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A review by lattelibrarian
As You Wish by Chelsea Sedoti
4.0
Everyone's wished upon a star before, or upon a penny thrown into a wishing well. But what happens when everyone in a podunk town in the middle of the Mojave Desert gets a wish on their 18th birthday? What began as a quirky little read turned into something I didn't expect one bit. This book left me asking questions that I'd hardly ever given a thought to. If I could wish for one thing and have it come true (within limits), what would it be? Would it be for myself or someone else? Something big, something small? And what would happen if my wish was worded wrong, or it came true, but in a thoroughly unexpected way?
Sedoti explores these questions by navigating Eldon through a personal project: in order to find out what he wants to wish for (and what he doesn't), he interviews the townspeople. And their stories are heartbreaking, full of misworded wishes, accidental wishes, misguided wishes, secret wishes...And what is he to do when his mother pressures him to wish for money?
Luckily, he has his friends. Unluckily, he has a bit of an anger issue. And an impulsivity issue. And an indecisive issue. Which is what makes him so compelling. He's a flawed character (aren't we all?), yet he must make the "perfect wish." But what is that?
This book does an incredible job exploring what happens when your deepest wish--a wish you make at the age of 18--comes true, and how it affects everyone around you. Because there, in that little town in the Mojave Desert, anything can be permanent and anything can be temporary. Even love. Even fame. Even life.
Review cross-listed here!
Sedoti explores these questions by navigating Eldon through a personal project: in order to find out what he wants to wish for (and what he doesn't), he interviews the townspeople. And their stories are heartbreaking, full of misworded wishes, accidental wishes, misguided wishes, secret wishes...And what is he to do when his mother pressures him to wish for money?
Luckily, he has his friends. Unluckily, he has a bit of an anger issue. And an impulsivity issue. And an indecisive issue. Which is what makes him so compelling. He's a flawed character (aren't we all?), yet he must make the "perfect wish." But what is that?
This book does an incredible job exploring what happens when your deepest wish--a wish you make at the age of 18--comes true, and how it affects everyone around you. Because there, in that little town in the Mojave Desert, anything can be permanent and anything can be temporary. Even love. Even fame. Even life.
Review cross-listed here!