Book Review: "Wish" by Alexandra Bullen

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.

I have been reading a lot of YA fiction lately and I've been noticing that there seems to be trend involving wishes being granted either from genies, fairy godmothers or other magical sources. It might sound like a repetitive trend but it's always interesting because who doesn't wish that they could have the opportunity like that? It's always fascinating to read about what people's true desires really are and see if they use those wishes wisely. I was delighted to read this book because there's another twist to the wish granting story as this time it is a due to a dressmaker who gives the dress wearer wishes through her dresses.

The story also starts off on a sad note as a family is recovering from the death of a daughter and twin sister. Olivia is starting a new life without her sister Violet as her parents have moved to escape the pain and loss of her death. In her new school, Olivia tends to stay in the background not wanting to mingle without her sister by her side. Then due to a party she has to attend for her mother, she discovers a dress shop where she's given a special dress. Unknowingly, she wishes her sister back to life. The majority of the book focuses on Olivia and Violet being reunited but it's not in a spooky ghost way. In fact, it's almost like the Violet there is just a shadow of the Violet who used to be. The girls don't have the adventures that I thought they would have but at the same time what they did do was fun to read. The book does take on a more serious tone than other novels with the same subject matter.

I liked the story but at the same time I felt that there was something missing. I think for me there wasn't much information about the dresses themselves or the dressmaker. It almost seemed like the dresses were just objects in the background and were only mentioned when it came time to perform a wish. The story is not even really about the wishes but more about Olivia finally coming to terms that Violet is dead. And even that, I felt like the storyline between the two of them just got cut off really short. Ironically so was Violet's life so I can understand but at the same time, since it was the main focus of the story I just wish there had been more. Overall I did enjoy the book. For someone who's lost a loved one, these are the wishes that they want, to bring back someone from the dead. The story also shows that one cannot live in the past and be truly happy. You have to live in the present and get on with your life. I'll be looking forward to future releases from the author.

Wish by Alexandra Bullen is published by Point (2010)

This ARC was provided by the Amazon Vine program