Review: The Art of Wishing by Lindsay Ribar

The Art of Wishing

By: Lindsay Ribar

Pub. Date: March 21, 2013

Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers

Pages: 314

Source: Netgalley

He can grant her wishes, but only she can save his life.

Margo McKenna has a plan of attack for everything, from landing the lead in her high school musical to dealing with her increasingly absent parents. But when she finds herself in possession of a genie's ring and the opportunity to make three wishes, she doesn't know what to do. Especially since Oliver--not blue-skinned, not bottle-dwelling, but a genie nonetheless--can see more than what she's willing to show him. With one peek into her mind, he can see the wishes that even Margo herself doesn't know she wants.

But Oliver comes with more than just mind-reading abilities, a flair for magic, and the prettiest eyes Margo's ever seen. Someone from his past is hunting him--someone bent on killing him, along with all the other genies in the world, for the sake of honor. And as Margo soon discovers, it will take more than three wishes to save him.

A whole lot more.

I am obsessed with genie books. You don’t see too many, especially in YA, but when I see one, I make sure to read it. The Art of Wishing looked and seemed really different then the other genie books that I have read. I was so excited when I was approved on netgalley. It definitely lived up to my expectations (until the ending that is).

When Margo finds a ring in the girl’s bathroom, she has no idea what it could mean. It isn't until Oliver, the boy who is taking pictures for the yearbook shows up and then magically disappears, does she realize something strange is going on. Turns out Oliver is a genie, and he is definitely not like any genie we have ever seen!

Oliver loves being a genie. He loves pleasing his masters, and will do anything and everything in his power to grant their wishes in the best way possible. The title fit so perfectly with his story because there really is an art to wishing and granting those wishes. I really loved learning about Oliver’s story, from how he became a genie, to some of the things (good and bad) he was forced to do as a genie.

I really liked Margo too. She was a little dramatic, but most teenagers are. I think she was very realistic and easily relatable, which I love in female characters.

When Oliver and Margo get together, Oliver knows Margo will be his last master for a while, if not forever. Someone in his past wants him dead. This storyline really added to the plot. I couldn't help but feel for Oliver as well as the bad guy. Was the bad guy even bad, or was he just delusional?  I enjoyed trying to figure him out.

My main issue was the ending. All of a sudden this intense and crazy thing happened and then the story just ended. I would have loved an epilogue or something. The ending made me think of the entire story differently, and I ended up being disappointed. The rest of the book was so amazing, which is probably why the ending bothered me so much.

The Art of Wishing was a cute and fun read, and I would definitely recommend it!