If Wishes Were Retail
by Auston Habershaw
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Pub Date Jun 17 2025 | Archive Date Not set
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Description
“Irresistibly fun and funny, with a ton of heart and depth! This is the kind of book that sneaks up on you and sticks with you!”
—Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop
In this hilarious debut fantasy cozy, a rebellious—but enterprising—young woman and an ancient—but clueless—genie set up shop at the local mall.
Alex Delmore needs a miracle. She wants out of her dead-end suburban town, but her parents are broke and NYU seems like a distant dream.
Good thing there’s a genie in town—and he’s hiring at the Wellspring Mall.
It’d help if the Jinn-formerly-of-the-Ring-of-Khorad knew even one thing about 21st-century America. It’d help if he weren't at least as stubborn as Alex. It’d really help if her brother didn’t sell her out to her conspiracy theory-loving, gnome-hating dad.
When Alex and the genie set up their wishing kiosk, they face seemingly-endless setbacks. The mall is failing and management will not stop interfering on behalf of their big-box tenants.
But when the wishing biz might start working, the biggest problem of all remains: People are really terrible at wishing.
A Note From the Publisher
Advance Praise
“Irresistibly fun and funny, with a ton of heart and depth! This is the kind of book that sneaks up on you and sticks with you!”
—Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop
“Delightfully charming, and it continually surprised me . . . and that’s a good thing!”
—Phil Foglio, creator of Girl Genius
“I wish I’d thought of this.”
—Daniel Pinkwater, author of Jules, Penny & the Rooster
“Austin Habershaw’s If Wishes Were Retail taps into a long-storied tradition of smart comedic fantasy in the vein of Terry Pratchett. Habershaw’s efficient and accessible prose allows his deeper themes of anti-exploitation, community, and the cost of human greed to take center stage, presented through laugh-out-loud absurdist moments that keep building and building in a page-turner of a novel. If Wishes Were Retail is a ten out of ten gnomes—if you can see them, that is.”
—Mia Tsai, author of Bitter Medicine
“A love letter to wounded people and community spaces, this suburban fantasy is both delightfully absurd and firmly grounded.”
—Dave Klecha, co-author of The Runes of Engagement
“My three wishes? Three more books as good as this one from Auston Habershaw.”
—Tom Holt, World Fantasy Award winning author of The Eight Reindeer of the Apocalypse
Marketing Plan
*Promotion targeting reviews and interviews in leading media venues
*Author tour to include national appearances and podcast features
*Print and digital ARC distribution via Goodreads, NetGalley, and Edelweiss+
*Planned book giveaways to include Goodreads and Storygraph,
*Outreach to librarians and independent booksellers via regional and national trade shows and mailings
*Online promotion to include Instagram/book blog tour, cover reveal, launch event, Reddit AMA, and social media campaigns via Instagram, BlueSky, Facebook, and other outlets
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781616964344 |
| PRICE | $16.95 (USD) |
| PAGES | 256 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Kathryn M, Reviewer
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.
Reviewer 1223907
*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!
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