The Big Wish product reviews

This was the book we received that I comfortably thought my 14 year old daughter would be able to read and suit her age group, but after she had completed the book she thought was more aimed for the 8-12 year range.

The Big Wish is the quintessential story of the dream of wishing on a shooting star and those dreams all come true. It centres around new year seven Sam (guessing 10 or 11 years), who whilst out walking with his dad at night, sees a shooting star and wishes that his wishes could all come true. The realisation hits the next morning that his initial wishes had come true so he starts to ask for more and more, even asking for such things as superpowers so he can beat up his schoolyard bully and that his dad did not lose his job.

What my daughter found surprising was the amount of wishes he got and that they were all granted which made the story quite confusing at times and all over the place. But we both agreed the book is written in the mind and imagination of a child, so anything goes.

Not really the type of book for my daughter, however she did suggest that the book might suit a boy reader because of the super villains, super powers and sword fights.

I am sure everyone does it. Sees a shooting star and makes a wish - but what happens if your wishes do come true and what happens if you wish for a million wishes?

This book is completely different to what I thought it would be. I assumed it would be happy go lucky and everything would be pink fluffy clouds and unicorns. Since it was aimed at kids I was rather shocked when Sam has a sword and goes on a Nit killing spree or uses bazookas and blows ants away and discusses the blood oozing out of them. It is not the innocent book I would of assumed it would be. I think, also being a girl I found it was heavily aimed at the male audience and discusses manly things like superheros and fighting.

Personally I would wish for a new house and to travel and so when he wishes to be a giant walking around and seeing the tiny humans on the ground and then next minute he wants to be a small tiny ant sized person it was rather boring and a tad immature and not the sort of thing I am in to. I am sure boys all over the world would enjoy this but to me it was just such a waste. I did like his friend Evan who would rationalise everything and would step in with reality and explain how science works and why there was a problem with his wish. It was good to have that yin and yang thing bouncing around.

The book itself is an easy read and is quite fast. If reading alone it can be read in a couple of hours but my problem was I was bored throughout most of it and really did not enjoy a lot of his experiences. One thing I did love is when he realises if you have everything that your heart desires whats the point? One of the best things about getting that hoilday is you have to work for it and the struggle so when you eventually are sitting on that beach sipping Pina Coladas you know that it was deserved. I like that kind of rationalisation.

Personally I think a million wishes is way to much for anybody and I would be content with just five wishes or even just the one would do. Travel is definitely on the agenda. I am sure the male young generation would enjoy this story but for an old chick like me not so much.