The audiobook was absolutely fantastic! The narration brought the story to life, making every moment even more engaging. The characters were vivid, the storytelling was compelling, and I was hooked from start to finish. A perfect blend of heart, humor, and depth—highly recommend!

As a fan of Vera Brosgol, I’ve been eagerly anticipating the release of this middle grade illustrated novel. I was ecstatic to listen to an ARC of the audiobook via NetGalley. I will also need to see a hard copy as I’m very curious about the illustrations, though my guess is they’re magical, fabulous and a little weird (I’ll update after release to confirm). This book starts off with a delightful dose of magical realism as young Oliver discovers a wish-granting mail slot in his new-to-him apartment. I like the complexity of the wish granting, the questionable authenticity of his new friend, and the progressive moral ambiguity of his requests. In the final stretch of this book it takes a deeper turn into the fantasy realm, brimming with oddity and adventure. I thoroughly enjoyed this book though perhaps have a slight preference for the first half over the wild concluding stretch.

I really really loved this story. Oliver is having such a hard time. Since his dad died, he's had to move and start a new school where he doesn't fit in, and he has to do all that while caring for his mother, who has not been dealing with the loss very well. When he finds a way to get his wishes granted, of course he takes advantage of it, and of course there are unintended consequences.
Oliver was so resourceful and it broke my heart watching how strong he had to be, but he's also caring and hopeful. I'm going to recommend this for everyone who reads middle school books, and I got to listen to the audio version, which had fantastic narration.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this audiobook

Amazing!! Such a cute story with a fun premise. Everyone dreams of having wishes granted but this takes it to a different level. Be careful what you wish for. So fun and easy to recommend.

This was such an awesome read! I had never read any of the authors other works which apparently are picture books of high quality. Well we obviously was able to parlay that into words for the young reader.

The plot is entertaining as our MMC find a way to make his wishes come true via a magical mail slot. But beneath it all it has so much heart of a child’s grief through the loss of their father and how he deals with it as well as takes care of his mother.

Many young readers will be able to see themselves in the pages. I consumed the audiobook which was very well done.
The narrator Michelle H Lee did a fabulous job with the voices and makes it fun for the reader throughout. At the recorder speed it was a little slow for me, an adult but I expect it would be a good speed for a younger reader. What was great was when I sped it up it didn’t impact the vocals as they were just as endearing to listen to.

This book is perfect for ages 8-12 and is a great introduction to magical realism.
I am thankful to have gotten the audio ALC for free from Macmillan Audio through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system for Middle Grade and children’s books

⭐️ Significant problems and would never recommend to the audience.
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea but may have some appeal.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ an ok book which I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend but it has some value for young readers
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! I would recommend for the age or reading level appropriate for the book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Would recommend highly, especially to school programs as a wide spread reading opportunity.

What a fun read!
Imagine you have your own personal wishing place but with every wish there are consequences somewhere would you still wish? And if you get everything you want would you change?
Olivers adventure was so captivating. This book would be perfect for the classroom as it addresses so many current issues such as being bullied, peer pressure, envy, fitting in, trust, etc. But the best lesson is values and what is most important in life.
Vera Brosgol is an incredible author and this book is definitely a five star read for any age!
Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this ARC

4 stars

I just love Vera Brosgol's graphic novels, so I couldn't wait to see what this fewer images / more words option would have to offer. As expected, so SO much!

Oliver is 10 years old, but he has some hefty challenges and responsibilities to manage, When his father died, his mother understandably crumbled. While she sank into a depressive state, which is referenced several times throughout the novel, Oliver took care of her and also himself. To some degree, though his mother is much more functional, Oliver still has a lot of responsibility and worry, not to mention his own grief to address. On top of the death of his father and difficult state his mother has been in, Oliver and his mother have recently relocated. This means a new house, new neighbors, new school, and new kids and norms. The new school highlights Oliver's lower socioeconomic status by placing him with a number of privileged peers. But all of the money in the world can't buy them something very special and quite magical that Oliver has on lock.

Oliver is such a likeable character, and it's always heartbreaking to find a young person who is facing so much difficulty. It's also often easy to connect with them, and that definitely happens here. Although the book is full of serious motifs and challenging moments, there are also careful touches of lightheartedness and so much hopefulness that help to balance emotions.

I came in a devoted Brosgol fan and am leaving with the same enthusiasm for this wonderful author.