I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the idea of this book. The story is unique, well told, and has some great characters. However, I hated the narrator. Was I supposed to? Was that the point? Maybe I just have trouble relating to the shallow "I used to be popular and have a pretty girlfriend and be the best at football and now I'm not". I mean, he cares about his sister and her situation, but that's as deep as his character seems to go. Eldon is the kind of guy I couldn't stand in high school and maybe that's why I disliked him so much as a narrator? To be fair, he was an unexpected narrator. Not the usual underdog, quirky, "different" kid featured in most YA stories of this type.

I want to like this book more than 3 stars but I just can't because I just couldn't root for Eldon. I mean, I understood his struggle but he was such an asshole about the whole thing. Even his friends think he's an ass, so much so that they even tell him on more than one occasion. And I don't want to include spoilers, but even his final decision was a pretty asshole move but he feels it was right, so to hell with everyone else?

Despite my obvious dislike for the main character, I'd still recommend reading this one because it's different, and it's got some great characters that aren't Eldon in it (overall, I was a pretty big fan of his best friend, Merrill).

This book provides a twist on small town quirkiness. The opening is set at a gas station and sets the stage for the mysterious happenings in the area. The story is fresh and new. Power, intrigue, and secrecy leave the reader turning page after page until the end.

This book centers around a central theme: “be careful what you wish for.” The citizens of Madison, Nevada, a small isolated desert town, have a secret: when you reach your 18th birthday, you enter a magical cave, and are granted a wish. The wish can bring you beauty or money or a skill, but there are some restrictions, such as the fact that nothing you wish for can have repercussions outside of the town, so that this magical gift stays secret.

Unfortunately, the wish granting is very specific, and wording is critical, with the magic wish granter (whoever or whatever it is) being very talented at parsing sentences. Eldon, our main protagonist who is about to have his 18th birthday, knows, for example, that his mother wished for his father to love her, but ended up getting over him relatively fast, especially when he became an uncritical worshipper of her. Now they are stuck together. Similar stories of wishes that had negative repercussions are interspersed throughout the book in a somewhat irritating format reminiscent of the movie “It’s A Wonderful Life.”

As the day of his wish approaches, Eldon agonizes over what to wish, trying to avoid the pressure of his mother to wish for money to pay for medical care for his sister Ebba, who is brain-dead after an accident for which Eldon irrationally feels guilty.

Eldon also agonizes because he used to be the most popular and handsome and talented in his high school class, but as others got their wishes to be popular and handsome and talented, he is just ordinary, and doesn’t like it. Between whining about that and obsessing over Ebba, that is pretty much the core of the “action.”

Other topics are thrown in but only explored superficially, including belief in God versus belief in magic, gender preference and the fear and social judgment that might accompany non-hetero choices, the ability (or not) of members of the opposite sex to have friendships, the value of a life and the right to choose to live it or not, and even sex trafficking. None of these, however, rise above the level of a side-note; Eldon’s self-absorbed angst remains front and center.

At the end, Eldon claims to have grown up, but it isn’t convincing, and none of the other questions raised by the story have been resolved.

Evaluation: Although the premise was enticing, the book itself was quite unsatisfying. The writing seemed derivative and puerile at times, and so did the plot. Frankly, I had a hard time finishing it.

This is a stand alone, young adult book that does not have a heavy relationship laden storyline. This is like a four leaf clover. It doesn't happen very often and when it does it is amazing.

Eldon lives near the Mojave Dessert that is well know for flying sauces and alien sighting but his small town of Madison is really the one with a true secret to hide. When you turn 18 you get to have one wish granted. You can imagine the kind of wish an 18 year olds wish for. Some have very little thought while others right out detailed wishes. However, Eldon has no idea what he wants to wish for.

What I loved about this story was learning about what other people wished for an how it turned out for them. Unfortunately, I guessed what Eldon's wish was very early on in the book so that is why it lost a star. Still this was a great book.

This book had great pacing and it never felt like it was dragging and I always wanted to keep reading. It was easy to ready and made me think about the choice we make as a young adult and how they can change our future path.

The town of Madison has held a secret within the city limits for a long time but you would never know it if you happened to drive through the town. The town has been made to be as inconspicuous as possible. The only thing that would point to the strangeness of the town is that there isn't a church in the entire town. But that can be explained away very easily and generally the people that notice are the same that forget the town as soon as they leave it.

What is left behind is a special town whose inhabitants are each granted one wish on their eighteenth birthday. In Madison it is the single most important day of your life. Everything leading up to the wish doesn't matter quite so much as what each person imagines their life will be after they make their wish. There are a few stipulations that the inhabitants must follow but those are easy. Wish for money, someone's love, eye sight... something to change your life for the better.

It seems easy, except for Aldon Wilkes deciding on what he should wish for...or even if he should wish for something, is the most difficult decision he has ever had to make. His mother wants him to wish for his sister's health. Many people believe the only good wish is one for money. As Aldon looks around he sees how unhappy everyone is with their lives... and he blames the wishes they made. Getting what you want doesn't equate happiness. So, after being tasked to learn about the wishes and motives behind them from many of the town's inhabitants Aldon learns more and more about himeself, his future...and maybe what he should wish for.

This book is about Aldon growing up and beginning to see the possibilities (outside of wishing) that life has for him.

I was given a complementary copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

Summary:


Madison is a tiny town in the desert exactly like every other town on the way to nowhere, except for one thing--every person born in Madison gets to make a wish on their 18th birthday and the wishes come true. Eldon's birthday is fast approaching but, despite the pressure and input of practically everyone in Madison, he doesn't know what to wish for.

Review:


I loved this concept from the moment I read the back cover, and I'm a sucker for magic taking place in a seemingly mundane town. I felt some of the wonder that was potential in this concept was lost in the main character’s teenage angst and a little more style in the writing could have really made this a cool, whimsical story.


The story has two tracks, one is the plot line of Eldon's life leading up to his wish Day as he attempts to find out if the perfect wish even exists. The other parallel track is written in short back stories, the history of wishing in Madison.
The latter is what I truly enjoyed. It was very interesting to read the different wishes of the towns people and their motivations and outcomes. (Although, I will say it got a little old that not a single person was happy with their wish.)
I literally gasped reading Barnabas' wish story. At the same time, I felt like Gil's was somewhat problematic in terms of how it discussed asexuality.
As far as Eldon's story goes, I was neutral. By the end, I honestly despised him but I think that may have been intentional. It was unsatisfying to see his lack of development because it wasn't until the end that his flaws were truly revealed, thanks to the unreliable narrator trope.
I loved Merrill and Norie. Norie's preoccupation with religion was a neat counterpoint to the wishing and alien jokes.
The biggest problem I had with this book was Eldon's wish. The entire story is a lead up to his wish, and in the end it was ridiculously predictable. There were so many options that would have been more satisfying or surprising, but he just ends up making an obvious choice and regretting it like everyone else. (He could have wished for his mom to live his dad. He could have wished for everyone's wishes to work out for the better. He could have wished for whatever Edda would have wished for. Etc.) It made it feel like the rest of the story was pointless, all the emotional labor and trust we put in to this flawed dude lead up to nothing.
I thought the wish rules were a little half-done but, honestly, any story that includes wishing is always going to have unresolved loopholes.


Overall:

I thought it was great concept with great supporting characters, but it could have benefitted from a little more style and less predictability. Based on the cover, I assumed this would be a story about the wonder of this magical little town, but it was more a cynical take on human nature.

You might like this if you liked:

The Shiver series (Stiefvater)
Roswell (tv show)

I thought I would give Chelsea Sedoti another shot. The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett was one of the most disappointing books I've read in the last year, but it is unfair to judge anauthor by her previous works. Sometimes, the second book IS better. But, I just couldn't get into this one. Perhaps it was just the thought that it would turn into another Lizzie Lovett type book for me, or I just couldn't handle the writing, I'm not sure. But I couldn't enjoy it as much as I wish I could have. This author isn't for me, but that doesn't mean she isn't the author for someone else!

I am unsure about this book, the premise of the novel started out well, and something I had ever seen in a novel, but once I got half way through the story I began to lose my concentration, and I noticed the novel was moving along far too slowly. I grew to hate the characters as there was very little development amongst them all. It's a shame that the characters just ruined it for me.

Madison, a town in the middle of the Mojave Desert, is not like most towns. In fact, it’s a town with a secret–not like Area 51 and aliens–a different kind of secret. Every resident of Madison gets one wish on their 18th birthday. And that wish is granted. Other than wishing for world peace or more wishes, what would you wish for? If you liked Elsewhere or Before I Fall, you’ll like this.

By the end of the first chapter, I was almost certain this book was going to be five stars. And, this definitely came true.

Chelsea Sedoti’s As You Wish is a profound coming-of-age novel about self-discovery, wishing, and finding your path in life. Set in a small desert town called Madison in the Mojave Desert, As You Wish tells the story of a teenage boy named Eldon.

Madison isn’t just any ordinary town, despite what they might want you to believe. They hide secrets from tourists who pass through, hoping to see some sort of extraterrestrial life.

In Madison, every resident receives a wish on their eighteenth birthday. The origins of wishing are not fully clear, nor is how the process works, but countless generations of Madison residents have wished in the Wishing Cave as they recreate the accounts of the original wisher.

There are rules associated with wishing, though why they’re there and if they actually are true is something you’ll just have to read to find out.

Eldon doesn’t know what he wants to wish for. It hasn’t been easy for him, not with his sister in a coma and his mom hounding him to wish for unlimited money. Wishing is all everyone in Madison ever talks about, and he has had eighteen years to think about it and still is unsure of what to do.

As he thinks more and more about his wish, Eldon starts to see the true effects of the wishes on the small town of Madison.

Eldon’s journey is a poignant one that will make the reader think about what it means to wish and how it can affect an individual and a society.

Although my prediction might have seemed a little presumptuous, I could tell by the way Sedoti began to weave in the plot and craft such a unique voice for Eldon during the three minutes of gas filling in the first few pages that this was going to be a very enjoyable read for me. As long as Sedoti didn’t screw up the ending or include any slurs against minorities, I was ready to preorder this novel.

And, Sedoti pulled through with flying colors.

Eldon is a flawed character. He’s anything but perfect–not knowing what he wants to do with his life and how he wants to use his wish.

As I’ve said in previous reviews, the line between character flaws and likeability is a fine one. I think Eldon definitely leans more towards the flawed side, but I still really liked his character.

I’ll write a blog post about this one day, but YA literature is overrun by the need for the main characters to be likeable, but that’s not the case in most literature. The main characters aren’t always partially likeable in real life, and this is something that’s definitely glossed over in YA lit.

Nevertheless, I think Eldon is a very complex character, and his good qualities still shined through.
He cares for his sister and feels guilt for when he does something wrong, although he doesn’t always acknowledge this. It shows how he isn’t a completely hopeless case as he continues to feel the guilt, whether it’s when he blows off his mother or tricks the principal, Mr. Wakefield.

Eldon still has a long list of flaws, arrogant and careless as he goes to parties and engages with multiple girls. He’s inobservant, especially when it comes to his best friend Merrill, and he has no sense of what he wants to do in the future.

In all honestly, he’s quite the asshole. He’s got a short temper and is also very selfish and self-centered, just look at his ex-girlfriend, Juniper.

All of this makes Eldon sound like a pretty bad character, but throughout the novel I saw him change and slowly realize that he’s been going about things wrong.

The largest change in his character comes during the end of the novel, but I enjoyed seeing the little things, like when he visited his sister.

I think the plot was structured well, though it definitely picked up in the last few chapters. I’m a person who doesn’t mind reading slower paced books, which it is during the first half (this book is 400 something pages) and so a lot of time was put into shaping Eldon’s character, which I enjoyed.

Either way, the plot was formed well and there was foreshadowing to what would happen during the ending. I enjoyed the plot twists as they were fully justified and helped further the plot rather than drag it along.

I would classify this as a contemporary with mild magical realism elements to it, or, as my Spanish teacher would say, “¡El realismo mágico!” (We’re reading Jorge Luis Borges’ work in class).

It took me a while to decide whether I should dub this magical realism or not, but in the end I decided it fell under the category as magical realism is when the magical seems normal to people. A lot of books are falsely categorized as magical realism, but As You Wish definitely falls in the category.

Sedoti forms the town of Madison into an almost cult-like group of people whose lives center around wishes. The story isn’t just about Eldon, there are short chapters telling the stories of other people in the town and how their wishes affected their lives.

Whether it’s Barnaby who accidentally made the wrong wish, or Mayor Fontaine and his sleazy wish, or other people in the town.

These chapters are a lot like The Sun Is Also a Star when there are chapters about other people, for instance Irene the security guard.

I enjoyed reading this and it made it not just the story of Eldon, but of the whole town.

There is little to no romance in this book as it’s more of a coming of age novel rather than a romance. Mentions of sex and more mature topics are referenced from time to time but it’s not the main focus of the novel.

I didn’t not like anything about this book, and I think it was executed nearly perfectly. It’s important to remember that not all main characters have to be likeable, they just have to change. I found Eldon likeable enough because I could relate to him, but I know some people might not connect with his character.

All in all, I enjoyed reading As You Wish as it was a thought provoking novel about a flawed boy figuring out his life. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a meaningful read with some magical aspects to it and who doesn’t mind some snark and anger and complexity to the main character.

I can’t wait for this to come out as I will be purchasing a hardback copy (& the cover is gorgeous! The gold on the cover is stunning!) to add to my bookshelf!

This story had so much potential. When I started reading it, I couldn’t remember what it was supposed to be about but the voice and writing style sucked me in immediately. The premise of the book is really quite interesting and got me thinking about what I would have wished for when I was 18 vs now as a 30 year old woman. How different my life would have been had what I wanted when I was 18 been made a reality!

The way this book is set up and the insight into characters (beside the main character) was really quite enjoyable. However, the main character is really not the nicest person and was difficult to like. That is unusual for me and while it didn’t really ruin it for me, I could see how it would possibly turn others off.

The book went into a completely different direction than expected and while I had high hopes for it, the ending was anti-climactic and disappointing. I wanted so much more and yet, I don’t really know where else I would have hoped it would go.

What makes the caves in Madison special? The wishing. The bigger question is why do the caves grant wishes? Of course, that's never fully explored. What does get explored is the tried-and-true cliche "be careful what you wish for" and how those wishes can really, years later, haunt you. Eldon's deep fear that he will wish incorrectly leads him to ask a variety of his townspeople about their wishes and their experiences in an effort to figure out his wish is done sensitively. However, the side plot about his sister detracts from that at important moments. His wish does tie in with what we know of him and who he's become; that we never really learn how it affects everyone else (beyond the short term) is a little disappointing but understandable.

I loved the first 2/3 of this book. The ending felt a little rushed, but I loved the world-building. Very interesting premise.

I hate to give bad reviews, but I really did not enjoy this book. The characters were very unlikable and i hated the ending. I liked the premise and I had high hopes but in the end it wasn't for me.

This book follows Eldon, a teenager in his last year of high school rapidly approaching his eighteenth birthday. This is important and the book revolvs around it, because in their town 18 marks their "wish day". Everyone in town gets one wish when they turn 18, and Eldon is struggling with what he should wish for. I felt like this book was very unique, it was definitely something i'd never read before and I loved the concept of the book. Eldon is definitely a flawed character which I love, because it made him more human. I couldn't relate with him, but I still loved reading his story. The writing style was easy to read and, descriptive, and held me captive. I would recommend this book. It felt almost contemporary with a hint of fantasy thrown in there.

I enjoyed the voice in As You Wish, and I really liked the premise. I was definitely compelled by the myth of the town, the wishing cave, and the stories of those who had made wishes and the aftermath. The little historical vignettes were my favorite part of the book.

However, I didn't care much for the choices Eldon made constantly throughout the book. And the plot twist really made me dislike him so much more. All I could think was "how dare he?"

So, definitely not a book for anyone desiring a nice, neat bow, but it is a good example of imperfect people living imperfect and messy lives.

Sadly I was disappointed in this book. The main thing that bothered me is that there just isn't enough story here. There aren't really that many obstacles to overcome. This is the plot of a short story, not a novel. Eldon is also pretty unlikeable as a character, with his final act (wishing the wish cave out of existence) just clinching his general lameness. He keeps going on about how he wants a choice, only to use it to deny that choice to others. A real downer of a book.

I received an ARC of As You Wish by Chelsea Sedoti, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review: 2.5 stars.

Do you believe in wishes? Do you believe somewhere in the world, there's a place, where wishes come true? Apparently,such a place exists in Madison.

Madison isn't like other towns. Not at all.
I'm not talking about aliens or anything ridiculous like that. No, the unusual thing about Madison, what we work hard to make sure no outsiders find out, is that everyone here gets to make a wish.
Mine is in twenty-six days


A small, desert town, not all that far from the lights of Las Vegas. In Madison, each resident, on his/her 18th Birthday, is given one wish.

So begins the story of Eldon's journey towards his wish.

Eldon is supposed to make his wish in less than a month, but he doesn't know what to do: a recent family tragedy has him pondering what's right.

The story was interesting, but it took a while for me to invest in its main character: Eldon is not likable. In fact, even once the wishing is over, I'm still not sure how I feel about him.

The only reason I hung with the story is because I became curious about the wish histories of the town's quirky residents.

If not for them, I don't know that I'd have finished the book at all.

Also, some of the less central characters offered much-needed perspective.

Norie and Merrill--both friends of Eldon--act as sounding boards during his internal wish battle. Each of them have already made their wish, and offer their story to Eldon as to the why of their wishes.

Norie offers religious perspective, while Merrill offers wisdom gleaned from personal experience: loss, abuse, and grief have made Merrill wise beyond his 18 years.

Eldon deserves neither of the aforementioned, in my opinion. He's often got his head stick so far up his backside he's unable to recognize the value of what they're giving him.

For me, Juniper (Eldon's ex-girlfriend) best echoed my thoughts about Eldon: he really needed to grow up. Long after the wishing has been done, Juniper is the only character who's honest with Eldon--no agenda, just honest--and I appreciated the author offering that to her readers.

Overall, it was a decent read, but it took me longer to get through it because it was difficult to relate to Eldon or care much about his journey.

In the end, those existing in the world around Eldon were the most captivating, and turned an otherwise mundane tale into something more human.

I approached this book with trepidation, having read Sedoti’s debut novel and really disliked it. However, I decided to give this author another chance and in a very small sense I’m glad that I got to experience this intriguing premise play out to the end.We start with a small day setting, in the deserts of Nevada that has one big secret that noone from the outside world can know.

You see Madison has this magical realism thing, where on every child’s 18th birthday, they get to make a wish in this cave and it comes true. There are rules and regulations of course, and our main character Eldon doesn’t know what’s he’s going to wish for so he goes around interviewing the townspeople in Madison.

Speaking of that, my favorite parts of the entire book were when we got vinyetes into the historical wishbook, which chronicles the mistakes and failures and heartaches that came from these foolish teenagers making an impulsive wish. Not all of the stories were like that of course, however the majority of them featured truly showed the darker side of Madison’s magic.

Eldon, our main character is an extremely unlikeable a*shole, who is selfish and could be compared to an ostrich sticking their head in the sand. I didn’t connect to him, didn’t feel any sympathy towards the consequences of his impulsive actions that he had to face. The further and further that I kept on reading, the more I realized that this jerk wasn’t going to change. I’m not a big fan of no character development throughout a 400 page book in which the character does nothing but whine about how he can’t make up his mind.

Also the plot moved along slower than a snail and nothing happened for the majority of the book, until the end where it disappointed me big time. There was lots of hypocrisy, and the book was trying to play God over this town which is just another one of the things that really bothered me. (view spoiler)

Not only that, but there is a character in this book who has wished away his gayness, but after that he has no romantic/sexual feelings towards anyone. The author portrays him as so SAD and PITIFUL and LONELY, and that is extremely ace-aro phobic, talking from experiences. We don’t need allo authors to portray the only aroace character in this book as a broken human being who has no life because he doesn’t feel any romantic/sexual attraction. A big no-no from me.

**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.**

What a fantastic book! Almost immediately, I was drawn into the story of the town and Eldon, the story's main character. You go from hating him to loving him, but always want him to succeed at what he's doing. Chelsea Sedoti does a great job of developing the characters and showing you both the good and bad sides of each. What an amazing writer. I'm so happy I had the opportunity to read this book!