Review: The Art of Wishing by Lindsay Ribar

Title: The Art of Wishing
Author: Lindsay Ribar
Pages: 314
Publisher: Dial Books For Young Readers
Release Date: March 21, 2013

He can grant her wishes, but only she can save his life.

Margo McKenna has a plan for just about everything, from landing the lead in her high school play to getting into a good college. So when she finds herself in possession of a genie's ring and the chance to make three wishes, she doesn't know what to do. Why should she put her life into someone else's hands?

But Oliver is more than just a genie -- he's also a sophomore at Margo's high school, and he's on the run from a murderer. As he and Margo grow closer, she discovers that it will take more than three wishes to save him.

A whole lot more.

My Thoughts: As soon as I read chapter one, I knew The Art of Wishing was going to be different from what I expected. It did have some things I hoped to find: cute, romantic moments with a bit of drama and angst throughout. But what was different was that even though the characters were in high school, I had to keep reminding myself that they were in fact NOT in middle school. There were moments that would never be found in a middle-grade read, but it still read like it was for a younger audience. Since I didn't find the age of the characters believable, it was hard for me to connect with the story and the characters.

The main character Margo frustrated me. She had valid reasons for the way she acted and treated Oliver, the genie, during parts of the book, but some of the things she got upset over bugged me. She accused Oliver of lying about his age, yet she knew he was a genie and should have immediately put two and two together and known that he wasn't actually a 16-year-old kid. I mean, she referenced Aladdin and other stories, so I don't see why she never figured that out. As for Oliver, he didn't annoy me. I was fine with him. I thought his past was interesting. He was as up-front and honest as he could be with Margo. That being said, he kind of was a bit bland, and I didn't think he was swoon-worthy like Margo did.

It didn't take long for Margo and Oliver to fall for each other. I wasn't surprised by this, but their romance happened pretty quickly. While I did hope they found a way to be together, at the same time, I never felt the spark I like to find between two characters who love and care about each other. They had their reasons for liking each other. It just wasn't something I cared 100% about. Basically, I rooted for Margo and Oliver only because I knew I was suppose to, not because I found their relationship believable or epic.

The Art of Wishing had some of the drama and angst and romance I was expecting. Unfortunately, I never clicked with the story or the characters. It's an easy read to get through though. The ending left enough room for the sequel. I'm just wondering how this would lead to a third book (it's a planned trilogy). I won't be reading the rest, but if you're curious about this trilogy, then you might want to read this first book.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars