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As You Wish by Chelsea Sedoti is a must read for early 2018!

I absolutely enjoyed this book and at moments couldn't even put it down. "Just one more chapter" turned into 2 or 3 or even more because, yes... I was so drawn in by the characters, the writing, and the storyline itself.

Mostly told from a 17 year old male's point of view, the reader gets a glimpse of what goes on in the small, desert town of Madison. And even though this small town is quiet, Madison still holds a very magical secret - every resident gets one wish on their 18th birthday. Now, these birthday wishes are for townsfolk only and outsiders must be kept in the dark about this special place and these magical occurrences. Protecting the town's secret is just as important as choosing the right wish, and you only get one shot at that.

Eldon, our storyteller, is going to turn 18 very soon and must decide how he wants to spend his only wish. The problem is, he doesn't know what to do with his wish and he doesn't have much more time to figure it out.

Eldon's story is a bit of heartbreak and triumph. As he tells his story, you learn to love Eldon just as much as you get frustrated with him because even though Eldon can be difficult - a jerk even - there is a very vulnerable, honest side of him that is painfully real. Basically, give him a fair chance to prove himself... he may surprise you in the end.

One element of As You Wish, probably my favorite, was reading the histories of the wishes of the people of Madison. The way these brief stories were written and woven in were fantastic. As the reader, you truly get a sense for the town of Madison and the uniqueness of each wish. Nothing really is as it seems.

As mentioned, I very much enjoyed As You Wish. It was quick, fun, yet full of depth. I was left feeling inspired and moved.

I gave As You Wish 4/5 stars

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for a copy of As You Wish in exchange for my honest feedback and review. ( )

// Received an advance readers copy in exchange for a fair review //

"Wishing made it a sure thing though."
"But who wants a sure thing? Life is about gambles,"

well that felt like a really long read. . .


this book !!!!!!!!

it had such a unique plot, a unique world, and I am in love with the writing style of the whole book. The history narrations of some characters was a creative addition to this already wonderful story, it made everything much easier to understand and kept up the unique twists of the book. The characters were very easy to relate to and every single one of the characters was given just the right amount of depth, whether they be in the story for a few pages or for the majority of the book. I loved seeing them grow and change.

this is a wonderful coming of age book that I am sure a lot of teenagers can relate to (particularly, older ones). The moral of the story in general is something that everyone should learn and read about. The story is practically about finding yourself, it teaches you that it's okay if you don't know what's going to happen because that is what life is about, it's okay not to be perfect. And what really stood out to me is how to still believe in the magic that the world has, but to not let it control you and to see what is beyond that magic.

"maybe we destroy our own lives"


wishing here means so much more if you relate it to real life and I can really see this book being a classic for me, personally.


"Mayor Fontaine is awful and terrifying. But like the rest of us, he's human too."


this was not cliche in any means of the word and I am just left in awe at how amazing this was. It got me hooked so bad that I did not even want to finish this book too quickly.


just go where life takes you.

"being extraordinary is overrated." ( )

If eighteen-year-old you could have had one wish guaranteed to come true, what would you have chosen? In Madison, some have chosen unlimited money, the love of their crush, to be the best at football or to be the prettiest.

But many of the wishes backfire. The next person who wishes to be the prettiest cancels you out. When you wish someone into loving you, it becomes less meaningful. Many of Eldon's friends and family have their lives in complete chaos due to their wishes. With Eldon's wish-day approaching, he's wondering if he can find a way to fix it once and for all.

I enjoyed the surprising twist ending! This was a fun read. ( )

The town of Madison allows everyone, on their 18th birthday, to make a wish. There are some stipulations, of course, and rules to follow, but mostly anything goes. People have wished for lots of money and for love. Eldon has 25 days until his birthday and he has no idea what he wants to wish for. His mom strongly urges him to think of his family when he wishes but he still isn't sure what to wish for. I think Eldon is a very complex character who really has some issues. He is struggling in his life with more than just figuring out what to wish for. It seems so simple but it's not. It's a very interesting thought, if you could wish almost anything, what would you wish for? Eldon does lots of research about people and their wishes and how it turns out. ( )