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Wednesday, November 5, 2014

One Wish Away by Kelley Lynn ARC Review


One Wish Away by Kelley Lynn
ebook, 213 pages
Published by Bloomsbury USA Children's Book
Expected Publication Date: November 11, 2014
Buy it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Rating: 2.5/5 Stars

Synopsis: Be careful what you wish for…

Lyra has always been ahead of the curve. Top of her class in school, a budding astronomer, and with a best friend like Darren she barely has time to miss the mother who abandoned her family years ago. She's too busy planning to follow in her father's footsteps, and to become the youngest astronomer at Space Exploration and Discovery. 

When a star goes missing Lyra is determined to get to the bottom of it only to discover her braniac dad is the mastermind of a top-secret government experiment. They promise to build a perfect world, one galaxy at a time, but with every tweak of the present, a bit more of the future starts to crumble.

Lyra has to go undercover to reveal the truth and let humanity decide if the consequences are worth more than wishing on a star.

Incomplete. If I had to describe this book in one word that's the word I would use. This book has a lot going for it. Interesting and unique plot, decent writing style, relatable characters, but it fails in its execution. Why? This is because this book is trying so hard to be a relatable book about high school, relationships, along with a fantastical science fiction and government conspiracy, and it just can't marry all of these subjects together. Therefore, all of the details go unfinished. When I wanted more details about the sci-fi parts, I got details of Lyra's schoolmates, her family life, other problems and vice versa. The author tries to make up for this by telling the reader some of the details instead of showing them but it doesn't work. Throughout the entire story, the reader is never given a clear picture or full understanding of the main aspects of the plot. To top this off, the book ends in a very ambiguous cliffhanger that leaves room for the author to write the sequel but not in the way that you're dying for the next book. More like, "That's the end? Really? That makes absolutely no sense."

Usually this is where I break down the book into its strengths and weaknesses but its main problem is that it doesn't feel like a finished book. I was sucked into the plot, I liked several of the characters, the writing is decent and keeps a good pace. The problem is nothing is finished. So many details throughout the entire book go unexplained and ignored and are never brought up again. Several times while I was reading I said to myself, "What? But what happened to this character?" or "How does that work? How are they going to figure this out?" and there are no answers to my questions. I want to know more. I want more of the story but it just isn't there. 

Favorite Quotes/Moments:

1) "What's our excuse for being here without classmates?"

Darren asks as I open my window and let my arm fly around in the breeze. 

"I took care of that already. We're homeschooled. You're Joey Clayton. I'm Barb Clayton. We're siblings and our mother called to make the appointment. She sounds an awful lot like me."

2) "Why are you so mad?"

"Because someone should have been here to help you." His fingers glide over my skin with ointments and bandages. The pain that was pounding in my palm and up my wrist lessens. 

"You're helping me," I whisper.
His work is done, but he's still holding my hand, cradling it with both of his. Every nerve ending in my body is on fire. Maybe I caught an infection, but even I know symptoms don't come on that fast.

"I'll always help you, Lyra. All you have to do is ask."

3) "I walk my fingers over to his hand and run them along the back of it. He flips his hand over and I thread my fingers through his. 

I don't need a wish. I have everything I could possibly need."

4) "Because I'm more than a scientist. The lab coats aren't required. Everyone else wears them because it makes them feel elite." Her head peeks around the corner and she adds, "Plus, white isn't my color. White on black all the time? Puh-lease. It's not like I need something else amplifying the fact I'm the only black girl running around these parts."

Thank you Netgalley and Bloomsbury USA Children's Books for my eARC version of this book. 

2 comments:

  1. I haven't read this book yet I was going to but reading your review I am not going to or I will just wait for the sequel if there is going to be one. I hate books that leave the story incomplete it frustrates me

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    Replies
    1. It's really frustrating for me too. It's so hard to judge a book that's feels unfinished because I like the parts that were there but story is incomplete.

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