Viola is a refreshingly unselfish teenager who happens upon a genie but doesn’t know what to wish for. As You Wish is not your typical genie story. Jackson Pearce took a subject that frequently brings out the greediness in most people and surprises us with an altruistic protagonist. The character development was done well and really pulled one into the story. Dual narration allowed the reader to see two sides of the story, which added a depth to the plot that the reader wouldn’t otherwise have. It was fun to see the twists Pearce included to make the novel unique. With heart-wrenching relationships and unyielding friendships, this feel-good read will appeal to those who enjoy a modern day fairy tale.
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 1 religious exclamation; 5 mild obscenities; 1 anatomical term; 1 f-word derivative.
Violence/Gore: Few (7) brief incidents including character jokes about punching another; character makes reference to potentially dying; murders and torture in movies mentioned; character punching resulting in non-life threatening injuries; graffiti occurring.
Sex/Nudity: Many (44) brief incidents including kissing; dancing; arms around; holding hands; playing with hair; rubbing shoulders; cuddling; touching face and arm; character is homosexual; male character jokes about asking girls to undress; reference to talking about sex in school; character feels like someone has sexual thoughts while looking at her; mention of sex and teen pregnancy in a play; reference to reproduction; character’s mother asks if she wants to talk about sex.
Mature Subject Matter:
Homosexuality, teenage drinking and smoking, reference to teen pregnancy (in a play).
Alcohol / Drug Use:
Druggies mentioned as reference to a group of teenagers; teenagers smoking and drinking; reference to smoking in a play; high school football team sponsored by a beer company; character says parents probably drank wine and drove home; character’s mom asks if she wants to talk about drinking.
