October Chick Lit Challenge Read #2: To Wish or Not to Wish

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Welcome to my second October review for the Chick Lit Plus Challenge! I figured now was as good a time as any to finish Mindy Klasky's As You Wish Series. To Wish or Not to Wish is the third and final novel in the trilogy (check out my review of the second novel, When Good Wishes Go Bad). And what better day to post it than Halloween?

Here's the synopsis, courtesy of Goodreads:

Erin Hollister is waiting for her big break - or even a small one. She's been dumped by her boyfriend, canned by her employer and it doesn't seem that her dream of making it on Broadway will come true either. But then she's given a lantern - complete with genie! - and it looks as if a little magic may be in store..

That is, if she can decide what to wish for. There's the rub. Career? Family? Love life? Even a charismatic genie can grant only so many wishes. Or maybe Erin should just hold on to all those magical chances and think about what might be (instead of seeing just what's under her nose).

Time's running out. Ultimately, it's Erin who must decide how to keep the magic alive - forever.

This book was just as enjoyable as the first two in the series. Who doesn't love a good magical story with a heavy dose of romance? Ok, probably not everyone, but there are a lot of you out there, I'm sure! :)

As much as I liked reading about Erin's magical journey, I don't think I liked her as much as Becca from the second book. It seemed to me that Erin hadn't quite grown up yet and needed a lot of guidance and support from her older sister. That being said, I do think that Erin grows up and matures by the end of the novel which is something I always like to see. I have to say that I enjoyed the Master Plan that Erin's sister came up with. Erin had a bad habit of jumping from one monogamous relationship to another and her sister wants her to stop, hence the implementation of the Master Plan. First, she has to take care of a plant for four weeks. Then, if she manages to keep that alive, she is supposed to get a fish. Once the fish is stable and thriving (can't remember the exact timeline) Erin must get a cat. After taking care of all of these things, which takes sixteen months total, Erin is then able to start dating. Needless to say, Erin was not impressed with these dating restrictions but she was desperate to change her ways! Of course, the whole Plan gets turned upside down once Erin is introduced to Teel, her own personal genie.

There's not much else I can say about this novel that's much different than my review of When Good Wishes Go Bad. The underlying plot is the same - Erin has to make four wishes (yes, these genies are able to make four wishes), she works in theatre, and there's a guy that's caught her eye. Actually, two. This is the way that the third novel plays with the romance aspect that is present in each book in the trilogy. And no, I'm not telling you about this mysterious second man. Read the book to find out :) I'm glad that Klasky was able to keep things fresh and keep the books from becoming formulaic. She also threw in another revelation about the magical world at the end of the novel after Teel's granted Erin her four wishes. It is such a touching moment and love that Klasky was able to work it in.

Reading this series made me wonder what I would use my four wishes for if I was somehow presented with a magic lamp and a genie. It's sort of neat to think about. Would you be totally selfish and use all of your wishes on yourself? Or would you use some of your wishes on friends, family, or even people you've only just met? All three women use wishes for someone else (I think...I can't quite remember what Kira's wishes were. I read the first book at least a year ago) and I think that shows the character and integrity in their personalities. When the need arose they did not hesitate on using a wish on someone else. It made the women instantly more likeable than they already were. I would definitely want to help out my friends and family and would have no problem using a wish to better their lives. Of course, I would probably wish to be set up with my dream job and having a home that was totally paid for would be pretty awesome too (and I could get it - Becca did!) I'd love to hear how you'd all use your wishes!

Overall, I enjoyed reading To Wish or Not to Wish and would recommend this novel and the entire series to chick lit lovers who like a bit of magic in their books.

PS I always pictured Teel as Genie from Aladdin even though in all of his/her incarnations he/she wasn't a big blue genie. :) So, I leave you with this photo...

Happy reading! :)