Just One Wish Review

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(More customer 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.


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The Straits Review

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(More customer reviews)After a hurricane took the life of both his sister and his mother, Jim Beauregard now resides in a FEMA trailer with his aunt Mel. When Jim is fired after his arch-enemy sets him up and with FEMA placing The Straits under eviction, Jim's only hope is cards. Though participating in an illegal underground poker ring may be risky, Jim has no choice. Can one simple hand of Hold 'Em Texas get Jim enough money to survive eviction and even get Hollis Mulwray off his back for good? Or is there something more important at risk here?
.........
The Straits was an Ace read, not to mention there was a Full House of spectacular characters. Not only was it an edgy story of a guy living in a hurricane-depressed neighborhood who also constantly gets a bad reputation; but the story of letting go of self-blame. (Oh, yeah and I always wondered what really happened to all those people who lost their homes and were supposedly helped by FEMA.)
The book's settings leaped right out of the pages and into your mind. Jim and other important character's backgrounds were easily told in just a few short chapters leaving plenty of room for the emotional side of the story. Even though Jim's situations were not always pleasant, the storyline was absorbing: the characters, the poker games, the local teen hangout, the mysterious trailer, and the best ending you could ever hope for. I knew Hollis would get what was coming to him sooner or later, but what did happen was the best play yet.
You know what I truly liked about this book? The Straits was written so smoothly, it was like watching an actual movie in your head-even down to the last little camera shot detail. Since the author is a graduate student in a film program at Colombia University, welp, maybe someday The Straits will really come to life.... on the big screen.
Overall The Straits was a brilliant emotional journey of letting go, and one heck of a poker game.Genre: Realistic/Contemporary, Tragedy, Drama
Age Group: YA, ages 14+ Content: Some language, drinking
Personally Enjoyed It: 4/5 Rating (based on content): 3/5

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He could have saved them.

When a hurricane ripped through Florida last year, it leveled high school student Jim Beauregard's house—while his mom and sister were trapped inside.

Now "home" is a FEMA trailer, shared with his overweight and disabled aunt. Facing eviction, Jim's got to earn enough money for a new place, fast. But when he loses his construction job after being duped by his nemesis, Hollis Mulwray, Jim's got nothing left. Only by joining an underground poker gambling ring does he see a glimmer of hope—in a roomful of dangerous (and possibly crazy) older men.

But more could be at stake than he realizes.

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