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booagnes's review
4.0
Let me ask a question. Who here wouldn't want to be able to make your wishes come true? Have all of your most imaginative creations come to life? To be able to wish something into being? I can tell you one thing, I most definitely would love that! In the Wishing World, our plucky young heroine can do just that, and she puts it to work in an attempt to rescue her family from a mysterious evil.
Lorelei is a strong, smart, and very imaginative 11 year old. She is determined to do everything she can to find out how and why her Mom, Dad, and little brother disappeared. Along her journey, she discovers she has a special power: she can make her dreams and wishes come true! She is a Doolivanti. I rather liked the whole idea that she could write her wishes and make them come true. Like I mentioned before, I would love to be able to do something like that!
She meets a whole cast of characters: a rather brave griffon, a repetitive toucan, a mysterious water princess, and a seemingly-wise mouse... seemingly-wise because Lorelei can't understand a word he says. Together, the odd group travel the land of the Wishing World searching for a way to defeat the Ink King and rescue Lorelei's family. To me, this book was all about staying true to and believing in yourself, loyalty to friends and family, never giving up, teamwork, and the magic that can happen with a bit of imagination. There truly isn't a place more unique, wonderful, and at times terrifying, as the Wishing World. I loved exploring the different landscapes and learning about the dangers and wonders of this world, also known as Veloran. At times I was a bit confused, but then again, so was Lorelei. Since this story is told from her point of view, I feel as though that particular type of storytelling was most successful.
The Wishing World is a fantastic ride that is sure to capture the hearts and imaginations of readers young and old with its wondrous creatures, lush landscapes, brave heroine, and magical spirit!
**The publisher sent me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, which I originally posted on my blog, She Dreams in Fiction.**
Lorelei is a strong, smart, and very imaginative 11 year old. She is determined to do everything she can to find out how and why her Mom, Dad, and little brother disappeared. Along her journey, she discovers she has a special power: she can make her dreams and wishes come true! She is a Doolivanti. I rather liked the whole idea that she could write her wishes and make them come true. Like I mentioned before, I would love to be able to do something like that!
She meets a whole cast of characters: a rather brave griffon, a repetitive toucan, a mysterious water princess, and a seemingly-wise mouse... seemingly-wise because Lorelei can't understand a word he says. Together, the odd group travel the land of the Wishing World searching for a way to defeat the Ink King and rescue Lorelei's family. To me, this book was all about staying true to and believing in yourself, loyalty to friends and family, never giving up, teamwork, and the magic that can happen with a bit of imagination. There truly isn't a place more unique, wonderful, and at times terrifying, as the Wishing World. I loved exploring the different landscapes and learning about the dangers and wonders of this world, also known as Veloran. At times I was a bit confused, but then again, so was Lorelei. Since this story is told from her point of view, I feel as though that particular type of storytelling was most successful.
The Wishing World is a fantastic ride that is sure to capture the hearts and imaginations of readers young and old with its wondrous creatures, lush landscapes, brave heroine, and magical spirit!
**The publisher sent me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, which I originally posted on my blog, She Dreams in Fiction.**
meowzik's review
4.0
It's been a while since I've read anything from the 8-12 age range, and I'd forgotten how lovely the books and world building can be. The Wishing World was a great story - Lorelei was the perfect protagonist for this book, and seeing Veloran through her eyes was fantastic. The plot was great, and that it didn't stick too close to the hero/villain archetypes was really well done, the other characters and creatures were so well described. I loved the ending, especially with how she ended up leaving Veloran.
katsmiao's review
5.0
I very much enjoyed reading this book and think children and teens will love it.
It's filled with magical creatures, adventure, action and a great story.
Lorelei is awesome. She faces all situations as she discovers her powers and along the way meets many new friends, who help her.
This book is a great flight of fantasy, so original and fresh. It's a joy to read for readers of all ages, but I think kids will love it very much.
It's filled with magical creatures, adventure, action and a great story.
Lorelei is awesome. She faces all situations as she discovers her powers and along the way meets many new friends, who help her.
This book is a great flight of fantasy, so original and fresh. It's a joy to read for readers of all ages, but I think kids will love it very much.
qwordyq's review
4.0
A fun Middle Grade read. Very Inkheart, Alice in Wonderland, and labyrinth vibes. It's cute and fun. A little fast paced but I think it works for the actual target audience and not someone like me. It's got fun catchphrases and a variety of interesting characters and places that I think this would make a lovely graphic novel as well.
andyn5's review
5.0
This review was originally published on NetGalley.
Loved it! Simple plot, the writing is perfect and the pace of the story is just as good.
I really connected with the main character, Lorelei, a young girl with a very strong determination with the single objective of saving her family back after they are kidnapped on a camping trip. Her frustration and her growth really is the phase that all teenagers go through and it's amazing how much she grows and learns on her journey.
If you think that you have this book all figured out, you are are very mistaken. As twists happen in the story and more information about this world is revealed, you will see that it's not as the typical fantasy world and it's perfect. The ending is absolutely perfect, and it's the finishing touch for this unique novel.
Loved this new concept and this book is very much worth reading!
Read my other reviews at: http://booktraveller.weebly.com/
Loved it! Simple plot, the writing is perfect and the pace of the story is just as good.
I really connected with the main character, Lorelei, a young girl with a very strong determination with the single objective of saving her family back after they are kidnapped on a camping trip. Her frustration and her growth really is the phase that all teenagers go through and it's amazing how much she grows and learns on her journey.
If you think that you have this book all figured out, you are are very mistaken. As twists happen in the story and more information about this world is revealed, you will see that it's not as the typical fantasy world and it's perfect. The ending is absolutely perfect, and it's the finishing touch for this unique novel.
Loved this new concept and this book is very much worth reading!
Read my other reviews at: http://booktraveller.weebly.com/
fafabookcorner's review
Mini review:
DNF
I received this E-ARC via the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was excited to read this book. But when I started reading it I couldn't help thinking how convenient it was that the main character didn't get kidnapped along with rest of her family.
Still recommend.
DNF
I received this E-ARC via the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was excited to read this book. But when I started reading it I couldn't help thinking how convenient it was that the main character didn't get kidnapped along with rest of her family.
Still recommend.
anaelwynn's review
3.0
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The beginning of the book wasn’t the best. I felt really confused as to what was happening and how exactly the Wishing World worked. I was as confused as the main character.(Which I, in some cases, enjoy but this time I didn’t.) It just didn’t seem like everything was connecting as it should. But as the story continued, things got a lot more clearer and I began to enjoy the book a lot more. I found the whole world very fascinating and the adventure was a lot of fun to read about. I enjoyed learning about the magic and how everything worked. I think the world was my favourite part of the book.
The writing style was interesting, in a good way. It flowed really well and I flew through it a lot faster than I usually do. It was just easy to follow and enjoy. This writing style is not for everyone though, I can see how some people wouldn’t enjoy it. So I would recommend reading an excerpt, so that you can see if it’s to your liking.
The characters were all right. Nothing particularly outstanding or memorable. I enjoyed reading about them, but they were not my favourite. I couldn’t really relate to the main character, which I expected going into the book as she is a lot younger than I am(and very different from me). Still, I did like her, though I had some problems with her as well. (Not going into that, because it’s full of spoilers.)
I liked the world that was created in this book. The writing style was great as well, it fit the story perfectly. But I didn’t really care about the characters and I felt like the story lacked something. The beginning was confusing as well. Would I recommend this book? Yes, if it sounds like something you would enjoy! And definitely if you enjoy Middle Grade.
Originally posted on my blog, starlightkosmos
The beginning of the book wasn’t the best. I felt really confused as to what was happening and how exactly the Wishing World worked. I was as confused as the main character.
The writing style was interesting, in a good way. It flowed really well and I flew through it a lot faster than I usually do. It was just easy to follow and enjoy. This writing style is not for everyone though, I can see how some people wouldn’t enjoy it. So I would recommend reading an excerpt, so that you can see if it’s to your liking.
The characters were all right. Nothing particularly outstanding or memorable. I enjoyed reading about them, but they were not my favourite. I couldn’t really relate to the main character, which I expected going into the book as she is a lot younger than I am
I liked the world that was created in this book. The writing style was great as well, it fit the story perfectly. But I didn’t really care about the characters and I felt like the story lacked something. The beginning was confusing as well. Would I recommend this book? Yes, if it sounds like something you would enjoy! And definitely if you enjoy Middle Grade.
Originally posted on my blog, starlightkosmos
mxhermit's review
2.0
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of this novel attracted me because the wish fulfillment aspect has always been appealing. Even with the vast amount of power that you would think comes along with that gift, it's never as simple as it appears to be. When Lorelei has to use her newfound abilities to save her kidnapped family from the Ink King, a mysterious creature that has the same powers she does, it sounds like I as the reader am in for a good adventure.
I found this not to be the case, though, at least not entirely. The beginning of the book starts off rather rapidly. A lot of the establishing action has happened already: Lorelei losing her parents and brother, refusing to accept that they're dead like everyone else in her life does, etc. She is thrust into the Wishing World by accident, but still very quickly. I didn't really have time to get to know her as a character.
What bothered me about her in particular in the beginning was that I couldn't get a grasp on her age and thus couldn't accurately picture her in my head or in this narrative. As a middle grade novel heroine, I'd expect her to be around twelve or so, but there were ways that she spoke and acted that made it seem like she could be anywhere between twelve and sixteen. Then, just when I thought that perhaps she was older, she'd go back and do something else that was quite childish. It made it a roller coaster ride of trying to figure out Lorelei the character.
As for the story line itself, I tried very hard to get into it because, as stated above, the idea of a story about wish fulfillment and it not being as easy as one would think is very appealing. Even when Aladdin got the genie (phenomenal cosmic powers and all that), he still had a lot of problems, some of which stemmed from not knowing how to handle said power. The plot and pacing of The Wishing World, though, felt a bit all over the place. One minute there'd be so much action I didn't know where to look; the next minute it would drag and I would find myself metaphorically checking my watch and wondering how much longer the book would take to read. It wasn't a well planned rise and fall of action to my mind, like an enjoyable story ought to be, so the fun was taken out of this book for me.
I can't say I'd really recommend this book strongly, but I wouldn't warn people away from it actively either. There may well be some readers that enjoy the chaos more than I would have and to them I wish the best of reading time.
The premise of this novel attracted me because the wish fulfillment aspect has always been appealing. Even with the vast amount of power that you would think comes along with that gift, it's never as simple as it appears to be. When Lorelei has to use her newfound abilities to save her kidnapped family from the Ink King, a mysterious creature that has the same powers she does, it sounds like I as the reader am in for a good adventure.
I found this not to be the case, though, at least not entirely. The beginning of the book starts off rather rapidly. A lot of the establishing action has happened already: Lorelei losing her parents and brother, refusing to accept that they're dead like everyone else in her life does, etc. She is thrust into the Wishing World by accident, but still very quickly. I didn't really have time to get to know her as a character.
What bothered me about her in particular in the beginning was that I couldn't get a grasp on her age and thus couldn't accurately picture her in my head or in this narrative. As a middle grade novel heroine, I'd expect her to be around twelve or so, but there were ways that she spoke and acted that made it seem like she could be anywhere between twelve and sixteen. Then, just when I thought that perhaps she was older, she'd go back and do something else that was quite childish. It made it a roller coaster ride of trying to figure out Lorelei the character.
As for the story line itself, I tried very hard to get into it because, as stated above, the idea of a story about wish fulfillment and it not being as easy as one would think is very appealing. Even when Aladdin got the genie (phenomenal cosmic powers and all that), he still had a lot of problems, some of which stemmed from not knowing how to handle said power. The plot and pacing of The Wishing World, though, felt a bit all over the place. One minute there'd be so much action I didn't know where to look; the next minute it would drag and I would find myself metaphorically checking my watch and wondering how much longer the book would take to read. It wasn't a well planned rise and fall of action to my mind, like an enjoyable story ought to be, so the fun was taken out of this book for me.
I can't say I'd really recommend this book strongly, but I wouldn't warn people away from it actively either. There may well be some readers that enjoy the chaos more than I would have and to them I wish the best of reading time.
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