“The story’s message, that people should choose joy even (and especially) in difficult and painful times, seems tailor-made for this moment. A timely, uplifting read about finding joy in the midst of tragedy, filled with quirky characters and comforting warmth.”–Kirkus (starred review) From the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away comes a stunning new novel full of heart and … a stunning new novel full of heart and hope.
Samantha Casey is a school librarian who loves her job, the kids, and her school family with passion and joy for living.
But she wasn’t always that way.
Duncan Carpenter is the new school principal who lives by rules and regulations, guided by the knowledge that bad things can happen.
But he wasn’t always that way.
And Sam knows it. Because she knew him before–at another school, in a different life. Back then, she loved him–but she was invisible. To him. To everyone. Even to herself. She escaped to a new school, a new job, a new chance at living. But when Duncan, of all people, gets hired as the new principal there, it feels like the best thing that could possibly happen to the school–and the worst thing that could possibly happen to Sam. Until the opposite turns out to be true. The lovable Duncan she’d known is now a suit-and-tie wearing, rule-enforcing tough guy so hell-bent on protecting the school that he’s willing to destroy it.
As the school community spirals into chaos, and danger from all corners looms large, Sam and Duncan must find their way to who they really are, what it means to be brave, and how to take a chance on love–which is the riskiest move of all.
With Katherine Center’s sparkling dialogue, unforgettable characters, heart, hope, and humanity, What You Wish For is the author at her most compelling best.
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I received an ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest, voluntary review. Katherine Center has never disappointed me when it comes to excellent writing and fantastic characters. Her stories draw you in and will captivate you until the very last page. Congratulations Katherine for another superb book! Enjoy!
Duncan has taken over as principal for a private school in Galveston, Texas. Sam knows Duncan from a previous place she worked. She is amazed at the change in him. He has done an about face. He is no longer the carefree, fun teacher she once knew. He is rigid and petrified.
This is not my favorite Katherine Center book. I had a hard time at the start of this read. Duncan did something and it totally turned me off (you have to read it to find out). He did something no principal would have ever done. And if he did…he should have been fired on the spot! So, it took me a little to start to enjoy this book and to get past that. What helped was Sam. She is everything a school librarian should be. She made this book! Then, there is a little boy named Clay. He stole the show at the end of this tale. I adore him! And last, is the setting. Oh Galveston! What an amazing place to set this story. We went several years ago and it is perfect for this read!
This is a story about overcoming weaknesses and allowing yourself to grow, to not be stuck with old hurts and damages. I know….easier said than done. But, Katherine Center pulls you in with good characters and as a reader you just want what’s best for everyone!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
I wish to read this again and again! The theme of choose joy, choose love, choose to celebrate, is consistently written throughout without being heavy-handed. It’s such a perfect book to read while everything in the world is uncertain. We can actively choose to find joy and share it.
Sam has psuedo adopted Max and Babette, the founders of the school she works at, as her family. She basically lives in a happy bubble until Max unexpectedly dies and Duncan comes back into her life. Duncan is no long goofy and she wants to turn back time and bring the old him back. After Max’s death, she knows everyone needs his old carefree, happy leadership.
Every character added value to the book as a whole, from math-pun-t-shirt-wearing Alice to brainy-whiz-kid Clay. I read this so quickly and adored every sentence. Katherine handles difficult topics with finesse. This feel-good book will not disappoint.
Thank you, St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy! All thoughts in this review are my own.
There was an awful lot to like about this book. I enjoyed the school that Max and Babette created. I think that every kid could find a way to learn in an atmosphere like that. I also appreciated the seriousness of Duncan’s past experiences and how they shaped his perspective in his new school. I thought that the journey of Sam was less successful. A major part of her character was not mentioned until later in the story. Then it all of a sudden became this huge part of her. It felt a little contrived. I would have appreciated it more if that had been a bigger issue in the beginning as well. As a result, I didn’t feel like I got a good grasp on her until more details were shared. It was as if sections of the book got moved around in editing, and something that should have been earlier was moved to later. The subplot of Max and Babette’s daughter, Tina, and her son Clay also wasn’t fully recognized throughout the story. It was in the beginning and then a catalyst for the climax near the end. But that’s it. I guess it all felt a little disjointed overall. The pieces were all there; I just wish they had been put together a little bit tighter. Still, I liked Duncan’t journey the most and would love to have worked for a principal like him when I was teaching. Rounded up to four for the unique climax that was a little screwball but a lot of heart.
An emotion-packed story beautifully told
What You Wish For was, for me, a compelling plot with stand-out characters, not the least of which was young “Brainerd” Clay, precocious marine life expert extraordinaire. Set on the Texas island of Galveston, it conjures up the image of a safe, loving, close-knit community. Yes, there is a bad egg who stirs things up and Duncan, a newcomer who seeks to expiate his own feelings of guilt and fear by forcing them into an age of prison-like high security and dismal surroundings. But school librarian Samantha and her dear friends and colleagues fight the good fight to keep color, nature and joy in their and their students’ lives. Along the way grief strikes, some innocence is lost, and love sprouts in spite of the obstacles Sam and Duncan stack against it.
There’s some inspirational messaging here and, to paraphrase just a few of the points that struck me most:
– Choose joy on purpose;
– Joy and sorrow walk side by side; being alive means risking one for the other; and
– Make a choice to value the good things that matter.
With stirring messages like that and such delightfully complex characters, this story hooked me and never let go.
I did wish that Duncan’s traumatic secret, hinted at throughout the first half of the book, had been revealed sooner, but I really can’t say that the wait was not appropriate in relation to the bigger story’s progression. The details of his harrowing experience when finally revealed are graphic but in no way gratuitous and they need to come out to fully understand his actions once he arrives in Galveston.
This was my first time reading a Katherine Center novel. Based on the quality of this work, I will definitely be looking to read more.
Thanks to publisher St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
When their beloved principal dies, Samantha wonders who will take his place. Sam is not expecting a teacher from her old school to take his place. Duncan is very different than the creative teacher than she once knew. While Sam had secretly loved him, Duncan doesn’t even seem to recognize her. With the radical changes that Duncan wants to make at the school, Sam plans on staying and fighting for the school. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgallery. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. This is an amusing, but thoughtful story. I love how Sam has learned to find joy in her life. I like discovering why Duncan has changed and seeing how Sam tries to influence him. This story is more than a romantic comedy. This is a good read.
Fun And Quirky, Touches On Serious Issues. Center does an excellent job here of showing how behavioral extremes – from both directions – can be the result of serious mental trauma. And she does it in a mostly very fun and light manner, only getting truly serious in a few key scenes before going back to the mostly light and playful side of things. If you’re a fan of the author’s previous work, you’ll definitely want this one. If you’re new to the author, this is a solid first book to try out. Very much recommended.
This book left me torn, but please keep reading because there are some huge positives, too. I love this author’s books, and this one has some beautiful, inspiring themes that we all need to be reminded of. But this one got bogged down during the first part of the book with too much character introspection. There’s a delicate balance in sharing enough internal dialog so the reader knows and empathizes with the character and adding so much that it loses the reader’s attention.
Having said that, overall, I really enjoyed this book. It deals with grief, trauma, healing, loving oneself, and acceptance, with a nod to an ecofriendly consciousness. But the strongest message, by far, is about finding joy in the little things, making reasons to celebrate, and choosing happiness every day.
Samantha Casey left her job as a school librarian in California over a case of unrequited love but found an amazing school, new friends, and a community of family on Galveston Island, Texas. After the death of their beloved principal, Max, Duncan Carpenter is announced as the school’s new principal. The same Duncan Carpenter that Sam was crushing on at her old school.
But this Duncan is very different. The fun-loving guy with colorful outfits and zany antics is replaced by a three-piece-suit-wearing, stoic, obsessively security-minded stick in the mud. None of the school staff is on board as Duncan proceeds to turn their colorful, lively, creative school into a colorless, barred prison. Something drastic must have happened to change Duncan so significantly, and eventually Sam discovers the cause.
What follows is a plan between Sam, her best friend, Alice, and Max’s widow, Babette, to remind Principal Duncan how to have fun and enjoy life. For the most part, it’s simple, harmless things designed to focus on the small things in life that can bring joy, if we let them.
As I said earlier, I think the message of this book is important, especially with so much craziness in our world and the new stresses it brings into our lives. Human nature is to focus on the negative, so it takes a conscious effort to find the joy in everyday life. It’s in the little things – a beautiful bird in the back yard, watching squirrels’ silly antics, or an amazing sunset. The author takes it a step further, challenging us to consciously work to make our own joy.
So skim over the slow parts if you like, but this book is well worth the read for its heartfelt message. It left me uplifted and inspired, and glad I had spent time with these characters. Life is messy and unexpected, but when we look hard enough, we can find the beauty and joy awaiting us.
*Trigger warning: includes past events of a school shooting.
*I reviewed this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide a review and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source for this review. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the invite and NetGalley for providing the galley copy.
An interesting and quirky story. The characters are weirdly funny. Casey is the narrator and the story is told from her perspective which is quite unique. She gives the reader her take on everything and everyone around her. The story is about friendship and resilience. Casey helps Duncan, Babette and the rest of the school staff through the changes occurring. As they grow, heal and discover, Duncan and Casey find that they can fall in love and start a lovely life together.
Once again Katherine Center has another winner! I fell in love with this book from the beginning and until the end it kept me engaged with Sam and Duncan’s storyline. I would definitely recommend this book to others.
I received and ARC from NetGalley and St Martin’s Press, and am under no obligation to give a good review. All thoughts and opinions here are my own.
What You Wish For is the eighth novel by author Katherine Center. Set in Galveston and revolving around the Kempner School, the main character of this story is Samantha (Sam) Casey, the school’s librarian. Sam has been at the Kempner School for four years and has become an integral part of the ‘family’. She is as close to Max and Babette Kempner as though they were her parents. When Max suddenly dies, the entire Kempner community is devastated. Their leader is gone. When Sam learns that Duncan Carpenter, someone she taught with in California, will be their new leader she is both elated and miserable at the thought of seeing him again.
She remembers Duncan as a happy go lucky educator that thrilled and elated his students, luring them into learning. What arrived on their first day back was a drab, buttoned up authoritarian. Whatever had happened to the man she had known, and loved?
This is a beautifully told story with many twists. It will tug at your heart but also leave you winded at times as the tale unfolds. I did ver much enjoy this book and I do recommend it!!
I’ve loved Katherine Center’s previous books, and wasn’t disappointed with this one. A wonderful story about fun, creative people, enriching children’s lives, while providing wonderful learning experiences.
Sam loves her job as a librarian at a unique school in Texas. She loves the owners of the private school, Max and Babette and the other wonderful teachers there. And then a co worker from the past shows up, to take over as Principal and everything changes.
This is a story of relationships that can survive the most difficult situation, friendships that endure tragedy and change that affects lives in different ways.
Katherine Centers is a wonderful story tellers with warm colorful characters that just make you wish you knew them too. This was a feel good tale, with its share of pain and sadness, but an ending that made me smile.
My thanks to #StMartin’sPress and #NetGalley for the ARC All opinions are my own! I loved this book!
This was my first Katherine Center novel. I liked the idea of this book, but I don’t think it was well delivered. Sam and her infatuation with Duncan was annoying to me. I quickly predicted the reason behind the way Duncan acts. Then the end, with the whale, was just weird.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
Ever read a book that just fills you with joy? That was me reading WHAT YOU WISH FOR. Katherine Center (who is a brand-new author for me) writes in such a peaceful, soothing, sometimes hilarious way that it was difficult to put the book down, even as not-so-joyful things were happening.
Set in the hallways of The Kempner School, a private school on Galveston Island, we’re introduced to Sam Casey, the school’s quirky librarian. Suffering from a recurrence of a childhood illness, Sam’s life is profoundly changed when tragedy strikes, challenging her to find the joy in life she so desperately needs. When the man she loved for years is hired to be the new principal at the school, Sam is ready for the fun-loving Duncan Carpenter to arrive and bring back the joy that’s been missing at The Kempner School. Duncan arrives, completely changed, confusing Sam as she searches for the man she loves within the stoic person in front of her.
Sam Casey is a wonderful character and totally nutty. Her inner voice is just a tad bit wonky and feels so familiar that it could have been my words I was reading. From her evasion of Duncan while grocery shopping to seawall hijinks, Sam never failed to pull me into her life. Her dedication to the school and its students and faculty was beautiful; her emotional response to both old Duncan and new Duncan was frustrating at times-but what I’d expect from a character who doesn’t see how wonderful and deserving she is.
Early on Duncan is depicted as a very one-dimensional type of person. Old Duncan was playful and fun to be around. New Duncan wears three-piece suits and never smiles. Center unwraps him through Sam’s eyes as he finds that he can be a little of both and still be true to himself.
Center’s voice is one of the more engaging ones that I’ve recently come across. Reading her words was like being wrapped in a warm blanket. From page one I found myself invested in Sam and all of the wonderful characters of WHAT YOU WISH FOR. This isn’t to say that this book is always easy to read, it starts with a tragedy that broke my heart, but I felt as though I was mourning along with the characters rather than reading about them.
All the characters of WHAT YOU WISH FOR are beautifully written. Center brings them to life and leaves you wanting to be a part of their world. While Sam and Duncan are the main characters, each of the others bring something special to the book. Babette shows readers what graceful mourning looks like. Alice shows readers how fun math is and how it permeates into every aspect of our lives. Kent Buckley demonstrates how to be a douche among all the wonder around him. Then there’s Clay who is delightful and serious and may be one of the best child characters I’ve read about.
Towards the end, I found WHAT YOU WISH FOR to stall out, just a bit, but within a page of that thought, Center pulls out the final act of the book, which I will love forever. I can’t think of any better way to draw WHAT YOU WISH FOR to conclusion.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the early copy.
Self preservation. Sometimes we push people away in order to protect ourselves from hurt, not wanting others to see us at our worst. Only till we are truly raw, honest and open can we see the good most people have. The love these characters have for each other jumps out from page one. You share all their feelings…loss, hurt, fear, disgust, anger and frustration….are all on display here. You’ll laugh and cry And cheer with this cast!
Another emotional read from Katherine Center, but nothing will come close to ‘How to Walk Away’ for me. Once you start this book, you’ll be half way thru it before you know it. Fast paced and tackles tough subjects with respect and honesty. Another gorgeous cover!
Thanks to Ms. Center, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.
4.5 stars! This was my first Katherine Center book and I was not let down. I don’t know what took me so long to read her. Sam has moved to a new school and has blossomed out of the mousy girl she used to be into a flowery, vibrant woman. When the principal of the school, her beloved friend, passes away, the board hires a man from her past. She had a huge crush on Duncan when she was at her old school and is afraid those feelings might resurface until she meets him again. Gone is the fun quirky guy she once knew, and in his place is a stiff, grumpy man who is only concerned about school safety.
Right away I liked Duncan, it is clear that something traumatic had to happen to him to cause this drastic of a change in demeanor. Sam was reeling with the changes in him after the first meeting and slowly she began to peel back his layers one by one. Sam was the quirky one now and she wanted her school, the place that made her feel like home, to not be a fortress. The other teachers tasked her with making him see the light in the school as it is and stop the changes.
Both Duncan and Sam have secrets and they both feel unworthy of a forever kind of love. It was great to see them both open up to each other and learn to trust again. I am all for a grumpy hero, and Duncan was that and more. I really enjoyed this book. Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author for an early copy of this book.
Samantha Casey is a school librarian at a private school on Galveston Island, Texas. She loves her job, the students she serves, her school family. She’s relatively new to the community having fled another private school when her unrequited love wasn’t returned. When the new school’s founder and principal dies suddenly, the school’s board doesn’t hire the logical replacement. No, they hire Sam’s unrequited love interest. Sam descends into a hot mess of anxiety, depression, and ready to make bad decisions.
Katherine Center has written a book full of quirky characters, angst, love, and joy. The storyline is unique and complex enough to keep the reader engaged through all the angst and reaching for the tissue box near the end. The book is well written, the dialogue witty, upbeat, and the ending satisfying.
This book is perfect for our times because it is full of hope and love. If you love a quiet, feel-good romance, this book is perfect for you and deserves to be at the top of your to-be-read list.
My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an eARC.
This is another one of those books that I hoped I would love. I’m a big fan of “Things You Save In A Fire”, but that was a much stronger book with more to keep me interested.
This novel starts very slowly as we get to know Sam, Samantha Casey, just at the time that the principal of her beloved elementary school passes away. He wasn’t just the principal, he and his wife were the life and breath of the school. All of their ideas from many years poured into the school.The school year is going to start soon but when Sam learns who the new principal is, she is frantic.
She has a long history with Duncan Carpenter as she worked with him for two years at a previous position. The Duncan that she remembers was light hearted, loved to play with the kids and made school fun, she had a major “crush” on him but never acted on it. The new Duncan is intent on changing a lot about the school. The staff quickly learns, at their first meeting, that Duncan is here to make major changes. No more field trips, no more bubbles in the yard. He is determined to remake the school into one that is as safe as possible for the students but forgetting that there are many other things that go into making a great school. The enthusiasm of the teachers is soon really quenced when he repaints the walls a sterile gray, along with changing the carpet to a boring neutral color also. Before the school was awash in children’s art, a painted rainbow, and the most unique of all, a wall of butterflies that Sam and Duncan’s wife Babette, had meticulously painted the summer before. Sam arrives one day to find the entire mural painted over.
The story reminded me a bit of the last one, a woman who has a history with someone who now shows up in her new life. Sam has changed but so has Duncan and she is determined to find out why.
Unfortunately the novel is quite predictable and they are both hiding secrets. Turns out they both have a problem with telling the people they love how they really feel and opening up to them, including any physical or emotional trauma.
At times I thought this read more like a YA novel, I didn’t feel as though the characters were particularly likable or relatable.
If you want a light beach read this would be just the ticket, for me it was a disappointment. I still got some laughs out of it and perhaps the reminder to try to find joy in everything around us.
This was a buddy read with my No Rules-Just Thrills friend, Marilyn.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.
This book is set to publish on July 14, 2020
When your fears control your life, take control of your fears and live each day to it’s fullest. This book taught me so many lessons. The main one is to find joy in the little things in life. And the way this year has been going, we all need something to be joyful about.
Samantha moved to Galveston, Texas, where she was working as a school librarian. She loved everything about the school, especially the people who ran it. They were like family to her. But when Max suddenly passes away and a new principle is hired, Samantha never expected it to be the man she had a crush on, Duncan, from her old job. But this version of Duncan was not the man Samantha remembered. He was not the fun-loving guy anymore. The new Duncan was a stickler for rules and security. He wanted to change everything everyone loved about the school. But the reasons he wanted to do so were something he didn’t talk about. When Samantha finds out Duncan’s secret, she sets out to bring him out of his shell and enjoy life once again. And along the way, Samantha learns to live and enjoy life again too.
With unforgettable characters and a story line that pulled me in from the very start, I had a hard time finding a place to pause my reading. And then there was the setting of the book, Galveston, one of my favorite places to visit. This story took me through a wide variety of emotions while reading it. The saying “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is fitting for this book. I would definitely recommend reading this one.
Thank you in advance to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for providing an advanced review copy. A positive review was not required and all words are my own.
Despite seeing Katherine Center’s books on Bookish First, as well as other places, this is the first one I’ve read. I’m not too familiar with her work to rate her style to see if this is how she really writes or because this is an ARE.
The ARC (advanced readers’ copy), “galley”, or ARE (advanced readers’ edition) is often an uncorrected “proof” of the soon-to-be-released novel. Often grammar is edited. As I’ve never purchased a published version of an ARC/ARE I’ve received, I don’t know how much is changed.
The cover is close to the previous books – “How to Walk Away” and “Things You Save in a Fire”. These are not “connected” series books, each is a standalone read.
Most of my blog readers will note that I primarily read and review Christian fiction and clean reads; though I have read and reviewed other books that interest me. This has NO Christian or faith themes, there is some foul language but the book isn’t “saturated” with it. There are no graphic sex scenes though.
The lack or inclusion of something outside a genre doesn’t always equal a bad rating/review. When it comes to a genre – I honestly don’t know what this book was trying to do or where it was going. I kept praying, hoping it would get better. And, while it wasn’t a HUGE waste of time – I do feel that I could’ve spent the time reading a different book.
I enter a LOT of giveaways – but, the premise of this book sounded so interesting I had to request it. In addition I wanted to figure out what happened to Duncan to cause this change, as well as the “relationship” he and Sam had (did they have one??). Would they work out a second time? This part was a let-down as it seemed there was SO much build-up only to find out – it was an unnoticed, un-requited love. I wasn’t sure how to view this “relationship”.
The characters were for the most part, sadly, unimpressive. The story is told from Sam’s point of view using first person. That doesn’t really ruin the story, but it does provide perspective.
I felt sorry for Samantha (“Sam”, who was like a dumpster fire. She desperately wanted and needed love. I was trying to figure Sam out to see what it was she wanted, and it was heart-breaking that she didn’t have anyone. The “what you wish for”, I’m thinking, had to do with her wanting someone to love her and someone she could love. Her story did break my heart with her father having left the family because of her condition – particularly when she had a seizure (epilepsy) that caused a “mess” at a country club dinner. Center does a great job explaining the character’s “quirks” and why Sam feels she has to try so hard around people. This was one character that I really had mixed feelings on.
Duncan was understandable, even though I did not see that reveal coming. And, while it was an interesting reveal, it just seemed to be a Debbie-Downer despite the fact the author seemingly tries to get the reader to feel sympathetic towards Duncan.
Everyone else in this book seemed like reluctant players drafted to fill in certain key parts.
Clay, one of the kids, was about the only interesting character despite his parents who I found to be rather annoying. Half the time I wondered if the kid wasn’t adopted – there would’ve been a great reveal. Tina was a witch and Kent was just as detestable. One issue I had with Tina, well one of many – her issue with Clay reading kid books such as Garfield. She even goes so far to volunteer to see he makes better choices.
Max was likeable despite his early demise as it seems all the teachers loved him. I understood Babette’s grief, but when her son-in-law was doing this, I couldn’t help but want to scream “STEP UP! This guy is ruining your school!!!”.
I understood some of the characters but they didn’t seem very believable which seems to be a consensus here. Duncan should’ve been more honest with his past, and also asked for more input from the staff as they had been there longer. Also, not knowing the school’s history – some of the changes didn’t make sense. Duncan seemed unrealistically militant – painting over the murals was beyond me. The idea of “bringing it back when the world is safer” seems to suggest a definite unrealistic expectation. As much as we want to believe it – sometimes evil is here to stay.
One redeeming thing that I enjoyed about this book – the unity of the teachers and Clay’s smarts. However, Duncan’s past was just far too dark for what seemed like a light-hearted tale. The child’s death in the school shooting could’ve been left out. While realistic, it was depressing given the events of the past few years, and was hard to get through, made even worse when Sam was trying to get the “real” Duncan to come out. After what he went through? Had no one gotten killed, perhaps it would’ve worked out better.
The plot was pretty decent, but sadly the school shooting issue seemed to kill what could’ve been a happier story. Honestly, I really tried to like this, and only finished it because I CANNOT just DNF (did not finish) a book I’m supposed to review – one I borrow? Sure. But, not a review.
Some of the action I couldn’t see most of it, some of it I could. I just couldn’t believe how some of these people were acting. There was a serious confrontation in chapter 10, yet no reveal. That wouldn’t be until between chapters 13 and 14. The first “f” bomb drops at chapter 11.
During a “surgery”, Duncan ends up stating how he feels about Sam, and a nurse assures her that the opiates never lie. The next day, Duncan doesn’t remember and Sam doesn’t press it.
But, Sam and her cohorts eventually realize you can’t fix a person, only understand the why. So, they decide to work on helping him instead. This is where I was starting to say “hey, this is what we should be focusing on, this is good”.
Some of the advice is good and spot-on: connect with humans, physically nurture, build a better mental framework on resilience, and seek therapy for PTSD, along with keeping a journal. This is one of the best strengths this book has.
The wrong stuff they list) – helping the person try to remember their old self, remind them what it was like to be happy, expose them to risks, even trick them into doing something fun, “joy-bomb” them. The suggestions would’ve been okay – but to force them or to even do them? I almost cringed. This fails in SO many ways. After a trauma no one can go back to their old selves. Maybe they can develop a sense of normalcy for themselves, but they cannot go back. Maybe they can deal with the trauma to still enjoy life, but hardly “go back” to the pre-trauma person.
While Duncan needed therapy, forcing it was NOT the way to go. I had mixed feelings; and wondered if this was done out of a genuine concern for him, or a selfish sense of preservation for the others. The “work at happiness” part seems a bit contrived. While Duncan missed who he was, he couldn’t be that person again. He had empathy for him, and this was perhaps a great takeaway.
It was nice to see Babette finally step up and take charge though.
Sam finally comes around to the fact that Duncan couldn’t be fixed, but maybe more relaxed. Also, it showed what should’ve happened in the beginning – an open and honest dialogue for school safety: reasonable changes. One issue that some readers might have is the “gun-sense” talk/group in this as part of a change since gun rights are a hotly debated item no matter what side the reader is on.
There is a cliché “climatic” ending to the story when Clay goes missing. I did enjoy the rescue part of a wild animal.
The messages of this book are clear, if not somewhat muddled and clunky: life doesn’t ever give you what you want just the way you want it; choose joy because of the sorrows -> choose it on purpose. While this is appropriate in some cases, sometimes it isn’t feasible.
As far as who would enjoy this or who it was geared to – after reading some reviews, even some of the author’s fans were disappointed by this offering. I’m sure die-hard fans of the author might enjoy this; although some fans have been critical.
If you’re interested, I would check it out from a library as soon as it is available.