As You Wish is a story about Viola, a girl who has lost her place in the world since her boyfriend broke up with her, and Jinn, a genie whose only purpose on our world is to grant Viola three wishes. But Viola fears choosing the wrong wish, so Jinn is stuck here until she makes up her mind. After Viola makes her first wish, Jinn realizes he might be feeling more than friendship for her… and Viola realizes she might be feeling the same. With two wishes left, the one Viola wants the most is impossible – for Jinn to stay.
I love “love”. And back when I was a kid, that love was best expressed to me through cartoon feel-good movies, usually created by the Disney corporation. Aladdin happened to be one of those movies and it’s still one of my favorites. What drew me to this book was the play on the genie/master relationship. Instead of using the genie to get the person they love (I’m looking at you, Aladdin), Jackson Pearce switched it up and had the person love the genie.
Jinn is an interesting character. He’s supernatural, yes, but he’s not your typical supernatural creature (thank God). His life has been simple and… stagnant. Nothing changes on Caliban, the world on which genies live when they’re not earthbound. The jinn (a.k.a genies) are a constant race as well, only aging when they go to earth. Jinn starts out with an impatient attitude when he’s first introduced. He can’t wait to get back to Caliban and his never-changing (i.e. boring) life. Unfortunately for him (but fortunately for us), he’s bound to a stubborn girl who will not make a wish unless it’s the “right” one. With each day Jinn spends on earth, he becomes more “human” – emotional and tied to things and people, most of all to Viola. Viola’s treatment of him as a person rather than a servant gives him a sense of worth and identity that he hadn’t realized he was even missing before.
Viola is an average teenage girl. She has a passion for art, but other than that, feels like she doesn’t belong anywhere. Before, when she was with her boyfriend, she felt like a part of something special. But now there’s just… nothing. Until Jinn comes along.
I liked Viola. I liked her relationship with her best friend and how they looked out for each other. I also liked that she didn’t want to waste a wish on something superficial, like a new wardrobe, which would only bring a moment of happiness.
Jackson Pearce switches the point of views between Jinn and Viola throughout, which was nice since lately I’ve been reading books that are only from the girl’s POV, so you got to experience their burgeoning relationship from both sides.
Overall, this was a wonderful escape from reality. I read it in one sitting, which is so rare I feel I need to always point it out when it happens. Also, I want to play Super Monopoly Dare. It’s a game they make up out of mismatched pieces from board games and it sounded awesome. I don’t know why Lawrence was so negative about it. (Jackson, should you ever read this, do you think you could hook me up with the rules?)
So check it out if you ever felt a connection with Genie from Aladdin, ever wanted three wishes, but had no idea what to wish for, or just want a cute romance to indulge in.