When You Wish Upon a Star by Elizabeth Lim is part of Disney Publishing's A Twisted Tale series and it lives up to that. The classic Disney story being featured is Pinocchio, but this story focuses on the Blue Fairy. Before she became the highly acclaimed Blue Fairy, she was simply Chiara from the same village as Geppetto. Readers learn not only about her family (especially her sister Ilaria) but whose life she saved that earned her the offer of fairy training and the rules of fairy magic. After forty years Chiara breaks the rules to help a friend and her sister is right there with her decades-old grudge waiting to hold it against her. The sisters agree to settle things with a bet as Pinocchio and Geppetto's fate is a risk. This story captivated me. I am very familiar with Pinocchio's tale, but the origins of the Blue Fairy are something new and I find that intriguing. The story is clear and well done with the conflicts reach a satisfying conclusion. I look forward to what comes next with this series.

Thank you to @Netgalley @DisneyPublishing and @ElizabethLim for the audiobook ARC.

I absolutely love these twisted tales! Whoever came up with this concept had an amazing idea. I also like how all of the covers compliment each other. I buy them for my teen daughter and we have great conversations around the twist and which version of the tale we prefer. I can't wait to read Ariel's story!

Before she was known as the Blue Fairy in Pinocchio’s story, her name was Chiara. After selflessly using her wishing star wish to save a boy in her village, Pariva, she is accepted to become a fairy godmother. As part of her role, however, she wasn’t supposed to grant any wishes in Pariva again. When she hears Gepetto’s wish for a son, however, she can’t help but hear his call and grant his wish. Not having the power to grant real life, she brings his puppet, Pinocchio, to life. Caught in the act by the Scarlet Fairy, she is forced to enter into a bet with her. Pinocchio must prove himself worthy of being a real boy in three days. If he does, the other fairy will help. If he doesn’t, the Blue Fairy will have to destroy her own heart and become a Heartless like the Scarlet Fairy. Will she succeed?

Narrator, Carlotta Brentan does a great job of bringing the different characters’ voices to life. Her intonations and narrative pacing are spot on and help draw the listener into the story. Characters are intriguing and believable. The story is reminiscent of the original tale and helps bring to life the Blue Fairy’s origin story. Plot is well-written and enchanting. Fans of fairy tale retellings, fantasy, and classic retellings will enjoy listening to this book.

I requested this book because I enjoy Twisted Tales, but that's not quite an accurate description of this book. Luckily, I love stories told from alternate perspectives and this fit that trope. Instead of being a true "twisted" version of Pinocchio (who, in fact, is barely a character), it was more of the "back story" for the Blue Fairy. I enjoyed the relationship between the sisters, and even though the outcome was quite predictable (not the Pinocchio storyline), I still stayed engaged for most of the book.

I was melancholy for much of the book, anticipating the results of some of the characters' choices, so was pleasantly surprised by the happy ending.

The book should appeal to young readers - it could easily be a read aloud with a primary school student (although some of the scenes might be a little scary) - all the way to middle school.

I look forward to future entries in this series.

Thank you to Disney Audiobooks and NetGalley for an ALC in exchange for my honest opinions.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Audiobooks for providing a copy of this audiobook for review.

I absolutely loved this story. While this is still a retelling of Pinocchio, I was happy to see that the focus was on the fairies. The family dynamics and the conflicted emotions throughout the story made the entire adventure more enjoyable. I loved the Blue Fairy’s character and being able to see her interact with others made her a far more interesting character. There were difficult choices to be made, and I found this to be a very character driven book.

This story is brilliant. I love that the fairies are starting to get their origin stories told. This is the origin story of the blue fairy from Pinocchio.

Fairies don't always start out as fairies. Chiara was a kind hearted girl who lived in Pariva. Illaria was ambitious and wanted to escape their little town to become a famous opera singer. The sisters couldn't have been more different. When the fairies recruit Chiara to become the blue fairy, Illaria's jealousy flares.

Sometimes there is room for a little grey in a world that is normally black and white. Chiara isn't all good and Illaria isn't all bad. Can either compromise to save Geppetto and Pinocchio?

I loved seeing this story take on a new life through the eyes of a side character. I had never given much thought to the blue fairy before this story.

This was a great insight into the Blue fairy and what her origin story/life progression was. I didn't feel that this was really a "twist" since the Pinocchio story stays exactly the same, but I did like it nonetheless. I feel that most readers of this series will gladly gobble this story up. There were a couple of lacking moments here and there, but most of the story moved along nicely and had interesting characters to follow. I always look forward to new installments in this series and luckily this one didn't disappoint.

The narration of this audiobook was synthetic, but not robotic to listen to. It was adequate to tell the story without being distracting.

The story of Disney's Pinocchio takes a unique turn as the story of the Blue Fairy and the Scarlet Fairy. Chiara comes from Pariva, the same Italian village Geppetto lives. She is happy with her life. When she rescues Geppetto from the great whale, she is invited to become a fairy. Her sister, Ilaria, who dreams of becoming an opera star, becomes jealous of her sister's opportunity and is convinced to become a Heartless, or dark fairy. She is known as the Scarlet Fairy.

It took me a while to get into the story, but once Chiara gets to the Wishing Star, it takes off. I listened to the story and found Carlotta Brentan's narration very well done. I liked how developed the characters are. Disney fans will enjoy this adaptation of Pinocchio.

A classic tale of good versus evil, this story takes the familiar tale of “Pinocchio” and gives us deeper insight into the characters who helped create the situations behind the story. It is full of love, loss, difficult decisions, and redemption, but behind it all, we have the underlying themes of honesty, care, and being true to yourself. It felt a little hokey at times, and I was not crazy about the narrator for the audiobook, but I did find myself swept up in the story, and I loved seeing the puzzle pieces fit together to make a more complete story surrounding this simple childhood fairy tale. I would recommend this for anyone who loves books that take classic tales and twist them in surprising ways. As a fan of Gregory Maguire’s books, I also see this as being a more middle grades and high school-friendly version of the story, whereas his books cater to an older audience.

I enjoyed every second of this! I love these stories that give another POV of a well known stories. The storyline of two sisters at magical odds opens a whole new world to Pinocchio and Geppetto.

This book was amazing. If I had read the physical copy I would say it is a real page-turner. I couldn't stop listening to the story. The details were great and the story was never dull or boring at any point. This book puts a new spin on not only the story of Pinocchio but the fairy as well. Overall, I would recommend this book as well as read it again because it was that good.

When You Wish Upon a Star
by Elizabeth Lim
I love this twist of the original story. The layers allowing the blue fairy to have more of the story is remarkable. I loved the twist and turns that the know characters were woven through. To see more of Geppetto's story and reasons for his loneliness add so much to the original story. Pinocchio has more to the original story with this stories. The twist makes the story as legendary as the original Disney retelling.
The audio book is wonderful. The reader has a love for the material that just echoes into her voice. She does a great job adding to the story with her performance.

A delightfully twisted perspective of a well-beloved Disney classic. Everyone knows the story of the wooden boy, but we know little about the fairy that made it all so. Whether you're a die-hard fan, or intrigued by the enticing plot, be prepared to be whisked away on a magical adventure. By the end of the story, your heart will be weeping and you will be craving fresh baked cookies.

The Blue Fairy was always an insignificant character to me growing up. Sure she made Pinocchio come alive but that was it. Or was it? Elizabeth Lim brings a much needed significance to the Blue Fairy. The tale was intriguing and original. The characters were well developed. The twists were captivating. Overall, a very well written tale and a phenomenal addition to the series.

I do love a twisted fairy tale. This is the origin story of the Blue Fairy and a new take on Pinocchio. It has all of the classic characters, with a few additions. All in all it was a nice little tale.

Themes: 🧚‍♂️🤥🌪🔀♥️💔💗💖

My feelings: 🙂☺️

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I really enjoyed Elizabeth Lims spin on the classic story of Pinocchio. It was captivating and full of drama. I love the twisted tales serious because there are so many choices that can be made. I would definitely incorporate this into the classroom. It speaks to internal conflict as well as familial conflict. I give it a 4/5 as an adult reader. But if I was to read this as a tween I would give it a 5/5.

I just reviewed When You Wish Upon a Star by Elizabeth Lim. #WhenYouWishUponaStar #NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and Disney Audiobooks for this ARC.

I'm always a sucker for background stories about side characters and Elizabeth Lim takes us on the whimsical story of the Blue Fairy from Pinocchio. I was immediately submerged into the village of Pariva with it's charming villagers and familiar classic characters. I loved that we really were taken back into the earliest childhood memories of Chiara and how she became the classic fairy we know from Pinocchio. Elizabeth Lim really gave life to all her characters and reimagined the classic story we all grew up with..

The only downside I struggled with was how slow the build up of the story was , but I think how overly descriptive the author was made up for it.

I think most people know the story of Pinocchio and Geppetto and how a little wooden boy gets led astray by some very nasty people. But what about the Blue Fairy? Chiara's story starts as a teen growing up with her family in a provincial town of Pariva. Her sister Illaria couldn't be more different from Chiara, who only wants to help others. Illaria has big dreams that her small town just can't contain, but she forms an unlikely friendship with the toymaker.

I enjoyed this story. Lim's tale of completely opposite sisters really resonated with me. It's hard to pick a sister to root for because they're written so well that you can't help but root for both of them to succeed, that is until Illaria trades her heart for a chace to have all her dreams come true as the wicked Scarlet Fairy. My only complaint would be that Disney's Pinocchio is woven into When You Wish Upon a Star. I think the book would have been just fine without it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Audiobooks for this ALC. Carlotta Brentan was a great narrator, and I liked this fresh look on a classic tale.

What if the Blue Fairy was not supposed to grant Geppetto's wish. I am not a huge fan of Disney's Pinocchio, but this series has done some pretty amazing twists so I decided I needed to give it a chance. I did not regret it. I could not put it down. The perspective of following the Blue Fairy was a really interesting stance. Cannot wait to see what they do next.

5 stars.

Fantastic audiobook! Narration was great. I would definitely recommend this format. In fact, all of the Twisted Tales that I have listened to on audio have been great. My full review can be found below:

When You Wish Upon a Star is the 14th-installment to Disney's A Twisted Tale collection. If you are unaware, these books take our favorite Disney tales, twist one element and then explore what would have happened if that twist actually occurred.

They're like Disney's version of alternate history stories and I'm low-key obsessed with them. Also, important to keep in mind, these books can be read in any order. They are completely distinct stories, each following a different set of characters, so you can start anywhere you want, with which ever story sounds most appealing to you.

In this story, we explore the question: What if the Blue Fairy wasn't supposed to help Pinocchio?

I have never read the source material, The Adventures Of Pinocchio, that the 1940-animated Disney film Pinocchio is inspired by. Additionally, I have only watched Pinocchio a handful of times. It actually scared me as a kid, so it wasn't one I necessarily gravitated towards. However, when I heard the pitch for this story and saw that it was being written by Elizabeth Lim, I knew I had to pick it up as soon as I could.

This is based on Pinocchio's story, yes, but this is really the story of the Blue Fairy. Who was she before? Had she always been a fairy? If not, how did she become one and who did she leave behind? It turns out, the Blue Fairy was once a girl named Chiara, who lived in the village of Pariva, the very same small village that Pinocchio's father, Geppetto, is from.

I loved the direction that Lim took this story. I found it fascinating learning about Chiara, her complicated relationship with her little sister, Ilaria, and the process that Chiara underwent to become the Blue Fairy we all know and love. Even the village was fun to learn about.

I was immediately swept up into this. I feel like Lim's writing is completely immersive. Everything about it, from the descriptions, the setting of the scenes, the drama, the character work, it's all top notch. If you've never read anything from Elizabeth Lim, I actually feel like this one is a great example of her style.

The fairy aspects were really fun. There was a school where Chiara went to train and she had a mentor. I love those relationship dynamics, so was happy to see it. It was also interesting to see the choices, or should I say sacrifices, that individuals had to make to even become fairies. Chiara struggled a bit making her decisions in that regard, but they were important decisions, so it all made sense. It never felt angsty, or overdone, in my opinion.

Ilaria, Chiara's sister, on the other hand, she was bringing all the drama. With dreams of being a world-famous opera singer, Ilaria's personality could be a bit grating. However, with this being said, it did make perfect sense in context with the greater story. We needed that push-and-pull, that vast difference between the two girls' personalities in order for this story to have maximum impact.

The best part of this for me though, was seeing those connections to Pinocchio. Meeting younger versions of characters we know, for example, like Monstro, Stromboli and even a cricket. Don't be alarmed though, long-time Pinocchio fans, he is in the story too! So that was fun, seeing him and the interactions between Pinocchio, Geppetto and the Blue Fairy.

Overall, I had a really good time reading this. It's a fantastic addition to The Twisted Tales collection. Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney-Hyperion and Disney Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. It was nice to see a lesser known Disney character finally getting her time shine!!