Reading at Dawn - Book Review Blog

I'd heard about As You Wish, by Jackson Pearce, in the blogging world previously, so when I found it at Borders, I knew I had to buy it. I'll admit, I'm a fast reader, but I consumed this novel in about an hour and a half. Not because it was short (the length was perfect for a young adult novel), but because it was such a fun read I didn't want to put it down. I don't think I looked up from the pages once while I was reading it!

Blurb from Goodreads:

Ever since Viola's boyfriend broke up with her, she has spent her days silently wishing—to have someone love her again and, more importantly, to belong again—until one day she inadvertently summons a young genie out of his world and into her own. He will remain until she makes three wishes.

Jinn is anxious to return home, but Viola is terrified of wishing, afraid she will not wish for the right thing, the thing that will make her truly happy. As the two spend time together, the lines between master and servant begin to blur, and soon Jinn can't deny that he's falling for Viola. But it's only after Viola makes her first wish that she realizes she's in love with Jinn as well . . . and that if she wishes twice more, he will disappear from her life—and her world—forever.

Jackson Pearce spins a magical tale about star-crossed lovers, what it means to belong . . . and how important it is to be careful what you wish for.

This is yet another book that is written from two first person points of view (I seem to be attracted to them). While it could have been written in 3rd person, it actually works well, being from both Viola and Jinn's POVs. Jinn was definitely my favourite character, probably because he has a touch of 'bad boy' in him. It irritates me in 'real' people, but I loved his moodiness in As You Wish. He is seen to grow through the novel, and becomes more and more swoon-able. Sigh. This is why I love YA novels!

Viola is also a fantastic character (although her preoccupation with being 'invisible' got a little irritating and I wanted to shake her to wake her up to how great Jinn was). While the conflict arises from the fact that her best friend/ex-boyfriend turns out to be gay, she's not really hung up on him. She's more concerned with how it affected her popularity (very shallow, I know). As you'd expect, it's a learning process she needs to go through, and As You Wish handles the teen angst of it all very well.

Really, it's a sweet tale about discovering who you want to be is who you were all along. It's a wonderful book for teens, although even as an adult I enjoyed it.

Worth picking up! 8 out of 10 from me.