Wish (The Otherworld)

Clearly written prose that is full of imagination, and the promise of a new series for young readers. There’s much to enjoy in this book, well worth sharing.

For a middle grade book I really enjoyed it! I thought the story line was creative and imaginative and I couldn't help myself but to 'wish' that it were published when I was younger. I would have loved to immerse myself into this wonderful fantasy land of fairies. Especially the adorable character of Jack. I enjoyed Clara and Bri's relationship a lot too and think its so important to show good sibling bonds in middle grade books. I will definitely be recommending this to my friends with children around this age!

A charming middle grade book about a young girl with the power of wishes, who embarks on a quest to save her father. This book dealt with themes of grief very well, and I like the fantasy spin. The characters fell a bit flat in some parts, but overall it was good!

I gotta say this was written so well! I loved it! Cara was such a relatable and real feeling character. I liked that it was first person. I also really liked that it felt so MG contemporary like more than half but of course with magical elements of faes. I think it was done so nicely that it feels real, not just be too heavy that it seems unbelievable. Her sister Bri was soo cute, and I like how this book handled grief and the ways other people feel it, especially how Bri went mute. I liked that Bri was an artist too and her sparkle and familiar were so cool too. I liked that there were actual adults who helped. I liked this story, and when the author published the second one, I'll be up for it!

A lovely exploration of grief and family dynamics through magic and adventure. Cara was a wonderful and complex protagonist, and this was a fun take on the fae.

A great book for upper middle-grade readers, full of magic, excitement and adventure! Children will love the stories about the Fae, and good and evil, and there are also other themes, such as grief, jealousy, friendship, and fear of not being believed that they will be able to relate to.

Set in Ireland, the story is well written, with great characters, and a story line that keeps you hooked. This is the first in the series, and I will be looking out for the others as I'd like to continue reading about Cara, Bri, Connor and Sean. Highly recommend for both adults and children!

This was fast-paced read full of intrigue and magic, introducing us in teasers to the Otherworld and magic and the Celtic lore it's based on (which I very much enjoyed). Cara and her little sister Bri have grown up on tales of magic spun by their father, but when he disappears one day on a mountain hike and Bri goes silent, not speaking a word, and the two girls are sent to live with their grandmother, desperately awaiting any word of their father still being alive, all is not as it seems. For one, why is their grandmother whispering about curses? And why is Bri drawing things that come true?

Cara is a bright-eyed young girl with a strong will and a burning belief that her dad is still alive - and that magic exists. Along with Bri and her friends, she encounters different magical figures from Celtic mythology, and discovers that the Otherworld is real, and she has to find the door to it and recover and ancient treasure to save her world. While most of the action and actual magic stuff comes more towards the back half of the book, the first half was well-spent on establishing magic and the mysteries surrounding the O'Reillys and preparing us for the reveal of the Otherworld and the existence of magic. The action towards the end is fast-paced and leaves us on a good note of intrigue for exploring more of the mythology, having the potential for much more to come, and overall, I definitely enjoyed the book!

Fairies and a portal fantasy -- I'm in. This was such a good introduction to the Otherworld! Cannot wait for the next installment in this series.