Review: You Wish by Mandy Hubbard

You Wish by Mandy Hubbard

Kayla McHenry’s sweet sixteen sucks! Her dad left, her grades dropped, and her BFF is dating the boy Kayla’s secretly loved for years. Blowing out her candles, Kayla thinks: I wish my birthday wishes actually came true. Because they never freakin’ do.

Kayla wakes the next day to a life-sized, bright pink My Little Pony outside her window. Then a year’s supply of gumballs arrives. A boy named Ken with a disturbing resemblance to the doll of the same name stalks her. As the ghosts of Kayla’s wishes-past appear, they take her on a wild ride . . . but they MUST STOP. Because when she was fifteen? She wished Ben Mackenzie would kiss her. And Ben is her best friend’s boyfriend.

Review:

I was so excited to receive a copy of You Wish to review- luckily it was everything I had hoped for and more!

I loved how relatable and down to earth the main character, Kayla, was. She was just a normal high school student dealing with a lot of everyday problems. Kayla was determined to be different, and I loved this about her. She didn't care what others thought about her and always stood up for what she believed in.

There were a variety of characters introduced over the course of this novel, but the main ones were Ben, Nicole, and Ann. I loved all of them. Ben was a sweet and caring guy and Nicole and Ann were both understanding and great friends. Nicole changed a lot over the course of the novel, but she was still the same sweet girl at heart. I could understand her want to come out of her shell and do something she'd always dreamed of doing. Ann (hint: one of the wishes) was a quirky and good natured character and I loved watching her experiencing so many "human" things. Kayla's family was small. Her mother was a work a holic and didn't have any time for Kayla or her needs.

As for the plot, it was one of the most fun and original of any book I've read. The idea of your birthday wishes actually coming true was such a cool concept and I was on the edge of my seat wanting to know what wish would happen each day. The novel was mainly building up to Kayla's fifteenth birthday wish- for Ben Mackenzie to kiss her and unfortunately he was also her best friend Nicole's boyfriend! A variety of other wishes occurred, mainly silly, like a My Little Pony coming to life as well as various other toys/dolls. Kayla had to work hard to make sure her secret was kept, well, secret. She couldn't tell anyone what was going on and she had a hard time concealing the pony and Ken (her "boyfriend"). I enjoyed reading each page, something interesting was always happening and you never knew what was going to happen next.

This is a perfect summer read. It is light hearted and fun, with some more serious events occurring, and Kayla learns a lot about herself, and those around her, by the end of the book.

I have yet to read Mandy's debut, Prada and Prejudice, but I definitely want to after reading You Wish! Out in paperback, I definitely recommend picking this up to read before summer ends or once fall arrives! An entertaining and original read, you'll be left wondering what would happen if your birthday wishes came true!

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

August 5, 2010/Razorbill/272 Pages/Young Adult

Source: Publisher (ARC)

Other books by this author: Prada and Prejudice