christiesbookshelf 's review for:

The Wish by Nicholas Sparks
4.0

Confession: I suck at predicting book endings. Like, I am usually blindsided by every twist. Completely bamboozled. But I *actually* succeeded at predicting the ending to this book! And even with my suspicion confirmed, this book still freaking wrecked me at the end. We’re talking half a box of tissues. It was rough. But cathartic. ♥️

The Wish follows Maggie Dawes, and is told in then/now timelines, alternating between first person and third person POV. As a teenager, Maggie’s life took a dramatic turn when she was sent to live with an aunt in the remote village of Ocracoke, North Carolina. Feeling isolated, she soon met Bryce Trickett, a West Point-bound teen who introduced her to the beauty of the town and a passion for photography that would shape her future.

Twenty three years later, Maggie is now a famous travel photographer with a gallery in New York. However, a medical diagnosis forces her to stay put over Christmas, relying on a young assistant. As they spend time together, she talks about her experience on Okracoke, and her story of a Christmas long ago and the love that changed her life forever.

The Wish was truly a beautiful and bittersweet story, and I already know the story will stay with me for months to come.