Book of the Month: July edition

Wishful Thinking by Alexandra Bullen - you can read my review here

Review: Wishful Thinking

When Hazel turns 18, her stepfather hands her an envelope. It doesn’t contain a birthday card, but instead the name of her birth mother. More than anything, Hazel wants to belong somewhere. After her adoptive mother died when she was just a baby, she’s been with her stepfather or foster care.

After doing some research, Hazel realizes that her birth mother lives in the same city. She’s having an art opening - tonight. Hazel knows that she has the perfect opportunity to meet her. She takes her only dress to a seamstress to fix the gaping hole.

The seamstress, although gruff at first, tells her to come in hours. When Hazel comes back, she rushes off to the event. She brings her dress to change in the bathroom. She’s shocked to realize that the dress she pulls out of the garment bag isn’t the same. Without time to rectify the situation, Hazel immediately puts on the dress. When she arrives at the party, she uncovers devastating news.

Hazel doesn’t realize that any wish she makes while wearing the dress will be granted. More than anything Hazel wants to the chance to meet her mother. Can she cross time and meet her?

My Thoughts: The companion novel to WISH, WISHFUL THINKING, takes another girl with heartache and tries to make her dreams come true. I love the idea of three different gorgeous dresses for each wish granted. I loved watching Hazel attempt to uncover clues to her past while hiding her secret. It’s a wonderful book about one magical summer and a girl discovering herself. I don't know why I waited so long to read this one!

Cover Thoughts: Amazing - LOVE the butterflies

Source: reviewed for www.teensreadtoo.com

Review: Wish

Olivia doesn't know what to do anymore. She feels nothing, nothing since her twin sister died. She didn't feel anger when her family decided to move back to her mother's family home. She didn't feel sad when her parents drifted away in their own grief too tired to be there for her. She didn't feel excited, scared, or nervous to be the new girl at school and start her life all over again.

When she needs a dress for a welcome party, she takes her sister's dress to a seamstress to fix. Instead of fixing the dress, she gains a completely different dress - that grants wishes.

Olivia only wants one thing in the world - her sister back. Voila, her sister comes back as a ghost to help guide her through life. But is she living her life or the life that her sister might lead? Will she stop being scared and start wanting to life again and starting feeling emotions?

My Thoughts: I'd heard such good things about this book that I couldn't wait to read it. I loved the different layers. Yes, there was the layer of a death in the family and the family working through their grief. There was the layer of a new girl in school and a girl attempting to find a place for herself. There was a girl who fell for a boy who might be off limits. Finally, there was a girl looking for find her true identity - separate from her previous life and from her dead sister.

The Cover: I LOVE it!

Source: My Library