Just One Wish
Grade 7–10—This screwball comedy-cum-heartfelt drama is by turns far-fetched, enjoyable, and touching. Seventeen-year-old Annika's little brother, Jeremy, is about to undergo surgery for cancer. The teen promises him that she has a genie that will bring his favorite TV character, Teen Robin Hood, to meet him. In what seems like too much of a sitcom plot, Annika drives several hours, invades the show's set, and persuades its star to come home with her. He's on a tight schedule. Paparazzi attack them. His car breaks down. Steve and Annika fall in love, adding a sweet, but uncertain, romance to the mix. She also learns that he has a family situation of his own to resolve. Questions about the meaning of life and whether there is a caring God give the book heft but don't always jibe with its lighter aspects. Annika is a resourceful, kindhearted heroine, and her Robin Hood has dimension as well. The novel is interesting enough to attract reluctant readers, and it makes a fine, if not necessary, addition to the chick-lit shelf.—Tina Zubak, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.