Wish, by Alexandra Bullen

Things are a little tough for Olivia right now.  Her family has moved, partly in order to help themselves heal with the death of Olivia's twin sister, Violet.  Olivia is starting a new school, and tries to make some friends, but finds herself wishing she still had her sister.  Suddenly, Violet appears to Olivia, and helps her learn that sometimes, when wishes are made from the heart, the come true, and they come with consequences.

Who among us has not made a wish or two?  Most of the time they are frivolous, but occasionally, our hearts ache for something with such longing.  That is why it is easy to relate to this book.  I found that in terms of the targeted young adult audience, this book was well conceived.  The characters sound like real teens, and encounter real teen scenarios and dilemmas.  I liked both Olivia and Violet's characters.  Death of a sibling, particularly a twin, could be devastating for a teen, and I liked that this book centered around such a touch topic, using light humor to soften the blows.

I was a little troubled by the behavior of some of the teen characters, and the fact that there were no consequences for the drinking and sneaking out, but that is part of what makes the story more true to the life of a teen.  We all know they encounter that kind of stuff all the time.  I think that many adult readers would have a hard time connecting with the book, since it is so focused on the teen world, but for the intended audience, I think the book is great.

This book is from my personal library.



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