and his home from the wrath that will come if the order she was given fails?
This may be an Aladdin retelling but the story isn’t about the street-smart thief we all know. Instead we get to see the jinni’s side of the story and the way that was done was very engaging. Zahra may be powerful, but she is also a dreamer for the outside world and freedom, and we she’s filled with much guilt over a woman she considers a sister who she calls Habiba. The way the story is told was unique because it sounded as if Zahra is actually talking to the friend and is constantly addressing her by name or by Habiba. We get to see more of their relationship during the course of the book and everything about it is so touching.
Even though Aladdin is flirty, mischievous, he’s also very loyal with a need for revenge due to his haunting past.
The book mentions that Zahra falls in love with Aladdin, but I couldn’t really feel the relationship between the two. They fit into each other’s lives just fine as friends but I couldn’t really see how their relationship really began.
One of the best things about this book is the girl power. So many strong female characters! Caspida is a strong-minded princess and just like her band of watchmaidens, they’re feisty and know how to take down anybody who gets in their way.