Customer Reviews

Just One Wish

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There is nothing Annika wouldn't do for her six-year-old brother Jeremy. She adores him to no end and she wants to give him anything he wants. More than anything, she wants to give him hope. Jeremy has cancer and he's about to have surgery. He's been very nervous about it so Annika is sure that all he needs is positive thinking to get him through it. Annika knows she has to be creative and make him believe that things will go well, so she tells him she has a magic genie that can grant wishes. What can go wrong? She knows what he wants, or at least she thinks she does. When her good intentions backfire and Jeremy wishes for Steve Raleigh, his favorite actor, to visit him, Annika decides to do whatever it takes to make his wish come true. She figures it shouldn't be too hard. She'll just show him Jeremy's picure and he will have to agree. Easy.

Not. So not easy. Stalking an actor is way harder than she thought. First of all, she has to find him, then she has to get close enough to talk to him without getting arrested or making a fool of herself. But Annika is no quitter. Even if it means wrangling snakes, becoming a nun and doing her own stunts, she will bring Steve to her brother. But once she captures him, will she be able to resist his charms? After all, he is rich, gorgeous and famous. They don't live in the same world but they may have more in common than they think.

Just One Wish is a bit of a tear-jerker, but it is also sweet, romantic and hilarious. The situatuions Annika gets herself into (and somehow manages to get out of) will make you laugh out loud and her devotion and love for her brother will melt your heart. I adore Janette Rallison's wit and humor. I love how she creates such amazing and relatable characters and truly brings them to life. This is another fantastic book she has written and I highly recommend it to anyone with a beating heart.

Well-established young adult author Janette Rallison hits new highs with JUST ONE WISH, which focuses on a 17 year-old's desperate struggle to do what she can to help her 6 year-old brother in his battle with cancer. Alternately poignant and amusing, the storyline offers many surprises, as well as enjoyable moments as Annika starts an unlikely relationship with a popular TV teen idol.
I highly recommend it.

You know how sometimes you think out something so well that you're pretty sure you know exactly how everyone is going to react and then it doesn't happen that way? Well, that's exactly the position Annika is in except for her, it happens on a much bigger level. She thought she knew what wishes her brother would make and she knew exactly how to make them come true - but then he changes his mind and makes an impossible wish. To give her brother hope, Annika has to make the wish come true, and you know, maybe she'll fall in love along the way.

I'm not a big fan of celebrity characters because they're usually unrealistically nice or total jerks. Fortunately, Rallison knows exactly how to make a TV star seem realistic but also like someone you'd want to hang around.

She also knows how to write about sibling love without getting overly sappy. Annika and Jeremy have a relationship that, despite the circumstances, is surprisingly sweet and I'd love to have a similar relationship with my brother.

Once I started this, I really couldn't put it down. The plot isn't extremely complex but the emotions really came thrown. Some parts had me laughing out loud (which got me some pretty weird looks) and others had me really sad. The ending wasn't my favorite but it was realistic and if it had went any other way, it would have been too perfect.

I definitely recommend this one.

This was a great book! It had humor and romance intertwined. I was amazed to find out that this book didn't have any: curses or sex scenes. What a refreshing change in teen books! For those of you out there, that didn't mean that this book was boring. There was plenty of romance and humor, along with adventure and a good plot.

I loved this book. I read My Fair Godmother and really liked it; I loved this one even more. Annika's love and sacrifice for her brother were so touching. Even though the book has very sad moments, it's a tender story, with a romantic love story to help you through it. I loved it and highly recommend.

Annika is seventeen, and her little brother Jeremy has cancer. She believes he'll have a better chance at surviving surgery if he has something to look forward to. She tells him a genie is going to bring the TV character he believes is real, a teenage Robin Hood, to meet him. In Annika's mind, her brother's survival gets intensely tied up with her keeping this promise. So much so that she drives to the TV show's set and after some wild moments--that are both very touching and very funny--she actually persuades the star of the show to come with her. Their adventures on the road to Annika's home make for terrific entertainment.

My teenage daughter brought this home from the school library. She told me I just had to read it, and she was right. Once I picked it up, I just inhaled it. Great comedy, and great romance. I am amazed at what a great job this author does combining very touching, emotional stuff like the poor, sick little brother and wild, madcap comedy. Annika is a brave, resourceful, extremely loving sister, and the guy she falls for turns out to be a decent person, too.

Just One Wish by Janette Rallison follows Annika as she goes on a delightfully fun adventure to get the actor that plays Teen Robin Hood for her brother before his cancer surgery Annika uses her imagination, her persuasive skills and her archery skills to get herself into (and out of) many sticky situations.

This is a delightful romantic comedy with heart. Annika is a three dimensional heroine who isn't afraid to go above and beyond to make her brother happy. The novel is funny and romantic, sweet and sad. I stayed up late finishing the book because I was so engrossed in the story.

Appropriateness: Annika lies to her parents and commits some mayhem while working to fufill her brothers dream. She's a strong and confident girl who doesn't need a man to fight her battles for her. I'd recommend this book to 10-15 year old lovers of contemporary comedic romance.

I bought this Hardcover for $5.38(bargain price) at Barnes and Noble a little while back...let me just say this book is definitely worth more than a little over 5 dollars.

I had high expectations for this one and the result was pure entertainment; sweetness, humor, and intelligence...a pleasure to have read from start to finish. As for the plot, it seems impossible to have anything to do with "Hollywoods' Golden Boy" but Annika does just that. The story line seems typical...unrealistic probably but in truth it's so absorbing with all it's charms a young adult could ask for in a teen romance novel.

Janette Rallison has astonishing talent that takes the reader to full captivity as her story and characters draw you in with a promising flow. I appreciate the hard work put into Just One Wish.

This was Genius. I would recommend this to any twelve years and above.

I received the book in a timely manner. It was clearly new as I had ordered. They even sent it in hardback when I had only expected paperback. In the past I have had used books shipped when I had ordered new ones so this is important to me.

As for the book, I do enjoy some juvenile books, but this was too young, even for me. Its a clean book, perfect for any teenage girl.

Title: Just One Wish
Pages: 264
Author: Janette Rallison
Author of 8 other middle grade and young adult books. Has 5 kids, several cats, one dog, and a husband. Grew up in Washington and currently lives in Chandler, AZ. Takes cues from her teenage daughter's frequent dramas for book ideas.
Agent: Erin Murphy Literary Agency (Does not accept unsolicited queries)

I want to put out a blanket statement that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I enjoyed it so much that I licked my fingers often in an attempt to turn the pages faster while I read. I laughed when the author wanted me to and cried unexpectedly when she twisted my heart strings.

This book packed a punch with an exagerated view of how a teen might deal with cancer in a family. The main moral of the book revolved around families. I know, this is so not a usual plot twist for a romance novel. However, the overall theme joined the two characters. It was the whole opposites attract, but with families. Annika Truman loved her family so much that she was willing to do anything for them even go to the extremes of almost kidnapping a celebrity to just give her younger brother a little hope. Steve Raleigh, the star of Teen Robin Hood, had divorced his family at the age of 16 and had an extremely hard time trying to communicate with them, much less be in the same room as them. The end is a tear jerker but good.

Enough about that, let's talk about the romance. Steven is 19, hot and single. Annika is 17... going on 18 (it's okay you can sing it if you want to) and emotionally broken. She is athletic, beautiful, and determined. She lies and manipilates her way into Steve's life... for the greater good of course, and gets close enough for him to become suspicious of her. Threats of police, leaping from tall buildings, and the ultimate showdown has Annika getting her wish, leaving Steve with a grudging sense of awe at the slip of a girl.
Don't worry, this book does break out the chisseled jawlines, impressive muscles, and melting eyes. My two favorite lines from the book are:

1)He sat in front of me, staring at me with eyes that could strike a girl mute.

& even better...

2)I admire a person who devotes his life to justice, who can live off the land, and who still looks hot after sleeping in the forest. That's real talent.

Overall I give this book a eight out of ten. It was an easy read, 1-2 day, and touched on teen issues without making all of them seem like immoral, sex craved dilinquents, and the romance was enough to not make me want to throw the book across the room in frustration. It was clean while being realistic...ish.
I would recommend this book for 13 and up. She does afterall learn her lesson about lying.

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