Review: As You Wish by Chelsea Sedoti

 Summary from Goodreads:

What if you could ask for anything- and get it?

In the sandy Mojave Desert, Madison is a small town on the road between nothing and nowhere. But Eldon wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, because in Madison, everyone gets one wish—and that wish always comes true.

Some people wish for money, some people wish for love, but Eldon has seen how wishes have broken the people around him. And with the lives of his family and friends in chaos, he’s left with more questions than answers. Can he make their lives better? How can he be happy if the people around him aren’t? And what hope is there for any of them if happiness isn’t an achievable dream? Doubts build, leading Eldon to a more outlandish and scary thought: maybe you can’t wish for happiness…maybe, just maybe, you have to make it for yourself.

My Review:



As You Wish was a cover pick from Netgalley and it was a pleasant surprise how much I enjoyed it.

What I Liked:

Characters. Even though I struggled with the personality of Eldon at the start of the novel, the other characters made the novel great and kept me reading. 

Format. The book is mainly told from Eldon's point of view but it also adds in short stories about the past wishes of the other citizens of Madison. Those sections felt like they could stand on there own as small stories and they were my favorite aspect of the novel.  

Plot. I went into the book blind, which I recommend, and was surprised how unique the plot was. It focused on contemporary aspects but with a magical twist. The mixture of two genres was well balanced and did not feel forced.  

Writing. The novel was over 400 pages but it was never a struggle to read it. I flew through the book because of Sedoti's writing style and the plot. I needed to know what happened next in the story. 

What I Disliked:

Eldon. I struggled with connecting with the main character of the novel, and since he is the only point of view (besides some added on stories about the citizens of the town) it took away some of the enjoyment of the reading experience. However, as the book went on he did grow on me and he even addressed the flaws his own character, so the author was able to redeemed the character by the end. 

I recommend checking out this strange magical realism novel, if you get past the arrogance of the main character in the beginning it ends up being a great read.

My Rating:

4 Stars Out of 5 Stars