A review by elijah__
I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver

emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I think this is generally a good book I'm just not in the target audience for; I picked it up for an LGBT book club, but it felt oriented to a much younger audience. That being said, I think Mariam and Ben's relationship feels deeply inappropriate; Mariam is an adult, college graduate YouTuber who refers to a high school student as their "bestie" and ultimately
has them move to their area, or possibly even home, (it's unclear) to recruit them to their business the moment Ben graduates.
While the character of Mariam means no harm, the relationship mirrors YouTuber scandals in an unsettling way, and I feel it glorifies an inappropriate relationship to the teens this book seems to be aimed towards. While being friends with someone outside your age group is not inherently bad, a full adult with celebrity status calling a high-school-aged fan their "bestie" doesn't sit quite right with me. Making Mariam closer to Ben's age would make things feel a lot less questionable, and wouldn't be unrealistic, as plenty of teens have "made it" on social media.

That being said, the family drama feels realistic and well-written, as does the portrayal of mental illness. The romance is alright, if not particularly unique or interesting, and I enjoy the character of Nathan. The family plot really takes center stage for me, and I feel Hannah in particular is a very interesting and well-written character. While I like the characters, I do feel Nathan and Hannah are a bit lacking in flaws - - that being said, Hannah does exhibit some, and is (in my opinion) the most interesting character in the book; a guilt-ridden elder sister, now stepping into a parental role for her younger sibling, who would do anything to make up for lost time.
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