Just One Wish (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "I would have expected to see this sort of line if, say, Elvis had returned from the dead to give a concert..." (more)
Key Phrases: merry man, archery club, Robin Hood, Steve Raleigh, Maid Marion (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7–10—This screwball comedy-cum-heartfelt drama is by turns far-fetched, enjoyable, and touching. Seventeen-year-old Annika's little brother, Jeremy, is about to undergo surgery for cancer. The teen promises him that she has a genie that will bring his favorite TV character, Teen Robin Hood, to meet him. In what seems like too much of a sitcom plot, Annika drives several hours, invades the show's set, and persuades its star to come home with her. He's on a tight schedule. Paparazzi attack them. His car breaks down. Steve and Annika fall in love, adding a sweet, but uncertain, romance to the mix. She also learns that he has a family situation of his own to resolve. Questions about the meaning of life and whether there is a caring God give the book heft but don't always jibe with its lighter aspects. Annika is a resourceful, kindhearted heroine, and her Robin Hood has dimension as well. The novel is interesting enough to attract reluctant readers, and it makes a fine, if not necessary, addition to the chick-lit shelf.—Tina Zubak, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA
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From Booklist

Rallison has become known for her girls’ sports fiction, with light, breezy tones, sometimes didactic messages, and satisfying happy endings. Here she deviates from this formula, as 17-year-old Annika tries desperately to get TV-star Steve Raleigh, of Teen Robin Hood fame, to visit her six-year-old brother, Jeremy, before the brain-tumor surgery that may or may not save his life. Despite the circumstances, madcap adventures abound: Annika’s attempts to infiltrate the Burbank studio set during the filming of the show, disguised as an animal handler with a huge snake, are predictable but delightful. Her initial reaction to Steve is distaste and disgust—which means that soon enough they are a romantic item. However, what drives this story is not their romance, but rather Annika’s love for her little brother and the courage she displays as she tries to save him. The sibling relationship between Annika and Jeremy is both believable and heartrending—get out your handkerchiefs! Grades 7-11. --Debbie Carton

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (March 5, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399246185
• ISBN-13: 978-0399246180
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #436,372 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So Sweet, March 11, 2009

By	Sora Hikaru "Michelle" (PA) - See all my reviews

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, May 19, 2009

By	Tina Ferraro "YA author" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Harmony Book Reviews, May 1, 2009

By	Harmony Book Reviews "Harmony" - See all my reviews

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.