Justine's Thoughts: Wish by Alexandra Bullen

Wish
By Alexandra Bullen

Source: (ARC) Won from Teens Read and Write
Pages: 323
Rating: 3/3
Book Description:

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?

Any thoughts:

If I was granted three wishes right here right now, I honestly would not know what to wish for. Of course, there are many hopeful, possible times when I can make a wish, such as 11:11, though I don’t have a clue if it will come true. And there are times when I just blurt out a wish that comes from the heart, wanting it badly that it needed to be spoken out loud.

That’s what happens with Olivia as she wears the dress. The next thing she knows her sister is right there beside her, being her old self again.

The beginning of the story was alright. The grief part came right in and it held my attention long enough. But I still hoped for a better part to come up, which didn’t happen until past the midpoint of the novel. The main idea about wishes also wasn’t centred upon enough. Often, I would forget what the point of the scene is. I guess what Bullen is trying to achieve is the connection to life thing, that there are similar issues that need to be sorted out. Still, I thought it was iffy.

The writing is in third person, which makes the atmosphere of the story awkward. With a character like Olivia, who’s insecure, new in school, dealing with grief, I needed to connect with her and understand what she’s going through. No such luck. In third person, she speaks very little especially during moments with her love interest. Speaking of which, getting in between a breakup of two people who you’re becoming friends with is a turn off for me.

On the bright side, the end is wrapped up nicely. The story seems to revolve around Olivia’s coming-of-age. The relationships between characters have been well explored. My favourite characters would have to be Miles (Olivia’s guy friend) and Calla (the “it” girl at school who -- and I’m happy to say this -- is not a bitch).

Overall, it’s a good story that can be touching and sweet at the same time. Though it isn’t what I expected, it has the potential to become a really great, magical novel.