Wishful Thinking by Alexandra Bullen

Summary/Cover Image from Goodreads:

If you could wish for a different life, would you? What if that life changed everything you thought was real?

Adopted as a baby, Hazel Snow has always been alone. She's never belonged anywhere--and has always yearned to know the truth about where she comes from. So when she receives three stunning, enchanted dresses--each with the power to grant one wish--Hazel wishes to know her mother. Transported to a time and place she couldn't have imagined, Hazel finds herself living an alternate life--a life with the mother she never knew.

Over the course of one amazing, miraculous summer, Hazel finds her home, falls in love, and forms an unexpected friendship. But will her search to uncover her past forever alter her future?

In the heart-pounding, luminous sequel to WISH, Alexandra Bullen asks the question: If you could wish for a new life....would you?

Review:

Last year's Wish was bittersweet and hopeful, albeit with a few flaws, and with Alexandra Bullen's sophomore attempt Wishful Thinking she's back and better than ever before, because quite simply Wishful Thinking rocked my socks. It was heartbreaking as well as heartwarming, the characters were ones that had layers to them that made them out to be relelatable and easy to love, and best of all, Alexandra Bullen's writing improved greatly, making this one novel I couldn't put down, not even for a second!

Wishful Thinking tells the story of Hazel Snow, a girl who has never had the easy, carefree life she desired. For one, she was put up for addition when she was just a tiny tot, and while she was adopted by a lovely woman, the woman died in a sudden, horrific accident, leaving Hazel with barley no one to call family. But on her eighteenth birthday she received the best gift ever: her birth certificate. Now with the name of her birth mother (as well as three brand new dresses that contain more then meets the average eye) she's on the journey to find the mother she lost and the life she belongs in, starting with some time travel. But will Hazel find her mother? Will she find the love and hope she yearns for the most? And better yet, when she's given the option to change her whole life, will she? Only time can tell in this fabulous, heart racing tale of one girl's journey to find love and hope in a world where there seems to be little.

Hazel Snow was a fabulous main character if I do say so myself. Her past was a sad one but she never let that truly get her down, instead she put on a brave face and fought for what she wanted most: love, hope, and happiness. And I respected her for that. Furthermore, her story got even better once she landed in Martha's Vineyard because not only did she make some pretty great friendships (including with a certain swoon-worthy boy) but she developed greatly as a character and a person. One of my favorite parts about her was her relationship with Luke, the certain swoon-worthy boy mentioned above, because not only did it develop at a reasonable pace but it was nothing short of sweet. I also loved the characters of Jamie and Rosanna because both were not only complicated and fun characters but they also added to the big mysteries the book was made of.

And talking about that, I loved the premise of Wishful Thinking, and the execution? Well, it was even better! Alexandra Bullen did a great job of developing the different plot lines associated with Hazel's birth parents, and I especially loved how she set the book in such a beautiful and stunning place, because not only did she do a great job of describing Martha's Vineyard, but it gave the book an even better feel so to say.

Lastly, as I mentioned above, Alexandra Bullen grew greatly as a writer with Wishful Thinking. In her debut novel, I felt she sometimes had a hard time with pace and fleshing the story out in a way that she showed more than told, but with Wishful Thinking all my doubts about her as a writer were gone. So, to sum this up, Wishful Thinking has definitely made me a fan of Bullen in the best kind of way.

In all, Wishful Thinking is bittersweet and honest story that I can't help but suggest fans of Meg Cabot, Sarah Dessen, and Mara Purnhagen pick up! Alexandra Bullen truly has a star within this one; one that makes me eager to read more by her ASAP.

Grade: A+

Wishful Thinking is now out!

Source: Publicist at Scholastic. Thanks Shelia!