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A review by libraryofdreaming
The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury
4.0
I'm really loving this new trend of Arabian Nights themed YA novels. The Forbidden Wish had a fabulous setting - a fantasy reimagining of Aladdin. Making the genie a girl was an interesting choice and Zahra was a good narrator. I enjoyed her voice, her worries, and especially her descriptions of how it felt to shift forms. That kind of writing can be especially tricky but I think the writer really pulled it off. It was also obvious that Jessica Khoury had a lot of love for her setting and put great detail into it. The world-building was quite rich and fun to delve into. The jinni magic was fascinating. I'm always looking for clever new fantasy settings and this one really fit the bill.
Unfortunately, I didn't really feel the romance of this book. Parts of it were touching and I certainly felt it from Zahra's perspective, but I didn't like how Aladdin was portrayed as a womanizer in the beginning. I didn't quite believe in his commitment to Zahra, although he did have some great lines. To be quite honest, I wanted more of the book spent in flashbacks to Zahra and her previous owner.
For once, I was pleased to read a stand-alone book that tied everything up in a nice little bow. It had an interesting narrator, fun setting, and nice magical details. Overall, it was satisfying and sweet to read. I won't run out to find other books by this author, but it does leave me with the taste for another book with a similar setting...
Unfortunately, I didn't really feel the romance of this book. Parts of it were touching and I certainly felt it from Zahra's perspective, but I didn't like how Aladdin was portrayed as a womanizer in the beginning. I didn't quite believe in his commitment to Zahra, although he did have some great lines. To be quite honest, I wanted more of the book spent in flashbacks to Zahra and her previous owner.
For once, I was pleased to read a stand-alone book that tied everything up in a nice little bow. It had an interesting narrator, fun setting, and nice magical details. Overall, it was satisfying and sweet to read. I won't run out to find other books by this author, but it does leave me with the taste for another book with a similar setting...