Grace, tough and wise, has nearly given up on wishes, thanks to a childhood spent with her unpredictable, larger-than-life mother. But this summer, Grace meets Eva, a girl who believes in dreams, despite her own difficult circumstances. One fateful evening, Eva climbs through a window in Grace’s room, setting off a chain of stolen nights on the beach. When Eva tells Grace that she likes … she likes girls, Grace’s world opens up and she begins to believe in happiness again.
How to Make a Wish is an emotionally charged portrait of a mother and daughter’s relationship and a heartfelt story about two girls who find each other at the exact right time.
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Give it up for biracial and bisexual representation.
How to Make a Wish is about two girls. Grace is dealing with her upcoming audition to a music school in New York and the fact that she now lives with her ex-boyfriend. And then there’s Eva, a girl who is struggling with her grief over losing her mom.
I am so glad this book exists. F/f romance is so rare in YA, and to have a book that portrays it so beautifully is such a gift. Also it was extremely refreshing to read an LGBT+ YA book that doesn’t deal with “coming-out.” There was never any worry of anyone finding out about their relationship or if they wouldn’t be accepted by their friends and loved ones. (Honestly though this is so much more than a romance story.) And there’s also a biracial love interest, so..!!!!!
I loved everything about this book, the characters, the setting, the story. All the characters were so three-dimensional, the MC’s and the supporting ones. This is an extremely character-driven novel, each one complex and well-rounded. So don’t really expect a lot to happen plot wise, as it’s the relationships between all the characters that makes this book so amazing. Not only Grace and Eva (though they were too cute), but also Grace and Luca, Grace and her mom, and much more.
This book captured my attention from the first chapter. Grace’s story with her mom felt so real. Her anger, sadness, and feelings of helplessness, the way she described how she realized she was bisexual, felt so authentic, honestly it hit a little too close to home. It’s actually kind of creepy how much I related to this. And I know there will be a lot of people out there who will be able to relate to Eva as well.
I feel like this review is kind of a mess. The only thing that matters is: read this!!!! It’s skillfully written, raw, and amazing.
God this is my favorite book
Grace has had to grow up too quickly, thanks to her unpredictable mom, Maggie. So when Grace returns from piano camp and realizes that the flighty, alcoholic Maggie has forced her to move in with yet another of her boyfriends, it feels like the last straw. Even worse, his son happens to be Grace’s ex–the same ex who posted their sexts all over Tumblr after their breakup–and Maggie has no clue. It feels like the last straw. But then Grace meets Eva, who has moved in with Grace’s best friend’s family after her own tragedy. Eva and Grace form a fast friendship, and Grace feels her world shift slightly when Eva reveals to her that she’s a lesbian. But there’s still Maggie to deal with, and her erratic behavior. Grace feels tied to her mother above all, but those ties are preventing her from happiness. Can Grace find the strength to choose herself for once?
Ashley Herring Blake’s HOW TO MAKE A WISH was one of the best books I read in 2018. It was gorgeous and heartbreaking and amazing. This book certainly had some echoes of that one; Blake is a wonderful writer, and I will be continuing my quest to track down all of her books.
So Grace is a tough character. I felt for her immensely: she’s living the life of adult, basically, trying to care for and worry about her mother, who is a real piece of work. By doing so, she’s essentially paralyzed and unable to live her own life. Grace is a talented pianist who dreams of moving to New York to study at a conservatory there, but she lives in fear of living her mom behind. Her mom manipulates this fear, leaning on her daughter at every turn. (She was really a terrible woman; I couldn’t make myself feel sorry for her, even though she’d lost her husband when Grace was small.) Still, there were times when I wanted to shake Grace: you have a group of people who do love you and care about you! Go to them, use their support, stop defending your mom, you’re not a child anymore! I took this as a sign of Blake’s excellent writing abilities, as I was totally immersed in the book to the point that I was frustrated with and in love with her characters.
“I can’t leave her. She’s my mom; I’m her kid. We belong together.”
I really, really loved the Grace/Eva relationship in this book. I mean, what is there not to love? For one thing, Eva is a biracial lesbian. Can we say hurray representation?! I adored this sweet, fragile, yet incredibly tough girl. She was so funny and real to me. And then we have Grace, who was such a realistic bisexual. It’s just so heartening to see well-done bisexual relationships portrayed in YA books. Oh my goodness, I wish I had this to read when I was struggling with my bisexuality as a teen. And it makes me so happy to think about teens today reading this and seeing this representation as completely normal.
“But… well, I like who I like. I like the person.”
This book definitely sucks you into the characters’ lives. It’s quite well-written, and I really liked the supporting characters, especially Grace’s best friend, Luca and his mom. He’s a good friend. These poor kids are dealing with a lot, and your heart goes out to them, watching them struggle. At the same time, Grace and Eva’s relationship is so lovely.
“I know a lot of people on this godforsaken waste of space and a lot of people know me. But no one really knows me… I’ve had a handful of friends here and there, but with the ebb and flow of my existence, it was easier to keep my world as small as possible. Less explaining. Less lying to cover up why I’d moved again. Less worrying about what totally messed-up situation I’d encounter when I brought a friend home.”
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It features intricate characters and a great relationship in Eva and Grace. It’s sweet, funny, and heartbreaking at times. 4 stars
Grace has hopes and dreams as many high school students. She wishes to play the beloved piano at Carnegie Hall, to quit moving when her mother gets a whim, and for her mother to quit drinking. Grace has had to help her mother out of many situations in which she should not have had to deal and yet she still does not want to leave her mother as there would be no one there to give her help. Eva lost her mother and now lives with a guardian. She also has wishes and dreams but her tragic circumstances have stymied those dreams. Grace likes boys and girls, Eva likes girls. Both are hoping their wishes will come true. There were some explicit scenes which may cause problems for some readers.