Wish You Weren't
by Sherrie Petersen
Genre: Juvenile Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic
Marten doesn't believe in the power of wishes. None of his have ever come true. His parents ignore him, his little brother is a pain and his family is talking about moving to Texas. Not cool. So when he makes an impulsive wish during a meteor shower, he doesn't expect it to make any difference.
Until his annoying brother disappears.
With the present uncertain and his brother’s future in limbo, Marten finds himself stuck in his past. And if he runs out of time, even wishes might not be enough to save the ones he loves.
My thoughts: I have been trying to find more middle grade books to read and share with my son, and I think this may be a good one. In the book Marten is eleven (almost twelve) and I think that would be a good age to target for this book.
The book starts out with Marten, his best friend Paul, his little brother Aldrin and his mom laying on the grass outside of a hotel in Texas in the middle of the night. They are watching for a meteor shower and according to Marten's mom, if you see one you are to make a (silent) wish. Marten has been doing this for years with his mom and so he is kind of bored. He doesn't believe in wishes and finds it ironic that his mom, a scientest, does.
As things often go between siblings, Aldrin and Marten get into a fight. Towards the end of it, Marten sees a shooting star and makes a fierce wish that he wishes his brother wasn't there. When he opens his eyes he is a little disappointed, but not surprised to see his little brother still standing there. But sometimes wishes take time to come to fruition and it isn't until the next day that Aldren disappears right in front of their eyes.
Well, you can imagine that Marten and Paul are distressed as they can't believe what they have seen. Soon, a spirit being from the star that was wished on appears and a series of adventures ensues as Marten tries to figure out how to get his brother back and undo the wish.
This was a quick book to read at 150 pages and I finished it in one sitting. I really thing my son would like it as it is quick, with lots of information about space, stars and super novas. There are also some subtle lesson squeezed in along the way about love, family and responsibility. At the end you will find an index with links to lots of things "space" like a meteor shower calendar, links to the Hubble telescope, the Spitzer telescope and the solar system. I must admit I have already visited some of the links provided.
~I received a complimentary ecopy of Wish You Weren't from Blog Tours by Elana in exchange for my unbiased review.~
Purchase Links:
About the author: Sherrie Petersen still believes in magic and she loves to write (and read!) stories that take her on fantastic adventures. In addition to writing middle grade novels, Sherrie moonlights as a graphic designer, substitute teacher, freelance writer, school newspaper advisor, yearbook advisor and mother of two children. She spends her free time watching movies, driving kids around and baking cookies. Or eating them.
WISH YOU WEREN’T is her debut novel.
Author Links:
Praise for Wish You Weren't:
“If you’re looking for the same old formula middle grade
fantasy, this isn’t it. Wish You Weren’t is magically real. You wouldn’t be
surprised if you met Marten in “real” life, but what he encounters in this
story is pure magic.” ~VALERIE HOBBS, award-winning author of Wolf, Sheep and
Minnie McClary Speaks Her Mind
“Wish You Weren’t is a sweet story about the blessings of
family contained within the rip-roaring roller coaster of time travel. It is a
page turner that kids are going to love!” ~KATIE D. ANDERSON, bestselling
author of Kiss & Makeup
“I love all the science details mixed with fantasy in Wish
You Weren’t — just the kinds of flights-of-science-fancy I wish I had as
child!” ~SUSAN KAYE QUINN, bestselling author of the Mindjack Trilogy, Faery
Swap and Third Daughter
“Fun and accessible, rich with realism and heart, this
magical adventure reminds us of the things truly worth wishing for.” ~CASEY
McCORMICK, literary agent intern and blogger at Literary Rambles
