Review: As You Wish by Jackson Pearce

Title: As You Wish
Author: Jackson Pearce
Publisher: HarperTeen
Age Group: Young Adult
Category: Paranormal Romance
Release date: September 1st, 2009
Pages: 304 (Paperback)
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Bought

Ever since Viola's boyfriend broke up with her, she has spent her days silently wishing—to have someone love her again and, more importantly, to belong again—until one day she inadvertently summons a young genie out of his world and into her own. He will remain until she makes three wishes.

Jinn is anxious to return home, but Viola is terrified of wishing, afraid she will not wish for the right thing, the thing that will make her truly happy. As the two spend time together, the lines between master and servant begin to blur, and soon Jinn can't deny that he's falling for Viola. But it's only after Viola makes her first wish that she realizes she's in love with Jinn as well . . . and that if she wishes twice more, he will disappear from her life—and her world—forever.

Jackson Pearce spins a magical tale about star-crossed lovers, what it means to belong . . . and how important it is to be careful what you wish for.

When I first picked up As You Wish, I didn't know what to expect.  The only things I knew about Jackson Pearce was that she's pretty entertaining (I watch her vlogs religiously) and that she's written a book that I've wanted for a long time, called Sisters Red.

As it turns out, As You Wish was not only a fun read.  It also made me want to get my hands on Jackson's other books as well, making me very confident that I'll enjoy them just as much, if not more.  The poor main character of this novel has dealt with love and loss, like many teenagers her age.  The only difference was that her ex boyfriend and now-best-friend turned out to be gay and for some reason, she was the only one that couldn't see it coming.  Oh, I'm sure this happens a lot.  At one time, I was almost positive that it would happen to me once Lance Bass (the first love of my life) came out of the closet.  After all, it did not, yet I still felt that I could relate to Viola.

Like Viola, I spent my high school years feeling broken and as if I didn't quite belong with the people that surrounded me.  This constant wishing caused a jinn (or genie) to be summoned to grant her three wishes.  At first, she denied the jinn's plea to wish.  He didn't care for what she wished for, he only wanted to get back to his home.  The more time he spent on this earth, the more he felt himself aging.  Eventually, one of the wishes came out of her mouth and it made her happy for a while, until Viola realized that she wanted something completely different.

To me, the story is about making the right choices, not only for you, but for the people that surround you.  Jinn's character grew on me from the moment he broke protocol to show himself in front of Viola's best friend.  Jackson Pearce really knows how to make you beg Viola not to wish, because as soon as she does, you know that Jinn will disappear from the story.