Just One Wish

Let it be known that I am never one to turn down chick lit. If there is one thing I have learned about stories, it is this: they are for everyone. To those of you hesitant to pick up this novel because of the genre, "broaden your minds," as Professor Trelawney from Harry Potter would say. You'll be glad you did. Just One Wish will make you laugh and worry and love each in their own turn. Simply put, I loved it.

This story is completely crazy, which I find to be the source of its charm. If you had just one wish, what would you wish for? For Annika Truman, the conclusion is easy: make her little brother's wish come true, because if she does, maybe then the fear of his cancer won't eat her and her family alive. So, when she needs to find a devastatingly handsome actor (of course) who happens to play Robin Hood (what is so attractive about the Middle Ages?) and she needs to do so fast, Annika won't take "no" for an answer.

As a side note, I have to say I am rather wary of books that have anything to do with cancer. All too often it seems that the author uses it as an excuse to make you cry, while the rest of the story has nothing else compelling in it whatsoever. Janette Rallison, however, breaks out of that mold. From the very beginning she has you jumping into a conversation with Annika's thoughts in an authentic teenage style. Add a dose of quirky humor and an attempt for the main character to come to terms with God, herself, and reality, I'd think twice before regarding this novel as "fluff." A book that seems effortless, in my experience, is often one of the best crafted, and Just One Wish is no exception. 

Appropriate for ages 15+