Rating: A-

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC.

If Wishes Were Retail is a light-hearted supernatural fantasy about Alex, a 17-year-old, living in a crappy small American town with her dysfunctional family. Her mother works in a grocery store, her father has a lawn-mowing business supported by her brother, and Alex was recently fired from a sandwich shop. When she starts her new job search, she comes across an ad for a strange new stand in the local mall staffed by...a genie.

I thoroughly enjoyed this little book. It was so funny, refreshing and enjoyable. Alex's struggles are so relatable, being stuck in a small town with almost no way out and struggling to make your own way. Everyone seems to want to keep her down and in the town, telling her to recognise where she's really from and how she's no different. Her relationship with the genie starts tense and frustrating but the development across the course of the book is so genuinely fun and lovely to see. I had a great time reading about Alex's father's mishaps and the hijinks of the genie with the people coming for wishes.

It reminded me of the cheerful comedy of Wallace and Gromit or of a Ghibli movie.

This is a great little book that everyone can enjoy

This was a super fun novel - it was funny and clever. It was a fast-paced comforting read that had a lot of heart. If the description appeals to you, I'd definitely recommend that you check it out.

Not a bad read. Not a great one either. Started off with great potential for humour but unfortunately the author left a lot on the table and by the end it was very sanctimonious. Perhaps I am not the target market for this book, but it did feel that the author got very carried away with beating the reader over the head with the lesson. In the end, Alex became one dimensional and a bit hard to take and the side plots of her family were unimaginative and predictable. So many missed opportunities to make this hilarious while still making the point. And if that wasnt bad enough, the self righteous authors letter at the end of the book was so sickly and self aggrandising it made my teeth hurt. I think the author needs to decide who he is writing for. If its adults, then please give us more credit at being able to get the gist without it being shoved down our throat.

A genie sets up a stall selling wishes, with teenaged Alex as assistant and lots of things happen. It was a wave of emotions from enjoying it; to getting bored then enjoying again. My favourite characters were undoubtedly the Gnomes. I lived for the gnomes in this tale. I don’t know whether it was the Alex, who just annoyed me with her teenager attitude or whether there were times when the genie just should have granted certain wishes just to add excitement to the plot. I don’t know how I feel. This book was read quickly so I must have enjoyed it more than I thought. Personally, I think the title is cheap and could be worked on.

At first, I thought this was a graphic novel, so it was a funny surprise to realize it’s actually a book. The premise is so intriguing that I couldn’t wait to dive in. I loved how the plot revolved around the concept of a "wishes stand." It was such a fascinating idea, and watching it unfold was a highlight for me.

However, the subplot involving the family drama didn’t click with me. The family was so problematic, and honestly, they never grew on me. They had their struggles, sure, but I couldn’t empathize with their issues. To be blunt, I despised the dad and the brother—they were insufferable.

On the other hand, the wishes people made felt surprisingly realistic, like the kinds of things you’d imagine people actually asking for if wishes were real. Honestly, I might have been tempted to make a wish or two myself!

As for the ending, it didn’t completely satisfy me, but I can see how it might have been the best fit for the story overall. It left me with mixed feelings, but in a way that kept me thinking about it afterward.

Pub Date: June 17, 2025

Actually ends up diving into the economic and political fallout of a world where genies and gnomes exist, and gets the gnomes to organize politically while the story is at it, while also focusing on a teenage girl whose family is rapidly falling apart and is trying desperately to get out of town. Political engagement in the cozy genre is rare, so this is already shooting up my recommended list.

*an advanced digital copy was received from NetGalley in return for an honest review*

This novel was witty, cozy and chaotic - making it super fun to read. The premise of this book is that a genie shows up in a small town and works together with a teenage girl to sell wishes at a mall. I absolutely love this idea! While it leans on humor, the story leaves readers with profound questions by the end.

Our story starts with a newly freed genie who wants to grant wishes, but curiously chooses to do so at a mall. He teams up with Alex - a small town girl, hailing from a complicated family and wanting to escape the monotony of her life. She is a hilarious, honest, and cheeky where the genie is short tempered, brooding, and mysterious. This combination of characters is electric and makes the banter between them hilarious to read.

The world is set in our world - making it very relatable! This world, however, has the genie, gnomes and probably nameless other mythical creatures. Like any other retail store, the genie and Alex run into countless problems that they have to find unique ways to navigate around. The creativity behind the wishes people made added charm and unpredictability to the story.

The ending was heartwarming and left me reflecting on the deeper implications of getting one’s wishes granted. The author’s afterword ties everything together beautifully, giving the story even more depth.

This fast-paced, refreshing read is perfect for anyone needing a pick-me-up book with a unique premise and plenty of laughs.

Thanks again NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a fun concept and enjoyed the fantasy element to this book, it was everything that I was hoping for based on the description. I was invested in what was happening and how the story worked in the genre. Auston Habershaw has great way of writing this type of book and was engaged with the characters. I enjoyed this and thought the use of genies worked in this.

I love a good novel that gets right to the point and If Wishes Were Retail falls directly in that category.

Alex is a relatable protagonist and I appreciate pandemic fiction that acknowledges the inward reflection and realizations that the isolation led people to.

I'd love to reccomend this book to new adults in my library system. This book embodies a demographic of people that's really hard to find books for. Those out of high school but not yet in college, those who feel stuck in their life's ways and can't seem to get out of it.

One thing I found a little uncomfortable about this novel is the subplot about the gnomes. I feel like it was too uncomfortable of a subject to be handled in such a comedic way. It didn't feel critical enough to be satire and it also didn't feel accurate enough to strike a chord.

I also deeply disagreed with some of the sentiments regarding family in this book.

As a whole though this book is much like the common take on wishes in fiction, you get what you asked for with caveats.