I Wish

December 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-You wouldn't wish Lacey Linden's life on anyone. She races between school, work, home, and the flea market where she hawks her valuables just to pay the bills. While at the market one day, Lacey buys a music box for herself in a rare moment of indulgence. She soon discovers that the music box holds an unexpected surprise: a "Benevolent Supernatural Being" named Grant. The genie offers her one wish per day for a month, but the wishes must be humanly possible. Langston wisely limits the power of wishes, so there can be no easy fixes to complex problems. Lacey cannot simply wish away her debt or her mother's trauma. This allows the story to remain grounded in the everyday struggles and relationships of Lacey, her friends, and her family. It is all the better for it, putting the focus on the compelling and sympathetic characters. Lacey's narration alternates with brief status reports from Grant, a clever device that gives readers insight into the enigmatic being's motivations. While Lacey and Grant's burgeoning romance is predictable at times, the denouement offers enough twists and unresolved questions to have readers wishing the next book was already available.-Tony Hirt, Hennepin County Library, MN

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