Title: As You Wish
Author: Chelsea Sedoti
Publication Date: January 1, 2018
Pages: 432
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Date Started: December 15, 2017
Date Finished: December 23, 2017
Format: Kindle
*I would like to thank the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Let’s be serious, when you read this title, you can’t help but picture a certain someone from one of the most amazing stories ever told. I know I do. Sadly, no Princess Bride references are to be found in this story. Inconceivable.
As You Wish takes place in a small town in Nevada near Area 51. Madison is no ordinary town, as it hides a giant secret: on a resident’s 18th birthday they can make a wish, and it will come true. The protagonist, Eldon, is nearing his Wish Day and struggles with his decision of what to wish for. As with any wish granting, there are rules and restrictions as to what can be wished for. Throughout the novel, Eldon delves into the wishes others have made, and how those choices affected both the wisher and those they love.
This is one of those novels that has little gems sprinkled throughout, though as a whole falls flat. The premise of this novel is intriguing and had such potential, which sadly was not exploited to the detriment of the novel. Certain backstories of the townsfolk are heart-wrenching, to the point that I wish more of the novel had focused on other characters than Eldon. Eldon was one of the great disappointments of the novel. He was an awful, unenjoyable, petty, and overall angsty teenager. This was done on purpose, as even Eldon’s friends point it out in the novel, but it did not add to the overall story, and I felt detracted at many points.
I have not read Sedoti’s other novel that was released this year, The Hundred Lies of Lizzy Lovett, though I have had it on my TBR list all year. I still plan on reading it, though I will probably approach it cautiously. As I mentioned, the premise for As You Wish was great, and isolated stories and ideas in the right hands could have been absolutely fantastic. Though in their current form they fell a little flat.
Overall, 2.5/5 moose
Reading With Moose 