Wish Review

Title: Wish
Author: Alexandra Bullen
Publisher: Point
Published Date: January 2010
Price: Amazon ($12.23)
Synopsis:

For broken-hearted Olivia Larsen, nothing can change the fact that her twin sister, Violet, is gone... until a mysterious, beautiful gown arrives on her doorstep. The dress doesn't just look magical; it is magical. It has the power to grant her one wish, and the only thing Olivia wants is her sister back.
With Violet again by her side, both girls get a second chance at life. And as the sisters soon discover, they have two more dresses-and two more wishes left. But magic can't solve everything, and Olivia is forced to confront her ghosts to learn how to laugh, love, and live again. In a breathtaking debut from Alexandra Bullen, Wish asks the question: If you could have anything, what would you wish for? 

Review: 

 

A great plot idea that was executed poorly with annoying, moody characters. This really just summed up my long and tiring journey reading Wish. Every time I picked up the book, I looked at the cover, reminded myself of the beauty, and gave myself hope and enthusiasm that maybe there’s an arsenal Bullen is hiding somewhere within the depths of the pages. Alas, it didn’t appear as powerful as I hoped it would be.

I love the emotional aspects intertwined with the magical aspect, even though I hoped there was more of the magic and of Posey. The emotional troubles behind Olivia’s past and her want to be included in society was really executed well. I liked the development of Olivia and how she was a relatable character that any insecure teen could relate to. Her feeling of invisibility and her usual reliance on her sister had a lot of emotion packed into it that the reader could empathize with. Olivia’s emotional journey, with the angst of romance and really living, is a heartbreaking one, especially with the ending. However, the emotional journey just really dragged the book, I am sorry to say. If you were expecting some kind of soap opera or some action with the magical dress, you might be disappointed and will give up in the middle. The book is more of exploring Olivia’s search for her identity, not the shadow of her sister, even though I wish there could have been more variation of her emotions. All of Olivia’s emotions are really mellow in the book, even when she’s with Soren, and I felt like Bullen could have created more romantic excursions with Soren or a subplot with actual action to keep the reader reading.

Soren was way too stereotypical. I really wanted to see more of him, rather than the skater boy type who seems (to me) to be a player. I mean all he really did was comfort Olivia, not really developing his character and making him seem real. On the other hand, I really loved Miles and I wish he was shown more through the book. The emotional troubles as he understands and accepts his lesbian parents make him seem real and more like a teeanger. Regarding Violet…I really really really HATED her. I apologize to those fans out there, but I could not stand her controlling and condescending attitude and personality (*fumes*). She was literally Olivia’s puppeteer and she didn’t even admit her mistake at the end. I know it is part of the plot, but I felt like it was overboard.

Plot: 2.5/5

Characters: 3.5/5

Cover: 5/5

The cover was absolutely stunning, starting from the beautiful model to the star dress and the background (Love the font of the title too! ^^). In my opinion, the model was a great representation for Olivia, her facial expression is not happy or sad, but more like, unsure.

Overall: 3/5

If you picked up Wish expecting a novel full of magic, meddling with it, or a roller coaster of teenage emotions, please erase all those expectations and prepare to go on a flat ride of sadness. Even though I loved Olivia’s character, the sadness and worry just tinged and shadowed the plot and the romance. I love the premise though and I cannot wait to see more upcoming novels from Bullen.