As You Wish

You Can't Wish for More.

Forget the rules of classical fantasy. Forget princesses and knights, fairies, magic, witches and wizards, battles and duels. Forget heroes who rise up to save the world from certain doom and villains hellbent on destroying all humanity holds dear. Instead, take a simpler approach: a girl. A high school student, months after a horrible break up, facing a destroyed self confidence, a lonely existance, and an art expo. Now give this girl three wishes, strict guidelines to use them, and her own jinn to make those wishes come true, and what do you get? Clue: Not a princess story. Not a Disney movie. Instead, debut author Jackson Pearce delivers a stunning, poignant novel about the power of choice and the importance of priority.

Set against the backdrop of a very average high school, the world proposed by Pearce is easy to fall into because it's nothing more than what it claims to be- a refreshing break from alternate worlds in wardrobes and rabbit holes. Everything about this book is absolutely refreshing, starting with its protagonist, Viola: she's a teen girl, and I refrain from saying average, because one beautiful aspect of this story is that it shows skillfully that in the world we live in, there is no average, because inside each person is a world of anxiety, emotions, hopes, doubts, and hormones that, combined, never equal the same concoction as any other person. Viola is heartbroken long before the story begins, and her ego is shattered; Pearce does a wonderful job of making it clear, without giving a lecture or pep talk, that Viola is only as beautiful and worthy of what she wants as she allows herself to be. Rather than going on a journey to discover how amazing she is, as most stories today seem to be, Viola's journey is a personal one, in which she discovers that she has the power to see herself for however she wants to, to make her own happiness or wallow in misery.

The story itself is about personal choice, setting it apart from your average fantasy and teen novel. Instead of trying to save the world or their lives, the characters are simply learning how to see themselves, and what they want for themselves, and what they will give up and do in order to keep their emotionally charged lives even- and hopefully tip the scales to happy. Possibly the best part of the story is that there is no set antagonist; rather, each character's personality and life situation makes for the setbacks in the story. What they must over come and defeat is entirely inside themselves, and at they same time, that is where they will find what will allow them to overcome these obstacles.

The rules of fantasy, the standard cycle of the monomyth, is presented in a different light in this satisfyingly-romantic-without-being-ridiculous tale, and in the end, the reader is left with not only a deep satisfaction that comes with finishing only the best of books, but also a new take on fiction, lesson needed in a literary world of instant-romance and magic wands: it is the choices we make, how we use our wishes and go after what we want, and not the power of magic or even love, that bind us together, build up our lives, or destroy us, our relationships, and our confidence.

As You Wish was a beautiful read, paced skillfully and written masterfully. Five well-earned stars.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

A feel-good tale I couldn't put down.

If you think this book looks cute, you're right--As You Wish is all kinds of adorable. On top of that, it's also funny, insightful, thrilling, and incredibly un-putdownable. Seriously. I finished it in just over a day and I already want to whirl through it again.

As You Wish is told in alternating first person narration between Viola and Jinn. While the two viewpoints add more dimension to the story, I couldn't distinguish the two voices from one another. The plot, however, sucked me in so absolutely that I quickly got over this complaint and sat back to enjoy the story. The resulting single voice of Viola's and Jinn's near identical narration is appealing and enjoyable.

At the opening of As You Wish, it's been just over seven months since Viola's childhood-best-friend-turned-boyfriend, Lawrence, informed Viola that he was gay and broke up with her. While Viola and Lawrence are still close, Viola feels that she's become an "Invisible Girl" since the breakup--with Lawrence, she was special and felt like she belonged. Now, however, Lawrence is invited to parties and Viola gets to hear about them. She feels ignored and out of place and is obsessed with the idea of belonging--how do other people do it? How can she belong again?

And then Jinn, a genie, walks into her life, offers her three wishes, and suggests she make them quickly.

Jackson Pearce's cast of characters is irresistable--except for a few bad apples, I liked them all instantly. I had fun watching Viola and Jinn fall in love. I was happy when they were happy, and breathless with suspense when they encountered obstacles--I was so invested in the story I was practically biting my fingernails, and I don't usually do that. The ending is satisfying, but not exactly what I expected. As You Wish surprised me to the end.

Beyond the plot, the depth of Viola's longing to be a part of the social tapestry around her and her blindness to what she already has adds an emotional angle to the novel that I believe many people, teenagers or not, can identify with. As You Wish is a little book with a lot to say.

As far as PG-13 content, I can count the incidents of offensive language on one hand, and while alcohol and promiscuity make a few appearances, there's nothing even close to an R-rated scene, and nothing happens that the average teenager hasn't already read about or seen on TV--As You Wish is refreshingly clean without being unrealistic.

As You Wish is a roller coaster ride of laughter, love, and suspense. It's a feel-good novel I couldn't put down, and I highly recommend it.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Ok...

Almost everyone who reviewed this book here is raving about it, so let me share my opinion.

The plot could have been executed well - but, like most pathetic teen reads, it wasn't. Written with an amateur sense of style, and absolutely no character development whatsoever. Seriously, it's a wonder why most teen books even make it past manuscript stage. The main character - or any character, for that matter - is boring, predictable, and not as exciting or adventurous as I would have expected from the description.

And God. Does every teen book - or most teen books? - have to involve the main character going to a party and getting drunk? And wanting a "hot guy"? Where's the class? Where's the originality? The imagination? Not here. :)

2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Left Me Wishing For More

As You Wish is one of those books that you CAN'T put down until you finish it. It pulls you in quickly, has good pace, and develops characters fairly well. It's an interesting concept that weaves a beautiful story of friendship, finding yourself, and love. I highly recommend this book- it's the epitome of a feel-good read!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

As You Wish

As you wish is a delightful, endearing tale. It tugged at my heart, and made me smile and laugh in some places. It was a really quick read, but it held such meaning and promises in it. When Jinn had to leave, my heart called out to him and Viola. Their pain was so poignant, and Jackson displayed it so clearly. This book is one my new favorites. Thank you Jackson, for such a beautiful love story.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Couldn't put it down!

Jackson Pearce's first book, As You Wish, has set the bar high! In alternating viewpoints, this book details the story of a teenage girl, Viola, who accidentally summons a genie, Jinn. Jinn must remain on Earth until Viola makes three wishes, and it's only after the first wish when they discover they have feelings for one another. Viola and Jinn are forced to make a choice- if she doesn't make all three wishes, the guardian of the genies will push her to wish by hurting the people she loves. But if she makes her three wishes, Jinn will leave her life forever.

This book is full of beautiful details and scenes that will delight even the most reluctant reader. Jackson's vivid imagery makes the characters come alive. The book is great for middle-school age kids and the young at heart. I couldn't put this book down!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

I READ YOUR REVIEW!

I read yiur review about being yourself and i totally agree. I go to battle ground high school and i have a lot of preassure but i keep my head up and guys are truly like buses!haha! U inspire me anaomous! :D

Hello

My name is monkey man and i want to know u r my frend if u rn't i will send my monkey man friends after u go get em monkey men

Wishing For More "As You Wish"

I was already a fan of Jackson Pearce before I read this book but when I finally did it made me fall in love with her style and ways with romance, drama, and her crafty knack of creating an addicitive plot line, mesmerizing (and hilarious) characters, and extensive use of detail that made me want to make this a permanent part of my literary life.
READERS: Get ready for a world you never thought possible and the words that spin the worlds of both Earth and Caliban...
*I wish*

Love Love Love

This is definitely one of my favorite books! I've read it four times and im not one to reread books. It has a fresh storyline and relatable characters. I love the relationship between Jinn, Viola, and Lawerence. I laughed several times in this book and I could feel the emotions the characters were portraying. Great read, definitely buy!

Beasttt.

I literally finished this book in one day... It is just refreshing not having to deal with any new paranormal romance stories that almost all end up the same way...

I enjoyed the plot & characters of the story. The only bad thing I would say about this is about how it ended!!!! Wrote a second book please... a girl.being the jinn this time!!(:

Love it! <3

This has to be my favorite book. I just love the characters and the way the author weaves the plot along. If I could rate this story higher, I would gove it 100 stars!! Jinn is an awesome character; I wish I had someone like Viola's friends, Lawrence and Jinn. It makes me wonder what people would do for love.... :)

Loved it!

Witty, hysterical, and hooking -- Pearce weaves a unique, riveting tale with vivid, very-alive prose. Through two points of view -- that of Viola, a human girl, and Jinn, an otherworldly wish granter -- this story is told perfectly.

Pearce casts a full set of fantastic characters. I love every one of them. With her spellbinding stand-alone, Pearce puts magic in the air: an amazing book of self-discovery, coming-of-age, and being yourself.

Reviewed by Breanna F. for TeensReadToo

When Viola's boyfriend and long-time close friend, Lawrence, breaks up with her, she's heartbroken. Ever since then, she's been silently wishing for someone to love her again so she can feel like she belongs once more. One day, all of her wishing summons up a genie named Jinn (well, technically that is not his name, just what he is called). He will stay around Viola until she makes three wishes, and will not leave any sooner than that. It is a Jinn's job to stick around once he has been assigned to a person until that person has made all of their wishes. At first, Viola is a bit creeped out about Jinn popping up everywhere, trying to get her to make a wish. But soon after Viola makes her first wish, she realizes something..she is in love with Jinn, and if she makes her last two wishes, he will disappear forever and she won't even remember him. Now, she has to do everything in her power not to make those last two wishes, especially by accident. But if the person doesn't make their three wishes, someone else comes in to push the person to make them so that the Jinn can move on. Pushing can involve anything, and soon Viola may be in danger... This was a really good book. It was pretty fast-paced and I finished it quickly. The book switches viewpoints from Viola to Jinn from chapter to chapter, so you get to read about them separately. I really liked being able to read about them that way. Throughout the story, I felt bad for Viola for not feeling like she belonged anymore, and then when she fell in love with Jinn I was afraid something bad would happen to her, but I couldn't really figure out what was going to happen in the end. I really liked the ending, though, and the rest of the book too, of course. Jackson Pearce is a great writer, and I can't wait to read more from her.

Super!!!

I got this book because I liked Pearce's book "Sisters Red" and I was pleasantly surprised. In a time period where the bookshelves are filled with vampire, werewolf, and angel stories, "As You Wish" breaks the mold. The story is about Viola, who feels she has become invisible to everyone in school since she broke up with her boyfriend. With a wish to fit in again, a jinn is sent to her to grant her three wishes, but she refuses to accept his help and decides to continue on with life as it is. However, for him to have any hope of returning to his perfect, timeless homeland, he has to convince her to use her wishes. After she finally makes her first wish, Viola's found that she's already used to the idea of the jinn being just a call away, so much so that she's hesitant to make her final wishes because doing so would mean losing him forever.

Imaginative, with genies!

Viola Cohen is an invisible girl in her high school. She's a reasonably talented artist and has a loving nature, but there always seems to be a piece of her that's missing. She's brokenhearted enough that a jinn appears, summoned by her soul-deep longing, and he tells her that it's his job to grant her three wishes. Viola resists the idea of whooshing her life into a better state, and Jinn (as she names him) gets ticked off at her indecisiveness, since he's stuck on Earth until she makes her wishes, and he'd rather return to the jinn homeworld, Caliban, where everything is beautiful and changeless.

I adore the dual-POV in this book--too often in YA, we only get the girl's thoughts, and the guy is automatically rendered mysterious and appealing simply because we, the readers, have no way of knowing what's going on in his head. In As You Wish, Viola and Jinn are equally important characters and the story is strengthened by giving them equal page-time.

Jinn is the breakout character in this novel. His thought-process is exquisite and initially hilarious, because he has his own brand of supernatural OCD and is horrified by the tiny changes in himself when he ages, even if it's only a few minutes' worth of aging. His character growth and gradual maturity are really something to behold, and it's intensely gratifying to see him morph from freaking out over every little delay in the wishing process, to wanting more time to experience the closeness and companionship that he and Viola have come to share.

I like Viola, but I got ticked at her in the middle of the novel, for acting entitled and bratty. She wallows in self-pity far too often--a fact her best friend Lawrence points out--and she wants other people to make her life complete, instead of trying to change her life on her own terms. But she redeems herself with a couple of beautiful displays of human compassion, and I'm back to loving her.

As in all good supernatural YA, As You Wish explores some deeper issues--the nature of happiness, personhood, and free will, particularly. Viola learns valuable lessons about the manipulation of free will, and Jinn sees what's it's like to be an individual, dealing with the pain and chaos that come from loving and being loved in return. He's from Caliban, a beautiful but neutered world of eternal stasis, and as he begins to long for something more, his desire is palpable and emotionally moving.

I will also add that this book got me crying, twice. Good, cathartic tears, though. The writing is smooth, and the romance is deeply touching.

Great book-My only wish: A sequel!

I was at my library, and at the point where I would be willing to read anything. So I grabbed this book off the shelf on a whim. I started reading it when I got home, and finished it the next day. It's been the only book that I've finished reading and flipped back to the beginning and started reading it again. I really liked the alternating perspectives from Jinn and Viola. I also liked how both characters were multi faceted and had more than one dimenssion. (i.e.- I have never ever read a book before where the lead male character knew so much about flowers!)It was interesting to see Jinn's feelings for Viola develop slowly,and vice versa. I really enjoyed the ending too. Now, I'm wishing for a sequel!! I highly recommend this book.

A good book but not my favorite

I really enjoyed idea of As You Wish, but it did not fully satisfy me. It just was not fast paced for me. I did enjoy watching Viola's and Jinn's relationship develop, going from just wanting to get rid of each other to a romantic relationship. I also enjoyed Jinn's character, he was kind of a bad boy in his own way. Jinn had a way of teasing Viola that at all the wrong times that I loved about Jinn. I did get a little irritated with Jinn just constantly bugging Viola to make a wish. Viola on th...more I really enjoyed idea of As You Wish, but it did not fully satisfy me. It just was not fast paced for me. I did enjoy watching Viola's and Jinn's relationship develop, going from just wanting to get rid of each other to a romantic relationship. I also enjoyed Jinn's character, he was kind of a bad boy in his own way. Jinn had a way of teasing Viola that at all the wrong times that I loved about Jinn. I did get a little irritated with Jinn just constantly bugging Viola to make a wish. Viola on the other hand was too sweet I would have liked to seen been a little less well valued because so few teens are considerate and nice. It was a good book, just not my favorite(less)

Wishing For More

I finished it in one day, couldn't get enough.

I LOVED this book. I thought her characters were very relatable and interesting and had more dimensions than most YA best sellers I read. Several scenes had my blood pumping (the hair cutting scene!) in anticipation, and I almost cried near the end.

One of the best things about this book was the message it had for it's young readers that was very reminiscent of something my high school English teacher used to say, "If a boy ever says that you complete him, run the other way. You don't want to date an incomplete boy." I've strongly felt that YA books should try to promote this idea about love, the idea that another person can be fantastic but it doesn't make who you are. So if that person breaks up with you, you don't go...I don't know, cliff jumping/suicidal...and then have his baby regardless of your own livelihood...at 19. I think her insight has something to do with coaching high school color guard. So bravo there Ms. Pearce. It really was an enjoyable book and one that if I had a 14 year old daughter I would want her to read (which unfortunately I can't say for all YA books).

I highly recommend this book if you like a light read with a little bit of paranormal romance and snarky characters.

I Abso-Freaking-Lutely LOVE "AS YOU WISH"!

"As You Wish" by Jackson Pearce.

I absolutely love this novel! I swear it is one of the BEST books I've ever read! Because of this novel, I will most definitely read Jackson Pearce's other novels to come.

Although I was already a fan of Jackson Pearce before her novel was released, I read this novel out of the pure WANT to do so. I began reading it one Saturday night - and finished it the next morning. Anyone that knows me will tell you that I'm not a fast reader. This book was so captivating and suspenceful and everything a book should be, that there was no possible way to put it down.

Viola, the main character, is falling for her jinn who is granting her three wishes. But as she goes on wishing, she realizes that after her third wish, Jinn will disappear forever. And after having her previous boyfriend (and best friend), Lawrence, come out and telll her that he's gay while he's dating her, Viola cannot stand to see this man walk out of her life. But as she goes on, keeping that last wish unspoken, the jinn world is sending presses to MAKE Viola wish. But what will she wish for when all she wants is Jinn?

Seriously, how could you put a story like that down? But, I will admit, that as I neared the ending, I forced myself to put it down - I didn't want it to end. I'd only had one day - not even - with these characters. I wasn't ready to say goodbye.

I give this book a 1,000,000/5 stars because it's that amazing. I'm serious GO READ IT!

www.jacksonpearce.com

With eternal love and blessings,
Hanna L.