Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the advanced copy of this book to read.

Okay, so to begin with, this book had such promise. Really, the plot sounded amazing with the intrigue of Irish folklore. However, I feel like the author downplayed, or didn't add enough, the Irish folklore. The thing about Irish folklore is that it is complicated and mystifying, but that wasn't what I felt in the book. It focused more on emotions and family issues than the Fae, which was upsetting.
The plotline was original and interesting, and I would have loved to see where the author took this. I can see that she has potential because there were moments were the writing could have taken off and been great, but it stalled. One example would be the characters. I think she did a fantastic job with them. We could see the individual characters, their storyline and growth, and they never fell flat. But the story needed a little bit more work. There is so much someone can do with a book around the Fae, and I could definitely see the future books featuring that.
Overall, I liked it, but I would have enjoyed more development on the Fae perspective.

Fairies and a portal fantasy -- I'm in. This was such a good introduction to the Otherworld! Cannot wait for the next installment in this series.

I wanted to like this book. I liked the overall storyline and I really liked the way the characters stayed true to who they were. I didn’t like the childish wording. I didn’t like that this book is marketed for middle-grade readers, and the whole premise of this book revolves around “sparkles”. I couldn’t take it seriously every time it said, “let your sparkle shine!” I felt like this book should’ve included unicorns and rainbows and not the darkness that it had in it. I would’ve liked this so much more if I were not being taken out of the story to cringe every time I read the word sparkle

Thank you to the publisher and author as well as netgalley for allowing me access to this eARC of this book and allowing me to give feedback and read books in exchange for a review.

This is a perfect middle-grade fantasy novel, based on a set of sisters who possessed fae magic with a beautifully told story with a great insight into Irish history and culture which was so interesting even as someone in their twentys.

This was fast-paced read full of intrigue and magic, introducing us in teasers to the Otherworld and magic and the Celtic lore it's based on (which I very much enjoyed). Cara and her little sister Bri have grown up on tales of magic spun by their father, but when he disappears one day on a mountain hike and Bri goes silent, not speaking a word, and the two girls are sent to live with their grandmother, desperately awaiting any word of their father still being alive, all is not as it seems. For one, why is their grandmother whispering about curses? And why is Bri drawing things that come true?

Cara is a bright-eyed young girl with a strong will and a burning belief that her dad is still alive - and that magic exists. Along with Bri and her friends, she encounters different magical figures from Celtic mythology, and discovers that the Otherworld is real, and she has to find the door to it and recover and ancient treasure to save her world. While most of the action and actual magic stuff comes more towards the back half of the book, the first half was well-spent on establishing magic and the mysteries surrounding the O'Reillys and preparing us for the reveal of the Otherworld and the existence of magic. The action towards the end is fast-paced and leaves us on a good note of intrigue for exploring more of the mythology, having the potential for much more to come, and overall, I definitely enjoyed the book!

**2/5 stars**
I received an eARC of Wish from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Engaging concept, less than engaging execution from a debut middle grade author. It starts out okay: dad goes missing, maybe it was the faeries? Then let’s take 75% of the plot to figure that out and get to the faerie realm (the Otherworld). The magic didn’t feel fully formed as well, and calling it “the Sparkle” dragged me out of the world completely. It feels… goofy. And I think the intended audience are very much smart enough to catch that too. If Percy’s powers in The Lightening Thief had been called “the Sparkle” I don’t think ten year-old me would have downloaded that into my imagination. That can’t be what it’s actually called in Irish folklore, right? Right?

The writing itself is wanting. Another reviewer also caught the “‘Thank you,’ I said gratefully,” as well. These are errors that should be caught and hammered out by the acquisitions editor immediately. Maybe the next installment will be a revolutionary improvement. Every book is a chance for an author to grow. I’m just not going to stick around for the next one, and I don’t think I’ll be recommending Wish to and middle-grade readers. Not when I know there are some really solid mid-grade books about the faerie realm out there.

That said, Wish has heart, and I think at its centre is family and community— beautiful themes. It is not without value for the mid-grade reader.

EDIT: Actually, as I’m thinking about why the magic didn’t quite hit, I’m realizing that it might be because it’s not quite weird enough? Or strange enough? Irish folklore is bananas. There’s a Kingdom of talking cats with a cat king. Pookas are creepy as heck. I will never forget being eight years-old and religiously reading Holly Black’s Spider-wick Chronicles over and over again, because it was just so weird and unique. So here’s a suggestion for the next Otherworld book: make it weird. Just go for it.

Reviewed via Goodreads 19 December 2021

I read this as an ARC but my opinions are 100% my own.

The premise of this book was lovely. I truly wanted to love it- and I expected to finish it quickly because as a proficient reader- a children's book shouldn't take me very long. However, as much as I wanted to adore this- the writing wasn't the best. The plot was good, the characters weren't horrible, it was an original story line (which can be hard since fae type books can be overdone) but it was just flawed.

Cara did not come across in the story as the age she was meant to be (I just kept forgetting she was supposed to be 12). The conversations didn't feel true to her age and some spots felt like they were repetitive. For example, if the character is thanking someone for something- there's no reason to say she said it gratefully. If I handed this to my 13 year old I feel like she would feel like she was being talked down to.

I feel like book 2 could be better- and I will definitely give it a chance.

I would like to thank NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. I thought it was okay and it even had a few surprises but it was an enjoyable read

A lovely exploration of grief and family dynamics through magic and adventure. Cara was a wonderful and complex protagonist, and this was a fun take on the fae.

A great book for upper middle-grade readers, full of magic, excitement and adventure! Children will love the stories about the Fae, and good and evil, and there are also other themes, such as grief, jealousy, friendship, and fear of not being believed that they will be able to relate to.

Set in Ireland, the story is well written, with great characters, and a story line that keeps you hooked. This is the first in the series, and I will be looking out for the others as I'd like to continue reading about Cara, Bri, Connor and Sean. Highly recommend for both adults and children!

I gotta say this was written so well! I loved it! Cara was such a relatable and real feeling character. I liked that it was first person. I also really liked that it felt so MG contemporary like more than half but of course with magical elements of faes. I think it was done so nicely that it feels real, not just be too heavy that it seems unbelievable. Her sister Bri was soo cute, and I like how this book handled grief and the ways other people feel it, especially how Bri went mute. I liked that Bri was an artist too and her sparkle and familiar were so cool too. I liked that there were actual adults who helped. I liked this story, and when the author published the second one, I'll be up for it!

A charming middle grade book about a young girl with the power of wishes, who embarks on a quest to save her father. This book dealt with themes of grief very well, and I like the fantasy spin. The characters fell a bit flat in some parts, but overall it was good!

For a middle grade book I really enjoyed it! I thought the story line was creative and imaginative and I couldn't help myself but to 'wish' that it were published when I was younger. I would have loved to immerse myself into this wonderful fantasy land of fairies. Especially the adorable character of Jack. I enjoyed Clara and Bri's relationship a lot too and think its so important to show good sibling bonds in middle grade books. I will definitely be recommending this to my friends with children around this age!

Clearly written prose that is full of imagination, and the promise of a new series for young readers. There’s much to enjoy in this book, well worth sharing.