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

How to Make a Wish by Ashley Herring Blake
Series: n/a

Genre: YA Contemporary, LGBT+

Publication: May 2nd 2017 by HMH Books for Young Readers
Length: 336 pages

Format: eARC

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.

I was so excited to read HOW TO MAKE A WISH because I had heard so much love from people I follow on Twitter. When I was given access to a copy on Netgalley and when HMH sent me a finished copy (it’s so gorgeous, by the way!), I knew I had to start reading this one.

HOW TO MAKE A WISH follows Grace, Maggie (her mother), as they settle in their new home with Maggie’s new boyfriend. There, they meet Eva, who recently lost her mother, and this novel unravels the development of Grace and Eva’s relationship. This novel is such a beautiful story of love and grief and learning to move forward. The plot was incredibly moving—it had a steady pace; nothing felt too rushed nor lagging. I especially loved the ending; it hurt, but it was perfect.

Many of the characters undergo astonishing character development. I originally disliked Jay, Grace’s ex-boyfriend, and thought he was going to be a pain in the ass for the majority of the novel, but by the end of the novel, he wasn’t awful. I found that Maggie underwent the most character development—the way that she hurt Grace was palpable, but I appreciated her actions to try to better herself.

This novel also displays incredible bisexual representation. Eva is also multiracial, so the representation in this novel was lovely. Blake has such an obvious talent for portraying realness and rawness in each of her characters, and HOW TO MAKE A WISH establishes its place as one of my favorites. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up. I think you’d appreciate it.

Thank you to HMH Books for Young Readers for providing me with an early copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own and I was not compensated for this review.

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