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Hedge Over Heels: A Wish Novel
Fall hedge over heels for this story of first crushes, friendship drama, and prickly pets! Rayna is used to being the new kid at school. But that doesn’t mean she wants to make new friends! Why bother when the military will only reassign her mom again soon anyway? No, the only friend Rayna wants is a furry, four-legged one. But instead of the dog she’s been dreaming of, what Rayna gets is a hedgehog named Spike who is as prickly and emo as she is. Worse, Rayna’s mom insists she enter Spike in a pet talent show to get to know some kids her age, including a very cute boy named Nick. Only Spike doesn’t want to hang out or show off any more than Rayna does. Will Rayna curl herself into a ball and hide, or will she and Spike take a chance a new pack of friends?
- GenresMiddle GradeContemporary
272 pages, Paperback
Published November 1, 2022
10 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
Elise McMullen-Ciotti
3 books5 followersAshling Lindsay is the illustrator of several books for children, including The Night Box by Louise Greig, which was nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal, and The Tide by Clare Helen Welsh, a Crystal Kite Award winner. She is also the illustrator of an Alan Turing biography for the best-selling series Little People, Big Dreams. Ashling Lindsay lives in Belfast, Ireland.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 9, 2022
Wish books are formulaic fluff: there's a girl, the girl is usually in 7th grade, the girl has an issue related to her social life, the girl usually has a special interest or skill that will play into the resolution of the issue related to her social life, the plotline will probably feature an adorable animal and/or cooking/baking as a major element, a very cute boy is involved somehow, etc. Some of them are better than others; the writing quality varies, for instance, as does the general relatability of the girls and their issues. Some of them were published as their own thing and then reissued as a Wish book later. But, generally speaking, when you pick up a Wish book you know what you're getting into. That's not a bad thing! Formulaic fluff is sometimes exactly what you need!
As a former prickly and emo tween girl (who is now a prickly and emo adult because it was not a phase thank you very much), I was looking forward to reading this one. Formulaic fluff BUT MAKE IT EDGY. Unfortunately, this was one of the books that wasn't written as well. It was kind of clunky and wooden in terms of the language itself; there was a lot of telling rather than showing, and the characters felt pretty flat. Also, Rayna's edginess didn't exactly ring true to me -- like I said, I was that kid, and 12 year old Emily would probably have been like "BEING OBSESSED WITH THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS ISN'T A PERSONALITY TRAIT" and "JUST BECAUSE YOU LIKE SKULLS IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE PUNK" and, okay, 12 year old Emily was a judgmental brat, but you can't just tell the reader that Rayna puts on her favorite old emo music and not even mention what band it is. The music is kind of the point of being an emo kid! And no responsible piercer is going to pierce a 7th grader's nose, like not even with her parents' permission, so I was just waiting for Wilma to show Rayna that her nose ring was fake and it never happened and this bothered me way more than it should have.
That said, I think 12 year old Emily would have liked it after she got over being a judgmental brat.
As a former prickly and emo tween girl (who is now a prickly and emo adult because it was not a phase thank you very much), I was looking forward to reading this one. Formulaic fluff BUT MAKE IT EDGY. Unfortunately, this was one of the books that wasn't written as well. It was kind of clunky and wooden in terms of the language itself; there was a lot of telling rather than showing, and the characters felt pretty flat. Also, Rayna's edginess didn't exactly ring true to me -- like I said, I was that kid, and 12 year old Emily would probably have been like "BEING OBSESSED WITH THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS ISN'T A PERSONALITY TRAIT" and "JUST BECAUSE YOU LIKE SKULLS IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE PUNK" and, okay, 12 year old Emily was a judgmental brat, but you can't just tell the reader that Rayna puts on her favorite old emo music and not even mention what band it is. The music is kind of the point of being an emo kid! And no responsible piercer is going to pierce a 7th grader's nose, like not even with her parents' permission, so I was just waiting for Wilma to show Rayna that her nose ring was fake and it never happened and this bothered me way more than it should have.
That said, I think 12 year old Emily would have liked it after she got over being a judgmental brat.
June 17, 2024
okkkk, soooo, I love these wish books but this one wasn’t very wholesome and cute as I usually like them. like I don’t really like Rayna and Nick and the book was low-key boring.
December 7, 2022
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Rayna is getting very tired of having to move to a different city every time her military mother is reassigned, so isn't planning on becoming too invested in Frederick, Maryland, the latest posting. She is fortunate that her Aunty Jac, an artist, lives with them, since her mother often has to travel. After her last disastrous experience of friends ghosting her, she has a plan; get good grades, ask for a dog, and keep herself emotionally distanced so that the next move isn't so hard. Her mother, hoping to make the move easier, surprises Rayna with a per Hedgehodge named Spike. This doesn't go over very well, since she wants a "real" pet. However, Spike is pretty engaging, and the idea of having an "edgy" pet is appealing to Rayna, who styles herself as a wannabe Goth, with an allegiance to The Nightmare Before Christmas, an all black wardrobe, and colored hair. She also paints high top Chuck Taylors with skulls, and even considers styling some skull decorated accessories for her new pet. Keeping her distance from others is also hard, especially when she meets Nick, who is Cherokee, and has had to move many times because his father was also in the military before he retired. She also meets Wilma, who struggles because her mother passed away a year ago, as well as Matt, Kevin, and Marcie. She starts to get involved in projects at school and starts to doubt her hands-off approach to life until she overhears her mother and aunt talking and suspects that her mother will have to move to California. She starts to back off, but realizes that she needs people, and one cute hedgehog, in her life. Will she be able to stay in Maryland and keep her new friends?
Strengths: I'm a big fan of books where the main characters aren't completely adverse to whatever is going on in their lives, and have realistic struggles depicted. Rayna is fairly resigned; her plan to distance herself from others is based on a recent unpleasant friendship experience. She does warm up a bit to both her new environment and pet. She has a good support system, even if her mother is gone frequently, and I loved the depiction of the school and the neighborhood, even if I've never seen a school that decorates quite as extensively for holidays! Nick is a sweet first crush, and there's a scene at the very end with the most minor hand holding and a sweet kiss, which is perfect for a middle school romance. The author is Cherokee, so seeing a tiny bit of that culture in the protrayal of Nick is great. Most of the WISH novels include some characters who are not described as white, but many times are not reflective of the author's identity. The cover is quite good; props to the Scholastic art department and their use of PhotoShop to manipulate pictures of animals. You rock!
Weaknesses: This reminded me a bit of Pigture Perfect, in that Rayna was not happy with her new pet. Moral of the story, middle grade parents: ask before getting anything other than a dog for your child.
What I really think: All of the WISH novels are very popular in my library, and hedgehogs are enjoying a moment of popularity, so I will definitely purchase this one. Younger readers will not be as annoyed with Rayna's Goth tendencies; if there's a whole group of people being edgy in the same way, is it really edgy? Even our teachers are dying their hair neon colors, which should have brought about the death of this trend for the young. To quote Cheryl Crowe: "You're an original baby, turn around and you're lookin' at a hundred more."
Rayna is getting very tired of having to move to a different city every time her military mother is reassigned, so isn't planning on becoming too invested in Frederick, Maryland, the latest posting. She is fortunate that her Aunty Jac, an artist, lives with them, since her mother often has to travel. After her last disastrous experience of friends ghosting her, she has a plan; get good grades, ask for a dog, and keep herself emotionally distanced so that the next move isn't so hard. Her mother, hoping to make the move easier, surprises Rayna with a per Hedgehodge named Spike. This doesn't go over very well, since she wants a "real" pet. However, Spike is pretty engaging, and the idea of having an "edgy" pet is appealing to Rayna, who styles herself as a wannabe Goth, with an allegiance to The Nightmare Before Christmas, an all black wardrobe, and colored hair. She also paints high top Chuck Taylors with skulls, and even considers styling some skull decorated accessories for her new pet. Keeping her distance from others is also hard, especially when she meets Nick, who is Cherokee, and has had to move many times because his father was also in the military before he retired. She also meets Wilma, who struggles because her mother passed away a year ago, as well as Matt, Kevin, and Marcie. She starts to get involved in projects at school and starts to doubt her hands-off approach to life until she overhears her mother and aunt talking and suspects that her mother will have to move to California. She starts to back off, but realizes that she needs people, and one cute hedgehog, in her life. Will she be able to stay in Maryland and keep her new friends?
Strengths: I'm a big fan of books where the main characters aren't completely adverse to whatever is going on in their lives, and have realistic struggles depicted. Rayna is fairly resigned; her plan to distance herself from others is based on a recent unpleasant friendship experience. She does warm up a bit to both her new environment and pet. She has a good support system, even if her mother is gone frequently, and I loved the depiction of the school and the neighborhood, even if I've never seen a school that decorates quite as extensively for holidays! Nick is a sweet first crush, and there's a scene at the very end with the most minor hand holding and a sweet kiss, which is perfect for a middle school romance. The author is Cherokee, so seeing a tiny bit of that culture in the protrayal of Nick is great. Most of the WISH novels include some characters who are not described as white, but many times are not reflective of the author's identity. The cover is quite good; props to the Scholastic art department and their use of PhotoShop to manipulate pictures of animals. You rock!
Weaknesses: This reminded me a bit of Pigture Perfect, in that Rayna was not happy with her new pet. Moral of the story, middle grade parents: ask before getting anything other than a dog for your child.
What I really think: All of the WISH novels are very popular in my library, and hedgehogs are enjoying a moment of popularity, so I will definitely purchase this one. Younger readers will not be as annoyed with Rayna's Goth tendencies; if there's a whole group of people being edgy in the same way, is it really edgy? Even our teachers are dying their hair neon colors, which should have brought about the death of this trend for the young. To quote Cheryl Crowe: "You're an original baby, turn around and you're lookin' at a hundred more."
December 27, 2022
Although this book is a Scholastic book for younger readers, I found it delightful for any age. I was drawn to it because the author is a “proud citizen of the Cherokee Nation.” I was not disappointed at the subtle way she provides a light lesson for readers about Indigenous People.
I was delighted that Nick’s Jack Russell dog was named Mr. Inege (white in Cherokee), a nod to our shared Cherokee heritage and the board game, Clue (Mrs. White in the library with the candlestick.) Then, again, she surprises us with Rayna’s complex friend Wilma’s name since the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation was Wilma Mankiller.
But the real star of the show is Rayna’s emotional mirror – Spike the Hedgehog. Like Rayna, he is angry at being taken to a place he didn’t choose. Even Rayna Snow’s name tells us about the storm coming; rain, then snow. Although she tries to stay focused on “grades, dog, and no making friends,” this story is clever and told in a manner that kept me engaged. It is a quick read and definitely worth the time – but beware; you might want to head right down to the pet store and get a hedgehog!
I was delighted that Nick’s Jack Russell dog was named Mr. Inege (white in Cherokee), a nod to our shared Cherokee heritage and the board game, Clue (Mrs. White in the library with the candlestick.) Then, again, she surprises us with Rayna’s complex friend Wilma’s name since the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation was Wilma Mankiller.
But the real star of the show is Rayna’s emotional mirror – Spike the Hedgehog. Like Rayna, he is angry at being taken to a place he didn’t choose. Even Rayna Snow’s name tells us about the storm coming; rain, then snow. Although she tries to stay focused on “grades, dog, and no making friends,” this story is clever and told in a manner that kept me engaged. It is a quick read and definitely worth the time – but beware; you might want to head right down to the pet store and get a hedgehog!
March 27, 2023
(Part of a Scholastic series) Cute story about Rayna, a girl who must move from place to place because her Mom is in the Army. She meets a nice, cute guy who helps her acclimate to her classes. She does not want to make friends, because she doesn't want to lose them again when they move next time. But you know what's going to happen...... She also gets a Hedgehog as a pet because her Mom wants her to try keeping that before she gets her a dog. (A dog is what she really wants.)
Her friend Nick (who is also handsome) understands her well because his family was moved around a lot too, as his Dad was in the military. He is a member of the Cherokee nation, and helps her to understand holidays from a Native-American point of view. A pick from a webinar for Summer Reading -- All Together Now.
Her friend Nick (who is also handsome) understands her well because his family was moved around a lot too, as his Dad was in the military. He is a member of the Cherokee nation, and helps her to understand holidays from a Native-American point of view. A pick from a webinar for Summer Reading -- All Together Now.
May 12, 2025
hedge over heels by elise mcmullen-cunty
__Scores__
Storyline: 7/10
Writing: 6/10
Characters: 7/10
Overall score: 6.5/10
__Trigger warnings__
there's like fr no triggers except like military ig but there's no mentions of like fighting or anything
__Specifics__
Things I loved: spike was a cool lil guy
Things I hated: it was definitely meant for younger kids so it was kinda boring, and nick pissed me off fr bc he immediately assumed Rayna was racist when she seemed sad about his dad retiring (she was jealous that his dad got to retire from the military and her mom didn't)
__Scores__
Storyline: 7/10
Writing: 6/10
Characters: 7/10
Overall score: 6.5/10
__Trigger warnings__
there's like fr no triggers except like military ig but there's no mentions of like fighting or anything
__Specifics__
Things I loved: spike was a cool lil guy
Things I hated: it was definitely meant for younger kids so it was kinda boring, and nick pissed me off fr bc he immediately assumed Rayna was racist when she seemed sad about his dad retiring (she was jealous that his dad got to retire from the military and her mom didn't)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 16, 2024
OMG, this book deserves everyone to read it. THIS IS YOUR SIGN TO READ THIS 6 STAR BOOK, AND IF YOU GIVE IT A 1 OR 2 STAR I WILL FIND YOU. ok, if you haven’t read this book, it’s SO SO SO SO AMAZING, I mean, nick takes the crown for the best boy interest with drama ok, yeah that’s sorta confusing but just read the book, it will ALL make sense. Read this darn book I can’t recommend this enough!!!!!!!!!!!🦔🦔
March 5, 2025
That was so cute! I loved Spike the hedgehog. The author has a great voice for middle grade. I really liked Rayna and found her to be a sympathetic character. After years of moving all the time due to her mom being in the military, it is understandable that she would push people away. I liked the Cherokee representation as well in the character of Nick.
However, there’s no way Captain Janeway is better than Captain Picard.
However, there’s no way Captain Janeway is better than Captain Picard.
April 7, 2023
Great book with realistic teenage struggles. I would recommend this for 6-8th grade.
April 18, 2023
Loved it! Too cute!
May 17, 2023
Favorite book yet. Read it in a single day. Couldn't put the book down.
June 8, 2024
Fine book but I wasn’t swooning over the guy character. Ik it’s tradition but the braid threw me off 🥴
July 26, 2025
this is a cute story with a cute girl, a cute boy, a bunch of cute friends and a cute hedgehog.
April 29, 2024
I loved reading wish novels when I was younger, like all the ones with the poka dot spines, and I always love them. They are just cute romance reads which is always fun. I feel like this one I was a bit disappointed by though. I don’t know if that is because I’m just getting older so I’m growing out of these kinds of easy books, or I was just getting my hopes up in my mind since I enjoyed the other wish books. I don’t know what about this book made me not like it as much, but I think it was the main character. Compared to the other wish books, this character was more reserved and emo (nothing wrong with that) but I just found her attitude a bit rude. She never really gave anyone a chance. But overall I’ll always look the wish book series, so I think a three star rating is still good for this book.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews