I had a very mixed reaction to this book! On one hand, it's a cozy fantasy with some funny moments. On the other hand, the main character is burdened with an extremely toxic family and makes frustrating decisions. (Also, some of the humor is kind of slapstick and gross-out. I am not a fan of mean spirited humor.) The setting is kind of interesting, in that it's a modern one, with with urban fantasy situation of "magical beings just returned/turned up one day and now we're dealing with the fall out." (In this case the magical beings are a genie who wants to run a kiosk in a dying mall and a bunch of gnomes who are working multiple terrible, low paying jobs.)
Our Protagonist is a girl named Alex who is trying to get a job so that she can eventually pay for college and escape the town she grew up in. And she has very valid reasons for wanting to escape! Her dad's landscaping company is tanking due to very stupid financial decisions, an affair and competition from gnomes. The dad is also a conspiracy theory nut, and a "sovereign citizen." Her mom is under a lot of stress in regards to her own work, and her husband being a wingnut. Her brother is wingnut 2.0. Our Girl is not having a good time!

The genie hires Alex. Alex has the not-so-wonderful job of running the cash register and trying to explain the modern world to the genie. (She does not do very well at this. Her own base knowledge is very low, and her ability to get through to the genie limited. It is the blind leading the blind right over a cliff.) With the outcomes of many of wishes being...not great (mostly by accident rather than out of inherent malice) this wish granting business becomes a liability for the mall, which is dying anyway.
The book has some funny moments, but the type of humor is generally not a variety I vibe with. While I felt sympathy for the protagonist, I didn't actually like her. The genie was an interesting character with some depth, but his absolute stubborn refusal to figure out how to live in the modern age was kind of exasperating.

This book is probably going to be best for anyone who likes petty vengeance, watching wingnuts embarrass themselves and some of the silliest "there is no ethical consumption under late-stage capitalism" jokes you've ever read. This review is based on a galley copy received from NetGalley.

This was so cozy and warming and cute. I have a great feeling with the main protagonist, Alex and, obviously, the Jinn. The story was also very well connected, and the prose was stunning. I want to read more about this author

Unfortunately I was unable to finish this book as 50% of the way in, I realised that the story was nothing like my expectations from how it was described in the blurb. I was looking for cosy Aladdin meets modern world. Instead I got an angst young adult who is so audacious with attitude I couldn't connect with at all. A Jinn that while was okay definitely did not give off cosy fantasy at all. A world where there was suddenly gnomes that people accepted as normal but not a genie. I feel as if the story would have been better suited for a fully magical world where magical creatures live along side humans it would have been more interesting and give off the vibe of cosy fantasy. Also the family was frustrating at best and abusive at worst. I don't know why it needed to be written that way. If differently executed could have been a great story.

Alex needs a job so she can save up and move out of her dead-end suburban town. Jinn, a genie, is trying to sell wishes at a mall but knows nothing about the 21st century. Together, they pair up to make it work—despite constant setbacks: the mall’s management wants them gone, people are terrible at making wishes, and what?? There are gnomes here??

The premise of this book was definitely intriguing! It started out strong—it was funny, had some magical intrigue, and would be relatable to anyone who’s ever just wanted to save some money and GTFO.

It was fascinating to think about what people in the 21st century would wish for. Some wishes were selfish, some selfless, and some just for the lols. Soon, you start to realise the limitations of wishes. Even if everyone had a genie who would grant their wishes, it wouldn’t magically solve all their problems or make society better.

That said, the point of the story only became clearer after reading the author’s afterword—which means I couldn’t get it from the narrative itself. I think the story could’ve used a lot more development. I didn’t quite get the bit about the gnomes or why everyone so easily accepted the existence of gnomes and genies. And I HATED Alex’s family; I didn’t think they deserved any empathy or redemption (or at least the writing didn’t move me that way).

Cool concept, but the writing just wasn’t for me.

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.