Common Sense Media Review
By Darienne Stewart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Magical, heartrending story of loss, change, and hope.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Peter Stone, 12, feels like the weirdo in his family: He's the quiet one in a bunch of loud, outgoing people. The family has moved from San Antonio to the hill country of Texas, hoping to put Peter's troubles behind them. But they're fractured and fighting, and Peter seeks solace in a quiet valley. There he meets Annie Blythe, who says she's a "wish girl." Peter soon realizes she means she's a Make-a-Wish girl: She has cancer, and she faces a treatment she fears is worse than dying. In their magical valley, Peter and Annie imagine creating a new life for themselves, without bullies and well-intentioned relatives. But the valley can't shield them from hard reality, and Peter and Annie are challenged to find a way to hold on to their spark.
Is It Any Good?
WISH GIRL mines difficult emotional terrain -- bullies, dysfunctional families, mortality, identity -- with lyrical grace. Nikki Loftin's thoughtfully written story of two souls undergoing painful but powerful transformation is full of magical realism, yet grounded with harsh truths with which many children are all too familiar. Peter's bullies are shockingly scary, but even they are treated with some compassion: Their home lives, it's made clear, is making them into monsters.
Annie and Peter are likable, relatable kids struggling with unfair burdens they can't simply shrug off. The fantastical moments they share in the valley will have readers wishing they too could run off and join them, playing in the dirt and grass and creating a world for themselves.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Peter deals with his bullies. What might you do if you were in his shoes?
Do you have a safe place to go for comfort when you're upset?
Real art changes you, Annie says. What do you consider "real art"?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Friendship
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Razorbill
- Publication date : February 24, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 256
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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