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.