Customer Reviews

The Wish List

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(45)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Let me start by saying I read this book maybe two weeks ago so I might be a little sketchy when it comes to details.

That said, I really liked this book. It is not some romanticized teeny bopper book (which I am rapidly growing sick of). While it doesn't shove morals and religious beliefs down your throat (it actually does the opposite), it still gives you something to think about.

The characters are real. All of their actions are explained. Lowrie's memories of school and the things he missed out on fit perfectly well and his reactions to the people he hasn't seen in years are realistic and even touching, but not in a tearjerker kind of way. But, the best thing about the characters has to be the way the author wrote Meg. She isn't annoyingly self-depricating or shattered or completely self-concious like most teenage girls are portrayed to be in novels. She's tough but vulnerable and cynical (in an endearing way) enough to be someone you actually know.

Another thing I enjoyed was the way the author portrayed the after-life. Hell was bad and all but Heaven wasn't portrayed all fluffy and shiny like it always seems to be. I loved how Saint Peter was annoyed that he had to stand outside the gates while everyone else got to go in. His ridicule of the other saints and disciples is so human, I nearly fell out of my chair (not really, but you catch my drift). And the way the author generalized the people that go to hell (Oscar winning actors, computer programmers, etc.) is so funny. And the things that Beezlebub had to do to appease the devil were pretty amusing as well. I also found it interesting that the author would think to put technology in the after life.

As much as I enjoyed this book, there were a few points that I didn't like so much. Sometimes a wish would drag on and on before it actually go fulfilled while on other ones, it was over in a chapter. Also, Fletch (the purgatory creature) reminded me a little bit too much of a mix of Gollum (in the way he talked) and that Blunk character from the W.I.T.C.H. TV show (ditto). Not necessarily bad but it weirded me out.

To sum it up, this book is a very interesting read especially if you're bored out of your mind with Teen Lit. It doesn't tell you what to believe about the after-life but gives you a look into the author's ideas about it. It's somewhat religious but never preachy. It lags sometimes but has a satisfying ending with no promise of a crappy sequel or, worse, a series

A Warning though: this is not a book for people with no sense of humor (especially when it comes to religion)

This is a really great book!!! Only Eoin Colfer could turn hanging by a thread between Heaven and Hell and being sent back to help someone you wronged while having a half human half dog demon on your tail ready to drag you down to Hell into a very pleasant, humorous, action filled book, filled with emotion.

Eoin Colfer did a great job with this book and all the others he has written like the ones in The Artemis Fowl Series and The Supernaturalist.

Meg Finn is a 14-year-old girl who, after her mother died, left her mean lazy boob of a stepfather. She now is helping Belch to rob an old guy named Lowrie McCall. When they are in the house Lowrie comes out with his gun to find Meg and Belch busy pawing through his stuff. With that gun pointed at him, Belch decides to set his vicious dog on the old man. The mutt lunges at Lowrie and blood gushes everywhere. Meg grabs the gun and threatens Belch with it if he won't call of his dog. Belch calls him off but then grabs the gun and chases Meg down an alley there he kills Meg and himself and his dog. (killing himself was unintentional) Meg finds herself traveling down the tunnel. Instead of down with Belch, as she expected, she keeps going straight. Because of saving Lowrie, her list of good and bad deeds has come out even. Meg has to go back and help old Lowrie if she wants to get up into Heaven.

Unfortunately for Meg though, the Devil has seen the bad things Meg has done in her past and is also wanting her soul. He sends Belch to make her do something bad so she will be on an express ride to Hell.

Back on Earth, Meg has to help Lowrie, but he is not making it easy. Lowrie has made a wish list for her to help him to complete (hence the title). The list takes them all over the world, with Belch in hot pursuit. Lowrie and Meg have a shaky relationship at first but as the story goes on their friendship strengthens till they are strongly connected by friendship.

This book is extremely good and is filled with the sarcastic humor that is so common in Eoin Colfer's books. This book had a lot in common with the Artemis Fowl Series such as the Action, the style of writing, and all the high-tech gizmos. Colfer couldn't even give up all fairy stuff as Belch continuously was calling the hologram, named ELPH, a fairy to further irritate him (the hologram was sent to help Belch in his quest to retrieve Meg).

I highly recommend The Wish List which is humorous, and packed with action as well as heart.

Meg Finn's soul hangs in the balance between Heaven and Hell, she must return to Earth to shift the balance to good. Specifically she must partner up with an old man she wronged just before her death, help set his life to right. Meg is hindered by her undead ex-partner in crime, who didn't fare as well as her in the hereafter, fused together with his dog and working for the Devil.

Like the Artemis Fowl series, Eoin Colfer, mixes magic and mundane, science and supernatural to create a strange "para"-paranormal world that has an afterlife with it's own bureaucracy and office supplies. The "last chance" concept, while not strikingly original (ex. Ghost, Heaven's Gate, etc.) is done in clever, inoffensive manner. The main character is believable and at most times likable, the villains are interesting enough, not particularly fleshed out, but then they are supposed to be ghosts.

I am a very big fan of the Artemis Fowl books, but this one just can't compete. It was very good and a well written book but I just could not get into it like the Fowl books. The book is about a young girl, Meg Finn, who has just begun to enter the world of crime. While doing a favor for a "friend" Meg finds herself in the position of choosing whether to save a man or let him die. But something goes terribly wrong and Meg finds herself, as well as her "friend", dead. Now, in order to reach Heaven she has to go back to Earth and make amends for her life to the tune of good deads. The book is fairly fast paced, and action packed, it has a lot of dry humor and most Artemis Fowl fans should like it.
I would recomend reading this book if you are looking for something easy to read, it does not have many plot twists so it is not all that hard to read.

I would recommend this book to everyone who is interested in the "after life". I understand that we have our own beliefs so we all pretty much different answers as to what might happen "next". Eoin Colfer explains his own version as to what the mystery of the "after life" is. In the book "The Wish List", a girl called Meg Finn is too bad for heaven, but too goos for hell. She battles demons, and manages to take care of an old man called Lowrie, what talent!, let's hear a round of applause!

Ever thought about what would happen when you died if you were equally bad as good? Would you go to heaven? Or would you go to hell? These are the words that Meg Finn thought about when she died, although she was 14.
The story starts when she is skulking around an old man's apartment with a lowlife by the name of Belch Brennan, attempting to rob the old man's house. But then they are caught, and Meg ends up in a very sticky situation. Belch shot a gas tank with his pistol and they both die, but Meg ends up being able to go back to the real world, but only to help the man who she robbed and fulfill the last of his wishes. Then she will be able to go to heaven.
Eoin Colfer is also the author of the Artemis Fowl books, and also The Supernaturalist. Personally, I think they are all very good books. They are all basically written in the same style, all with tons of very advanced, made-up equipment, things we probably won't even have in 50 years! But all of the books are very imaginative, with much humor and fantasy.
This book I would recommend for anyone that likes to read fantasy.

I have to applaud Eoin Colfer's attempts at trying to become known for other novels besides those relating to Artemis Fowl. This novel, with its Heaven, Hell, and Earth settings, makes for interesting reading...as Colfer gives us his take on what death, the afterlife, and all things in between must be like. I think young adults will find a good role model in Meg, a girl who is caught between being good...and being really bad. I think Colfer does a good job of relating to teens in this book. The plot is a pretty simple (see other reviews as they sum it up pretty well) one....but there are a few good twists that will keep the reader going. Colfer has a really great imagination, and it really shines through. Of course, there are remnants of the Artemis Fowl world here, especially in Miyishi, the technologically-inclined arch-demon. Even though I am 28, and not 16, I did really enjoy this one...and I think you will too. It reads fast...lots of dialogue...and the ending is believable. If you are looking for some good summer reading, pick this one up!