Wishful Thinking by Alexandra Bullen

If you could wish away all your troubles and get a new life, would you? Seventeen year old Hazel has been given that opportunity. On the day she decides to finally approach her birth mother...she is given a gift. The seamstress that she brings her thrift store dress to not only repairs her gown, but unknowingly to Hazel, gives her three magical dresses in return. Each dress corresponds to one wish. Hazel discovers her unexpected fairy godmother’s magic when she is thrust into the past on a journey to complete her first wish... a wish to get to know her mother.

This book floats like its magical butterflies in a few different genres. It seems to take all the best pieces from every genre and blend them into a solid, emotional tale of self-discovery and strength. “Wishful Thinking” is technically a sequel to Alexandra Bullen’s first book “Wish”, but it reads as a standalone. This book makes me think of my mother. As I mentioned in my review of Lost Voices, my mom had a thing for stories about wounded people. Hazel definitely fits the bill. She’s been on her own all of her life. She was adopted by a woman who passed away when she was just a baby and has been passed from home to home since. She doesn’t know who she is or where she belongs. She has lived her whole life in survival mode, not getting to close to caring about anything since it could all just get taken away. Then she gets this incredible chance to possibly change her whole life story. It’s a story of self-discovery and learning that part of what makes you who you are as a person are the challenges you face along the way.

I really enjoyed “Wishful Thinking”. It was really thoughtful and well written. There is something in it for everyone - romance, a touch of fantasy, time travel, and some deep characters. The end made me teary eyed, so be sure to have a box of tissues near by. You may need them! Man, I really just don’t have much to say. It was very enjoyable and really defies words. It won’t blow your mind, but it will certainly make you think. What would you do if you were given three wishes? Would you change your life or are you happy with who you already are?

I was provided with a copy of “Wishful Thinking” by the publisher. This book is published by Scholastic and was released in January of this year. Go pick up a copy today.