Monday, January 3, 2011

Arty -- Wish by Alexandra Bullen

(Yes, I know I'm late. I've had a fever the past couple days, and Persy hasn't been around to poke and prod me to do it even if I had been on.)

The premise of Wish, as is the case with most chick-lit, is simple. Olivia Larsen and her parents have just moved to San Francisco after the death of Olivia's twin, Violet. Introverted, socially awkward Olivia has no idea how to fit in without flamboyant, people-loving Violet - not to mention her parents' growing animosity towards each other - so naturally she isn't having the best time.
Enter Mariposa of the Mission, a seamstress' shop owned by an odd young woman named Posey. Olivia goes there to get an old dress of Violet's repaired. But the dress that is returned is not the same dress. No, as Olivia finds out, this dress is number one of Olivia's three dresses that has the power to grant wishes.

If it sounds like anything more than uber-lite chick-fluff, then I've taken too long explaining it. Or maybe it's just that I haven't mentioned impossibly handsome, impossibly adorable Soren, Olivia's crush interest. Or Calla, Olivia's popular best friend... who also happens to be dating Soren.

Now does it sound like uber-lite chick-fluff? Good.

Not that Wish wasn't good. It was. It's just not going to win awards any time soon. The style is passable, and I actually liked Olivia... sometimes.

The biggest issue I have with Wish is something I can't really put in a review, because, as much as I hate to admit it, it's objective, and some people aren't as sensitive/selective as I am. There are just some social issues presented that I found a little awkward and in-your-face.

I was also disappointed in how much of a fairytale it turned out to be. Bullen had it all set up (to my imaginative mind) for an original ending - where the heroine actually didn't get the hunky demigod and instead went for someone a little more complex and interesting. Nope. Olivia learns her lesson (if there is a lesson, which I'm not quite sure about), sees everyone nice and happy, and then rides off into the sunset with her BF. It was enough to make anyone cry.

So if you want a deep, meaningful chick-lit book, don't go with Wish. This is more the book you read at the beach when you don't want to think too hard.

Note: I got this for free on my Kindle, so if you have a Kindle and still want to check it out, go to Amazon first.

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