Review: Wishful Thinking

Author: Alexandra Bullen
Pages: 336
Publisher: Point
Other Books in the Series: Wish (This is a companion novel to wish. You don't need to read Wish to understand this story.)
Source: Library
Synopsis (from Amazon):
If you could wish for a different life, would you? What if that life changed everything you thought was real?


Adopted as a baby, Hazel Snow has always been alone. She's never belonged anywhere--and has always yearned to know the truth about where she comes from. So when she receives three stunning, enchanted dresses--each with the power to grant one wish--Hazel wishes to know her mother. 
Transported to a time and place she couldn't have imagined, Hazel finds herself living an alternate life--a life with the mother she never knew.




Over the course of one amazing, miraculous summer, Hazel finds her home, falls in love, and forms an unexpected friendship. But will her search to uncover her past forever alter her future?



In the heart-pounding, luminous sequel to WISH, Alexandra Bullen asks the question: If you could wish for a new life....would you?


Wishful Thinking is all about a girl named Hazel who had a terrible childhood without a family so when she gets the opportunity to meet her birth mother, she's ecstatic. Sadly for Hazel, the reunion turns out completely different from what she expected. With three dresses and wishes, Hazel can change her past and future. The question is what will she wish for?

Hazel is a good character. She's independent, kind, but has issues letting people in. She's insecure sometimes, but a realistic character. She's what I would call a normal character, but I was rooting for her the whole way.

While the end of Wishful Thinking was clear to me, I never wanted to get to it. On the way to the ending, there were many sweet scenes, realizations and lovable characters. The dresses were a fun part of the story. I loved reading their descriptions. They sound absolutely gorgeous, but terrifying too.

There are many nice parts to Wishful Thinking, but for some reason I never ended up loving it. I think it's because from the beginning I knew the ending would make me sad and cry and I don't generally like to feel that way. But once I started reading, I knew I had to continue, and even if the ending wasn't my dream happily-ever-after ending, it was the right ending for Hazel.

All in all, this is a sweet story of love, family, destiny and finding your place in the world. It's a good read and has a fabulous cover. It's probably something I would describe as "heartwarming" if I were the type to casually use words like that. I liked it and that's why I'm giving it a 3.5,

***&1/2