Wish

Through a skillful formula of witty description and perceptive commentary, Alexandra Bullen makes her debut work, "Wish", a book enjoyable for all ages. She manages a perfect balance between a fictional story based on magic and what-ifs with a keen perspective and remarkably relatable characters. As Ms. Bullen inevitably climbs her way to becoming a popular author, you'll want to be on the inner circle of people saying you read her books first.

as a 26 year old female, i truly enjoyed this book so much. i loved the silliness, and also the depth of character that she managed to create, and the sincerity of the emotions in the book (i was so surprised at myself for basically sobbing at the end.. when olivia and her parents are in violet's room going through her stuff). it is such a successful book and i dont doubt that so many teenagers are going to relate to it. i cannot wait for the next one!

Wish, although a little formulaic, was such a sweet, easy, heart tugging modern day fairy tale. I enjoyed every moment reading it. I might be a little biased because the setting of San Francisco is pretty much 'home', but the urban setting added an appeal to the fancifulness of all the 'pretty' people that Olivia befriended. Think Beverly Hills 90210 with a magic genie, in the form of ball gowns. (Yes, it sounds like a kids book that it is, but trust me, it's not so bad!) Thankfully, while written for teens, it reads easily enough for adults without sounding 'juvenile'. If you have a teen girl, or even preteen, this would be a nice book to share with them, or have them share with you!

The most magical book I have ever read. Wow. I have never written about a book before on here. Because I haven't thought a book like this for days after I finished it. So I want to share my thoughts about it with the world and I hope that this review makes you take a look at it. It is so romantic and beautiful and it's the kind of book that makes you think about who you are. I love these kind of books and so many of them are the same - a girl likes a guy who does not like her and then she gets them in the end. Those are fine, but this book really felt like it was talking about who teenagers are. You could tell the writer was a smart and funny girl who is sharing her life with us and then makes you think about your own. There are so many things in my life that i wish I could go back and do over, boys I wanted, friends I could have treated better. And this book made me realize that it's not about going back, but learning from the person you are and moving forward. I hope you get a chance to love it too.

This is a story that transcends reality and makes the reader feel as if they are personally involved with the characters. We are not separated by pages and words in a book. We are engaged and vested in the fate of our character. This is the book that you stay in bed to read a bit longer, and this is the book that you clear your schedule to treat yourself to a quiet afternoon. I am giving this book 5 stars because Bullen's writing is clear and articulate, and it is a story well-told. I think that she could have written sappier, but she didn't. She respects her readers enough to make this a real story with a magical element. Bonus: I was pleasantly surprised to find out this was set in San Francisco, with the ability to make this book a travelogue for a newbie in town. In response to some feedback about the drinking in the story, I thought Bullen hit the nail on the head with her description of the children of wealthy parents who attend an exclusive school in a very open city. Teenagers experiment and when they have their own cars, keys to the summer home, and free reign, they are going to emulate adult behavior. It's what they've seen, and it's what they know. These are cues teens pick up from the adults in their lives. Does that mean Bullen is encouraging underage drinking? No. She is simply an observer who is writing about teen behavior. That's what makes this a real story. There is no sugar-coating here. Teens who want to experiment are going to do so. Onto the story itself: As the story unfolds, we learn that Olivia has been uprooted from all that she knows to find herself in a new school, in a new state, and without her fearless twin sister to help navigate the social mores. Her parents are distant. Her first friend at school exists only because their two moms work together, and - worse than that - he wears squishy mushroom-colored loafers. And then she sees a boy. One who meets her eyes and smiles like he knows her. But, of course, he is dating the prettiest and most popular girl at school. In her complete and utter loss, Olivia does the very best she can with what she has. She finds a tailor, Posey, who can fix dresses to suit the wearer in a way that is unexpected. In fact, Olivia has no idea that her bad night had a purpose, and her wish to see her sister again is about to come true. It is only in re-tracing steps and asking questions that Olivia realizes what a gift she has been given. So, if you had just one wish...what would you wish for?