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Wishful Thinking
OUT OF PRINT
Sami is used to a life of independence, frequently on the move and changing identity. She finds herself in the southern California beach town of Playa del Sol and decides to attend Black Canyon High School where she intends to stay in the shadows and maintain her anonymity. But then Nate enters her life; the handsome, popular classmate and all-star lacrosse player. Sami finds her vulnerable heart daring to chase after Nate, and as she begins to reveal to him who she truly is, a dark secret from her childhood resurfaces and threatens her very life. Will she finally confront her demons, or will she leave her new home, and her new love, in an attempt to escape the burdens of her past?
Sami is used to a life of independence, frequently on the move and changing identity. She finds herself in the southern California beach town of Playa del Sol and decides to attend Black Canyon High School where she intends to stay in the shadows and maintain her anonymity. But then Nate enters her life; the handsome, popular classmate and all-star lacrosse player. Sami finds her vulnerable heart daring to chase after Nate, and as she begins to reveal to him who she truly is, a dark secret from her childhood resurfaces and threatens her very life. Will she finally confront her demons, or will she leave her new home, and her new love, in an attempt to escape the burdens of her past?
263 pages, Paperback
First published October 2, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 19, 2015
There are so many YA romance novels out there that centre around vampires, it was a breath of fresh air to read about something new.
Sami is a 200 year old genie playing a teenage human who just wants to fit in. In her attempts, she accidentally meets Nate, the heart throb of Black Canyon High School. Their budding relationship is the background story as the two work out a plan to face the past of Sami's geniean ancestors.
Read my full review here: http://gcmacquarie.weebly.com/reviews...
Sami is a 200 year old genie playing a teenage human who just wants to fit in. In her attempts, she accidentally meets Nate, the heart throb of Black Canyon High School. Their budding relationship is the background story as the two work out a plan to face the past of Sami's geniean ancestors.
Read my full review here: http://gcmacquarie.weebly.com/reviews...
August 6, 2015
Sami is a genie who has worked for years to protect the human race from demons. It’s been a little lonely, but she’s enjoyed being able to help people. Sami’s just started over at a new high school (she’s going to study to be a teacher this time) when she meets Nate. Nate is different from the other boys that she’s met in the past 300 years and Sami finds herself feeling things that she didn’t know she could feel. She also finds that she wants to tell Nate her secrets–especially since his relationship with her might soon put him in danger.
I’ll be honest, this book surprised me. Genie’s aren’t generally my thing–I prefer reading about other mythical creatures–but this one kind of worked for me. I liked the concept of genie-hood. They don’t live in lamps, they can give someone more than three wishes (it just has to be a different day), and they have to be touching someone to grant their wish. I thought it was an interesting take on what everyone thinks when they hear “genie”. I understand the “why” of the genie’s limitations as far as the plot goes, but I do wish the author had been able to come up with and explain the “why” within the history of genies that she created. I think that’s something that was a little lacking…what is the genie creation story? Tell me why demons and genies are battling for the human race. The book was fine without all of that, but I think it would have been more interesting and provided another layer of depth to Sami and the rest of the genies.
Characters that are immortal or age super slow are always a little tricky for me. One of my initial thoughts was, “Okay, so Sami is super old…but she chooses to repeat high school an infinite number of times. Why???” So I was glad when the author gave an explanation to that (and one that actually made sense!). My other issue, though, is her relationship with Nate. There were just some holes that I didn’t feel got filled in. It makes me uncomfortable to think about a 300-year-old person dating a 17-year-old guy…even if Sami looks like she’s 16, the reality is she’s been alive A LOT longer than Nate has. It just seems like there would be a disparity in maturity levels. Also, Sami makes a point to mention that she’s never felt this way about anyone before. So what makes Nate so special? Don’t get me wrong, he seemed like a great guy, but like…a normal kind of great. It seems impossible that Sami hasn’t run into other great guys in other high schools. Maybe it would have been better if there had been more of a friendship at the beginning of their relationship instead of the “we both like each other but we’re not technically dating” thing they had going on. The last hole in their relationship for me is the fact that they do not have a happily ever after relationship. Nate is going to get older and Sami’s pretty much going to look the same. What’s going to happen when Nate’s 70 and Sami still looks like she’s 25?
I felt like the plot was well thought-out, but maybe a little too straightforward. It definitely could have been more suspenseful than it was. I kept expecting one of the other genie characters to double-cross Sami, but they never did. It was a good plot, but it could have benefited from a plot twist.
My overall impression is that the author could have done a little more showing instead of telling but I thought it was a sweet story and I ended up liking it. It’s an easy read and it made a nice break from some more intense books that I was reading. I would definitely recommend this book to younger YA readers.
Overall Rating: 3
Violence: Moderate
Language: None
Smoking/Drinking: Mild
Sexual Content: Mild
Note: I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I’ll be honest, this book surprised me. Genie’s aren’t generally my thing–I prefer reading about other mythical creatures–but this one kind of worked for me. I liked the concept of genie-hood. They don’t live in lamps, they can give someone more than three wishes (it just has to be a different day), and they have to be touching someone to grant their wish. I thought it was an interesting take on what everyone thinks when they hear “genie”. I understand the “why” of the genie’s limitations as far as the plot goes, but I do wish the author had been able to come up with and explain the “why” within the history of genies that she created. I think that’s something that was a little lacking…what is the genie creation story? Tell me why demons and genies are battling for the human race. The book was fine without all of that, but I think it would have been more interesting and provided another layer of depth to Sami and the rest of the genies.
Characters that are immortal or age super slow are always a little tricky for me. One of my initial thoughts was, “Okay, so Sami is super old…but she chooses to repeat high school an infinite number of times. Why???” So I was glad when the author gave an explanation to that (and one that actually made sense!). My other issue, though, is her relationship with Nate. There were just some holes that I didn’t feel got filled in. It makes me uncomfortable to think about a 300-year-old person dating a 17-year-old guy…even if Sami looks like she’s 16, the reality is she’s been alive A LOT longer than Nate has. It just seems like there would be a disparity in maturity levels. Also, Sami makes a point to mention that she’s never felt this way about anyone before. So what makes Nate so special? Don’t get me wrong, he seemed like a great guy, but like…a normal kind of great. It seems impossible that Sami hasn’t run into other great guys in other high schools. Maybe it would have been better if there had been more of a friendship at the beginning of their relationship instead of the “we both like each other but we’re not technically dating” thing they had going on. The last hole in their relationship for me is the fact that they do not have a happily ever after relationship. Nate is going to get older and Sami’s pretty much going to look the same. What’s going to happen when Nate’s 70 and Sami still looks like she’s 25?
I felt like the plot was well thought-out, but maybe a little too straightforward. It definitely could have been more suspenseful than it was. I kept expecting one of the other genie characters to double-cross Sami, but they never did. It was a good plot, but it could have benefited from a plot twist.
My overall impression is that the author could have done a little more showing instead of telling but I thought it was a sweet story and I ended up liking it. It’s an easy read and it made a nice break from some more intense books that I was reading. I would definitely recommend this book to younger YA readers.
Overall Rating: 3
Violence: Moderate
Language: None
Smoking/Drinking: Mild
Sexual Content: Mild
Note: I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
May 18, 2016
This is clearly a self published novel. I enjoyed the story, a fast paced read that entertained me. Sami is a genie living in the human world in order to protect the humans living there from demons. Pretty interesting, right?
The history of the genies were well developed and I understood most of it. Bulster had a great explanation why Sami decided to basically redo high school- and that's when things started to become a little cliche. She meets a boy named Nate who's an amazing athlete and student. Of all the years Sami has lived, she has never once fallen in love until Nate. That was the thing that bummed me out. Nate is an ordinary guy, the type that's in every single high school. What made him stand out? And why does she feels obligated to be with him?
The story had a few gaps- surely a guy like Nate will have a sweetheart already. Sami is forced to reveal who she is to him, and weirdly, he takes it in like she's saying her favorite color is green. Okayyyy...that was kind of unbelievable and threw off the realistic atmosphere Bulster had managed to build a few chapters before.
There are some people who would LIVE for this book, but I'm not one of them. This was just not my type of book. 2.5 stars
The history of the genies were well developed and I understood most of it. Bulster had a great explanation why Sami decided to basically redo high school- and that's when things started to become a little cliche. She meets a boy named Nate who's an amazing athlete and student. Of all the years Sami has lived, she has never once fallen in love until Nate. That was the thing that bummed me out. Nate is an ordinary guy, the type that's in every single high school. What made him stand out? And why does she feels obligated to be with him?
The story had a few gaps- surely a guy like Nate will have a sweetheart already. Sami is forced to reveal who she is to him, and weirdly, he takes it in like she's saying her favorite color is green. Okayyyy...that was kind of unbelievable and threw off the realistic atmosphere Bulster had managed to build a few chapters before.
There are some people who would LIVE for this book, but I'm not one of them. This was just not my type of book. 2.5 stars
April 25, 2015
Kayla's self-published novel Wishful Thinking is a fun, charming story for young teens. The characters are relatable and the backstory unique. Sami, a centuries-old genie, grants wishes to those who need help the most and in doing so tries to make the world a better, safer place.
She is finally settled down in San Diego and attending a local highschool to keep up appearances (genies don't age like humans), while she protects the genies' greatest treasure: the Hasah. Warming up to her new school, she meets outgoing Lacrosse-star Nate and becomes distracted from her responsibility. When she realizes that danger is near and the Hasah at risk, it's nearly too late...
She is finally settled down in San Diego and attending a local highschool to keep up appearances (genies don't age like humans), while she protects the genies' greatest treasure: the Hasah. Warming up to her new school, she meets outgoing Lacrosse-star Nate and becomes distracted from her responsibility. When she realizes that danger is near and the Hasah at risk, it's nearly too late...
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews