Book Review: How to Make a Wish by Ashley Herring Blake

Four stars! ☺️

Genre(s): Young adult, f/f romance, contemporary

Published: May 2, 2017

Book in a few words: Ownvoices, bisexual rep, sweet, emotional

Content warnings: Parental neglect/abuse

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

All seventeen year-old Grace Glasser wants is her own life. A normal life in which she sleeps in the same bed for longer than three months and doesn’t have to scrounge for spare change to make sure the electric bill is paid. Emotionally trapped by her unreliable mother, Maggie, and the tiny cape on which she lives, she focuses on her best friend, her upcoming audition for a top music school in New York, and surviving Maggie’s latest boyfriend—who happens to be Grace’s own ex-boyfriend’s father.

Her attempts to lay low until she graduates are disrupted when she meets Eva, a girl with her own share of ghosts she’s trying to outrun. Grief-stricken and lonely, Eva pulls Grace into midnight adventures and feelings Grace never planned on. When Eva tells Grace she likes girls, both of their worlds open up. But, united by loss, Eva also shares a connection with Maggie. As Grace’s mother spirals downward, both girls must figure out how to love and how to move on.

My Thoughts

Overall, I enjoyed How to Make a Wish. It’s actually more of a 3.5-star read than a 4-star read for me, but since I’m not doing half-star ratings on this blog, I’m going to round up. 🙂

How to Make a Wish is about a beautiful f/f romance between a bisexual girl (Grace Glasser) and a biracial lesbian (Eva Brighton).

“You’d think having a white dad and a black mom means I have three legs and feathers. I’m biracial, not some rarely spotted species from some barely populated island.”

 

I loved how Grace and Eva’s relationship grew from friendship to love; it was so sweet. Grace is an aspiring pianist, while Eva used to dance. They bond over the absence of their mothers in their lives, but that also drives them apart at times. Their relationship was one of my favorite parts of this book, because it was both so emotional and beautiful.

How to Make a Wish is ownvoices in the bisexuality aspect, since the author is bisexual, and I thought the bisexual representation in this book was amazing. Grace’s realization that she liked both girls and boys and the way that she accepted the bisexual label is shown in the following quotes, which were some of my favorite parts of this book:

“For a long time, when I was a little younger, I thought that was how every girl saw other girls— this mix between beauty and awe and curiosity, a thin layer of lust just underneath. Took until I was fourteen to realize that no, the way I thought about other girls was a little different.”

“It took several conversations with Luca, both of us sitting cross-legged on his Star Wars bedspread, for him to get it. For me to get it.”

“And I knew the word fit me. It felt right. Not as a label, really, but more as a way to simply understand myself.”

“‘It’s just a word, you know?’ I say, meeting her gaze. ‘And sometimes words help; sometimes they don’t. But… well, I like who I like. I like the person.”

I also loved Grace and Luca’s friendship; it was so refreshing to see such a supportive platonic relationship in a YA romance. Their witty banter and conversations were also one of my favorite parts of the book. Luca was also so supportive when Grace came out as bisexual, which made me extremely happy. ☺️ Luca and his mother, Emmy, always tried their best to make Grace feel loved and supported, especially when Grace’s mother did not.

Which brings me to the next part of this review. This book is not only a love story between two girls, but it is also a story of a neglectful mother and daughter. Grace’s mother, Maggie Glasser, was always too wrapped up in herself and her own problems to notice that her own daughter was also struggling and wasn’t “fine.” She was downright neglectful to Grace and even cared more about Eva than her own daughter. 😪

How to Make a Wish made me feel so many emotions, from joy to sadness to anger. There were so many happy moments (such as those between Grace and Eva 💕) but also so many frustrating moments (like those between Grace and her mother). It’s a lighthearted summer read, but also tackles important issues like parental neglect and abuse.

 

Me in general

Me at different points in the book (and yes, Brooklyn 99 is one of my favorite shows – ily Jake & Holt)

The writing was lovely; Blake really has a way with words.

“It’s an opening up, a hovering on the edge of a cliff after a long climb, the view and height stealing your breath and thoughts.”

“We’re sandy spoons and fireworks, lighthouses and wishes and peanut butter.”

Even though I liked this book overall, it just lacked something that would make it a five-star or four-star read. It took me a while for me to really feel connected to the plot and characters (and I’m still iffy on the character of Jay, Grace’s ex-boyfriend).

It also took a long time for me to read – more than a week. (Usually, if I really love a book, I’m able to get through it quickly and still savor every moment. I’ve read most of my five-star reads in 1-2 days.) Haha, I’m not sure if this is making any sense, but there’s just something about it that makes me hesitate to give it four stars or five stars. 🙈

If you’re looking for a book with a sweet romance, supportive friends, and a story about discovering your true self and standing up for yourself, check out How to Make a Wish! 💕

I hope you enjoyed this review of How to Make a Wish; thank you so much for reading! 💗 Just realized how long this review got – over 1000 words – oops. I hope it was somewhat understandable and coherent, haha – I’m always so doubtful and insecure about my writing, since I’ve never considered myself a good writer. 😩 (Which is why I’ve started blogging, hehe.)

If you’ve read How to Make a Wish, let me know your thoughts about it! If you haven’t, is it on your TBR? What other f/f romance books have you read and loved?

And if you have any suggestions as to how my reviews could be improved, please let me know! I’m always open to feedback. 💗

I hope you all are having a wonderful day! 😊 (Also, can you believe that it’s already the last week of June and Pride Month?! Time flies by WAY too quickly. 😩)

 

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