The Art of Wishing

The Art of Wishing by Lindsay Ribar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a great little book!

This is a clever story about a girl who meets a genie and then discovers what is really important in life.

Margo is the main character; she's really into theater and the book begins with her audition for the lead in her high school's production of Sweeney Todd. Unfortunately, the lead part goes to another girl whose talent is passable at best. But oddly, everyone thinks she's fabulous. Margo is given a lesser part (as a boy, no less), and when she gets over her disappointment decides to throw herself into the role.

While in the school bathroom one day, she spies a ring sitting on the windowsill. She picks it up to examine it, and suddenly a somewhat irritated boy appears. The boy is Oliver, the new kid at school who's been tasked with taking photos for the yearbook. Turns out the girl who got the lead in the play is the former owner of the ring and apparently she doesn't want it anymore.

With the ring in her possession, Margo gets three wishes. The fun part of this book is watching her figure out what to wish for; Oliver, although on the run from a bad guy, decides to help Margo with her choice of wishes. As things move along, various things become important to Margo at the time - but does she really want to spend a wish on them?

The characters in this novel are multi-dimensional and well-developed. There's a romance, but it's more of a backdrop for the whole genie thing. Ribar takes the time to give us Oliver's whole backstory interwoven with the genie mythology. We learn not just who Oliver was before he became a genie, but what a genie's life entails and how one becomes (and unbecomes) a genie. And best of all, questions are raised as to whether it's really worth it.

There were a few laugh-out-loud moments for me in the book. Hearing Oliver be frustrated by being trapped in a 16-year old body was pretty funny. The ending came somewhat as a surprise to me; I didn't expect for it to go exactly as it did. While it might have seemed abrupt to some, I thought it both concluded and left room for the imagination of the reader.

This book is a solid 4 stars for me. It's a nice departure from the standard vampires, angels, demons, shadowhunters, mermaids, werewolves and/or other supernatural creatures. It's lighthearted, a very quick read and perfect for winter since it's set in the winter season. I found it delightful.

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