Title: As You Wish
Author: Jackson Pearce
Genre: Young Adult
This book takes the saying "Be careful for what you wish for, it just might come true" to a whole other level. Viola has felt invisible ever since her boyfriend Simon broke up. All she wants is to belong somewhere. She makes a wish one day in class not to be invisible and to have someone love her again. I know what you're thinking: this is just another teen chick litish book...but it's not.
When Viola makes that silent wish to belong and be love, she's surprised to find out that she somehow summoned a genie. All the genie-Jinn, wants to do is for Viola to make her three wishes so he can get back home. Jinn really doesn't like being on Earth. It annoys him, and he doesn't like how fast he ages when he is here granting wishes. He just wants to follow the rules and grant wishes. However, Viola isn't a typical master..she is afraid to make the wishes because of the consequences that can happen after she makes them. She also wants Ginn to call her by her real name, and to be friends with him. Stuff like this just doesn't happen in the genie world. Ginn struggles to deal with his feelings for Viola, and with how different humans and his kind are.
Viola is beginning to realize that wishing doesn't solve all your problems, and sometimes it can make things worse. She gets her wish of not being invisible, but finds that out that the grass isn't always greener on the other side. There's also the problem of Jinn-she keeps getting closer to him, even though she knows she shouldn't because once she makes all of her wishes, he has to leave....
This book had so many good lessons in it, and was such a cute, original twist on the whole "I love him, but can't be with him" tale that has been done a million times. I just really loved the paranormal twist to the story. I did have a slight problem with the teen drinking in the book-but that's just because I'm old. It was handled nicely, and the heroine realized it wasn't right for her, and I realize that it's normal for teens to drink, and don't know why reading it sometimes bothers me, it just does. I also have issues with teens drinking coffee in Young Adult books, (darn Rory Gilmore for that!) but that's really a whole other post.
This book was a fast read, and a nice change of pace from the Urban Fantasy I've been reading.
I almost forgot! I am over at Stacys Place On Earth today-she asked me lots of fun questions, go check it out!
