Monday 15 June 2015

Eden's Wish by M. Tara Crowl (Children's, 9 years +, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review)


Girl genies rule!!
October 2015, Disney-Hyperion, 272 pages, Ebook, Review copy from NetGalley  

Content: humour, very mild teen romance, tissue needed

Book Summary
All 12 years of Eden's life have been spent in an antique oil lamp. It's a luxurious home, but to Eden, the lamp is nothing but a prison. All she wants is freedom. When Eden finds a gateway to Earth, she takes her chance. This time, she won't be sent back after three wishes. 

Posing as the new kid at a California school, Eden revels in all of Earth's pleasures - but quickly learns that this world isn't as perfect as she always thought it was. Eden soon finds herself in the middle of a centuries-old conflict between powerful immortals.

Nayu's thoughts 
I've never read about a girl genie, and seeing how I love a fair amount of the Disney animated movies (girl power!) I jumped at the chance to read this, and was thrilled when I got accepted since I think that on NetGalley US readers were preferred. A girl genie wanting to be free makes for a super awesome read! Everything is magical rather than weird which some similar non-genie books can be like. Life inside the lamp for Eden is stifling despite its luxurious furnishings which are enviable, but not as much as the freedom which Eden seeks. The magic is fun, has limitations, and doesn't solve all of Eden's problems.

The courage and conviction it took for her to leave the lamp, then stay in the human world is quite something. She goes against all she's been taught because of what she believes. The part where she receives help from humans had the potential to turn off the believability factor, but Disney does what it does best and makes it ever so real. There is a fair amount of danger and threat, with lots about following your heart, friendship, and good dash of humour too. I liked how at first the enemy seemed obvious, but there came a point when it was almost impossible to tell who to trust. I was rooting for Eden from the start, and continued thinking of her past the end of the book, which makes it an excellent read in my eye! 

Find out more on M. Tara Crowl's website

No comments: