You Wish by Mandy Hubbard - Do You?

Pros: A quick and fun story that includes dirt bikes and pink ponies.
Cons: Nope.

The Bottom Line: Birthday wishes gone out of control...

The last book I read by Mandy Hubbard was Ripple, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. So when I skimmed the back of this book, I couldn’t help but giggle and think that it might be fun to read.

Oh it was indeed. I mean, when something like a pink My Little Pony appears, complete with ice cream imprint on its butt, you know it’s going to be an amusing time. It all starts when Kayla’s sixteenth birthday rolls around. Her mom throws her an extravagant party that she doesn’t want filled just to show off for clients. Her best friend is too busy having fun with her boyfriend to show up on time. Things in general are kind of sucking. So when Kayla has to make a wish in front of dozens of people she doesn’t even know, her wish is that her birthday wishes would come true – because they never freakin’ do.

The next morning she discovers that pink pony. And the next day there are thousands of gumballs all over her room. And after that…well, I’ll let you find out. Kayla’s got big problems now because she has no idea how to make the wishes stop and she can’t remember what they all are. All she knows is that they need to go away because one of her wishes was to kiss Ben, her longtime crush—and her best friend’s boyfriend.

It’s a fast and silly story that’s hard to put down because every chapter you’ll wonder what Kayla’s going to have to deal with next. Her new problem with the wishes is coupled with some of her life issues, such as her best friend seeming to drift away, her mother never being around, and the absence of her father. She handles things surprisingly well considering she’s got live toys running around and gumballs randomly appearing everywhere. Kayla’s the kind of character that, if she were real and in my high school, I’d be friends with just because she sounds like a lot of fun.

Hubbard did a great job really bringing Kayla’s voice forward and I did laugh aloud on multiple occasions with this book. There are a few serious parts where Kayla deals with her issues, and everything is neatly resolved in the end. So if you want a light read that will make you laugh, do give this one some serious consideration.

NT

Notes from the playlist: "Way Too Far" by Korn