I think the blurb sums up this one well enough that it doesn’t need a summary from the reviewer. The school had so many fun elements and I would have loved to attend such a school when I was younger.
“Joy and sorrow walk side by side.”
When Duncan first showed up to the school and started making major changes, Samantha’s repeated defense of him baffled me. When someone is changing So much that students and teachers alike are growing depressed, that doesn’t call for support. I was glad when she stood up to him. I can understand the trauma Samantha has endured to keep her illness a secret. But it also shows a lack of trust in the friends she has made since moving here. She’s changed how she tackles life and is much happier for it. She should put some faith in her friends.
I think the fact that both Duncan and Samantha are suffering from their secrets helps to bond them together, even though feelings are brewing between them. I liked them together, even when they weren’t getting along. Because their arguments were fiery, fueled by a passion for what they believed in. I also could completely relate to her when she said, “I had woken up that morning with a terrible oversharing hangover…”
There were a lot of fun characters in this one and such a powerful feeling of community. Add that to a storyline that swings between emotional and amusing, and this made for a super fun read. I read in another review that readers first meet Duncan in Happiness for Beginners, so I definitely want to go back and read that one. Thank you St. Martin’s for sending this along!
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What You Wish For is available on Amazon for $14.99.
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