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35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Delicious, August 8, 2004
When a "real" life entity enters a book of fiction, and the reader perks up in anticipation to see how the author handles the writing of this character, you know that you're reading the work of a good writer. Such it is with The Wish List.
When Beelzebub made his initial appearance, I practically sat straight up with my hair on end. Colfer has such a terrific sense of humor, and a remarkable ability with characterization, that I looked forward to the scenes with Beelzebub (and especially his ruminations on Satan) the most. That's not to say that the rest of the story was uninteresting - far from it. The story was refreshingly unconventional, and while I promised myself that I would never mention Artemis Fowl in a review about Colfer's other works, I feel the need to say this: This man can write books without Artemis Fowl in them. Unfortunately (?) Artemis Fowl - not just the character, but the entire series - is so riveting that it can be difficult to look past it and judge the rest of Colfer's work as standing on their own.
Well, difficult for some, but not for me.
This book tells the engaging and delightful story of a girl who made a series of poor choices in her life (although many can be forgiven due to the effects of her horrid stepfather), and one particularly bad choice. It's almost a delightful twist of such concept films as "It's a Wonderful Christmas", or perhaps even a satire, and it works brilliantly. It would have been very easy to fall into cliché ridden roles and experiences, but Colfer is far too deft an author to fall prey to any of those.
Delightful book, highly recommended.
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20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Something for the entire family..., October 4, 2003
This is the best book I have read in a long time. I borrowed it from my youngest son and was thoroughly engrossed. It is a book I would like to read aloud and discuss with my children. For anyone curious about life after life and how our place in eternity is decided, The Wish List provides some very thought provoking content. The heroine, Meg Fin, finds herself prematurely in the hereafter, due to her and her partner in crime, Belch, untimely death while they are trying to rob an ageing pensioner, Lowrie McCall. Meg's balance sheet tallies to an unusual 50/50. Since neither heaven nor hell can claim her, she is sent back by St. Peter to help Lowrie. If she can tilt the balance sheet by doing good, she will go to heaven. However, Satan has decided he'd like to have someone of Meg's intelligence and determination in hell, so he sends Belch to drag her back. Lowrie feels he wasted his life. The Wish List is a list Lowrie has made of four things he wants to do before dying and Meg must help him achieve them if she wants to get to heaven. How they work together, and while so doing, develop a deep respect and compassion for each other, is amazing. Meg comes to understand Lowrie's life and heart and develops a deep compassion for him and a determination to help him atain his four wishes before he dies. Lowrie also comes to understand Meg's deep sorrow after losing her mother. Mr. Colfer is a master storyteller who weaves a wondrous tale...it's almost like he's had a sneak preview of the hereafter. This book will make you laugh and cry, and think quite a lot. I recommend it for all readers. Mr. Colfer ranks with Madeline l'Engle and C.S. Lewis as my favorite authors.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but not great..., September 29, 2004
Once again, Eoin Colfer has come out with a highly imaginative and inventive book that is sure to delight many readers. While "The Wish List" is not short on charm, it does run short on narrative suspense. As long as a reader maintains their suspension of disbelief, they'll enjoy this book very much--if not, it's not difficult to see gaping holes that were not present in the Artemis Fowl series.
For instance, the character of Meg, if not brilliant, should be at least very charming--or very likable. She really does display the bratty characteristics of her 14 year old self very well, but does not exibit the depth that would make her a fully-developed character. She is a bit like a relentless "wise-crack" machine--sometimes you just wish she would say something with intelligence or intent--or refrain from speaking at other points.
The major flaw with this book is that there is never a sense that Meg can't accomplish the goal she is set out to accomplish. The characters meant to throw a wrench in her plans (Beelzebub and Belch in particular) never get close enough to foiling her for us to believe that she is in any real danger. They start to unravel before they get a chance to meet Meg in most cases. I realize that this very much a "God in the Machine" book due to its very nature of dealing with Heaven and Hell, but the deus ex machina is a little much in some regards.
That being said, Eoin Colfer's writing is easy to digest--he combines very subtle humor in with obviously sharp wit. I will say, dear reader, that this book is entertaining--and most in the age sets of 10-15 will enjoy it.
Parents: if you are purchasing this book for one of your young adults, I would caution you to read it first if you are particularly sensitive to religious portrayals. Although I was not offended by anything in the book, and most will realize that this is truly FANTASY and not meant to be an accurate portrayal of any religious paradigms--people with very fundamental or specific views about religion that wish to shield their children from alternative interpretations (whether this is right or wrong) will want to review this material before hand.
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