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kaylinwriter14 's review for:
How To Make A Wish
by Ashley Herring Blake
4.5 Stars
Overview:
I just inhaled this in a few hours and I’m so impressed.
I came here for the bi rep and was captivated by this mother/daughter story. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much. Both the cover and the synopsis scream typical summer contemporary.
And in some ways it was… but it also was so much more?
Focusing on Grace’s summer on the Atlantic coast, this story covers her relationship with her immature mother, her friends and the new girl, Eva. Especially when her mother moves them in with her ex-boyfriend’s family.
I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to HMH Books for the opportunity!
Pros
The main character is a bisexual girl, and it’s not sexualized. She shuts down threesome jokes and takes her relationships seriously. It’s honestly so rare to see bisexual representation, especially one done this well. Grace doesn’t feel compelled to ‘choose’ or have some crisis of sexuality, she’s secure in her identity and it’s great.
Not to say there’s no sex, because there is. One scene in particular sets this firmly on the more ‘mature’ side of YA. But it was one of the healthiest depictions of a sex I’ve read about. Consent is ongoing. Both characters continually communicate with their partner.
The love interest is a biracial lesbian who isn’t wholly defined by either of these traits. She was a free-spirit who’d suffered a great loss and I loved her character and the representation.
While there is a romance (and I really loved the romance) I would argue this story predominantly focused on the relationship between Grace and her mom. And I found it to be extremely well-written.
Grace’s mother is not a cartoon villain. She’s not vindictive. She doesn’t call her daughter names and swing her fists. She honestly loves her daughter. But she is abusive. There was such a strong undercurrent about discovering agency and the ability to stand-up for yourself, even with loved ones.
FRIENDSHIP. YES. F/M friendship without a forced romance!
Luca is Grace’s best friend, and doesn't exist just to motivate her. Their friendship was treated seriously and I loved their banter
Something about this was just incredibly captivating to me. I don’t know if it was the writing, the characters, or the story itself—but I was completely sucked in. I read this in one sitting, completely immersed and sad when it was over.
Cons:
Grace’s mother begins dating Grace’s ex-boyfriend’s father. Which is crazy and totally should have impacted the plot more than it actually did.
Instead of being treated as real character, Julian instead is set up your stereotypical douchebag ex-boyfriend. He has rare moments of humanity, but his character was never as developed as others.
In Conclusion:
There are several elements of this that still match your typical summer contemporary—the beachy location, summer setting and hazy romance. But there’s also a really important and complex discussion of family and friendship here.
Overview:
“If you really want something, the stars won’t help you. You have to reach out and take it.
I just inhaled this in a few hours and I’m so impressed.
I came here for the bi rep and was captivated by this mother/daughter story. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much. Both the cover and the synopsis scream typical summer contemporary.
And in some ways it was… but it also was so much more?
Focusing on Grace’s summer on the Atlantic coast, this story covers her relationship with her immature mother, her friends and the new girl, Eva. Especially when her mother moves them in with her ex-boyfriend’s family.
I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to HMH Books for the opportunity!
Pros
The main character is a bisexual girl, and it’s not sexualized. She shuts down threesome jokes and takes her relationships seriously. It’s honestly so rare to see bisexual representation, especially one done this well. Grace doesn’t feel compelled to ‘choose’ or have some crisis of sexuality, she’s secure in her identity and it’s great.
Not to say there’s no sex, because there is. One scene in particular sets this firmly on the more ‘mature’ side of YA. But it was one of the healthiest depictions of a sex I’ve read about. Consent is ongoing. Both characters continually communicate with their partner.
The love interest is a biracial lesbian who isn’t wholly defined by either of these traits. She was a free-spirit who’d suffered a great loss and I loved her character and the representation.
While there is a romance (and I really loved the romance) I would argue this story predominantly focused on the relationship between Grace and her mom. And I found it to be extremely well-written.
Grace’s mother is not a cartoon villain. She’s not vindictive. She doesn’t call her daughter names and swing her fists. She honestly loves her daughter. But she is abusive. There was such a strong undercurrent about discovering agency and the ability to stand-up for yourself, even with loved ones.
FRIENDSHIP. YES. F/M friendship without a forced romance!
Luca is Grace’s best friend, and doesn't exist just to motivate her. Their friendship was treated seriously and I loved their banter
Something about this was just incredibly captivating to me. I don’t know if it was the writing, the characters, or the story itself—but I was completely sucked in. I read this in one sitting, completely immersed and sad when it was over.
Cons:
Grace’s mother begins dating Grace’s ex-boyfriend’s father. Which is crazy and totally should have impacted the plot more than it actually did.
Instead of being treated as real character, Julian instead is set up your stereotypical douchebag ex-boyfriend. He has rare moments of humanity, but his character was never as developed as others.
In Conclusion:
There are several elements of this that still match your typical summer contemporary—the beachy location, summer setting and hazy romance. But there’s also a really important and complex discussion of family and friendship here.