Hi Americans. Here is a link to Amazon.com for this sensitive book. https://amzn.to/3Epx5zq
Hi Canadians. Here is a link to Amazon.ca for this sensitive book. https://amzn.to/3ZtZlcv
Just select the Amazon that delivers to your region and shop for this book and anything else. The author won’t make a penny less; you won’t pay a penny more, but I will make a few pennies to help me buy more books to review! Thank you!
In How to Make a Wish by Ashley Herring Blake we meet a handful of teens age 17-18. The main character is Grace, a girl whose home life is abusive because her mother is an alcoholic whose emotional life is out of control. She moves Grace from place to place in the small coastal island where they live, as the mother moves from man to man. She expects Grace to pick up the pieces and protect her from some of the most damaging things she does. But who protects Grace? In spite of everything Grace loves her mother, struggles to understand and protect her. But all the while she struggles with knowing that she cannot grow and still take care of her mother.
Grace is also struggling to understand her sexuality whiles making mistakes along the way. Fortunately, her best friend, Luca is a good guy, smart about people and sensitive to Grace’s problems. Actually, all the guys we meet in this book are good guys, although it may take them a while to get there.
Soon we meet Eva, a 17 yr old biracial girl whose mother has just suddenly died. She is heartbroken about her mother's death and to leave her home and budding ballet career in New York City She is required to move to the coastal island to live with Luca and his mother, a caring long time friend of Eva’s mother.
Eva likes girls but is completely unexperienced. The story of Eva’s and Grace’s loving relationship is slowly, sensitively and intelligently written by Ashley Herring Blake. It is full of understanding of first loves, early sexual understanding and exploration. It is an LGBTQ+ book that is very much needed by teens who are struggling to understand their sexuality and could be read and enjoyed by anyone who wants to understand their teen or this aspect of LGBTQ+ teen life.
There are people who think their kids should not read this book or other books with an LGBTQ+ theme. Some people think their kids might be swayed in a wrong direction. But let me assure you this is an excellent, sensitive and smart book written by an intelligent adult who wants to help and will not damage anyone.
I am full of admiration for Ashley Herring Blake and what she has accomplished with this book. If you are a teen, read it to understand yourself and your friends. If you are a parent, read it to know about a world you are part of but might not understand. Then discuss it with your teen and mostly listen.
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