Today I\u2019m featuring AS YOU WISH by Nashae Jones, a fun middle grade contemporary fantasy romance!<\/strong><\/p>\n Read on for my review of the book, and then make sure you also check out the author\u2019s list of top ten addictions to find out more about her!<\/strong><\/p>\n A girl learns the hard way to be careful what she wishes for in this sweet and funny middle grade rom-com featuring a chaos-loving West African trickster god.<\/b><\/p>\n Birdie has big plans for eighth grade. This is the year that she gets a boyfriend, and since she and her best friend, Deve, do everything together, it makes sense that Deve will get a girlfriend. This is the kind of math Birdie doesn\u2019t find intimidating\u2014it\u2019s Eighth Grade 101. (Birdie + Boyfriend) + (Deve + Girlfriend) = Normal Eighth Grade Experience. And normal is something Birdie craves, especially with a mom as overprotective as hers.<\/p>\n She doesn\u2019t expect Deve to be so against her plan, or for their fight to blow up in her face. So when the West African god Anansi appears to her, claiming to be able to make everything right again, Birdie pushes past her skepticism and makes a wish for the whole mess to go away. But with a trickster god, your wish is bound to come true in a way you never imagined.<\/p>\n Before long, Birdie regrets her rash words\u2026especially when she realizes what\u2019s really going on with her and Deve. With her reality upended, can Birdie figure out how to undo her wish?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Just like Nashae\u2019s debut, Courtesy of Cupid<\/em>, A<\/em>s<\/strong> You Wish<\/strong><\/em> is a fun romance that utilizes common YA tropes and makes them accessible to (and appropriate for!) a middle grade audience.\u00a0<\/strong>In this case, we have (a personal favorite trope) best-friend-to-boyfriend and alternate timelines.<\/p>\n Birdie is tired of being seen as strange, and she\u2019s pretty sure the best way to change her reputation is to get herself a boyfriend. But when she mentions this to her best friend Deve, he\u2019s not so excited about the idea\u2013he likes her, but she\u2019s blind to it. In fact, when Birdie doesn\u2019t take a hint and keeps pushing, the whole thing explodes into a major argument. Then, in steps the mythical Anansi, who tells Birdie she can solve all of her problems with a three wishes. Of course, since Anansi is a trickster god, none of Birdie\u2019s wishes go as planned.<\/p>\n The story deals with friendship issues and romance and all the insecurities that go along with middle school, but it also deftly handles Birdie\u2019s mom\u2019s mental health struggles. The family relationships in this book are wonderfully nuanced, and it isn\u2019t until Birdie experiences some painful alternate realities that she truly appreciates everything she has and understands some of the deeper reasons for her mother\u2019s fears. Since the book is overall light in tone, it makes it easier for MG readers to digest this tougher topic. The book is an incredibly funny, sweet read that kids are sure to love!<\/p>\n ***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher so I could provide an honest review. No compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***<\/em><\/p>\n Author Links:<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Nashae \u2018s Top Ten Addictions<\/strong><\/p>\n I have to say, \u201cScottish Highland Cows\u201d might be the most unique answer I\u2019ve ever gotten for this feature! I Googled them, and they are quite gorgeous!! I also love the show Psych<\/em>, though my daughter was scared of it when she was a kid (which I found interesting because I always just thought of it as funny and not scary at all \u2013 but, I mean, there is a murder in every episode).<\/p>\n My book, The Song of Orphan\u2019s Garden<\/em>, releases tomorrow<\/em>!!!\u00a0<\/strong>I have a few author copies available for reviews, so if you\u2019re a middle grade blogger and you\u2019d like one, shoot me an email (link is in my sidebar).<\/p>\n Right now I\u2019m still reading\u00a0The Ghosts of Bitterfly Bay\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>by Mary Averling and\u00a0The Forgotten Magic of Zoey Turner<\/em><\/strong> by Erin Stewart. (I\u2019ve been a bit distracted by my debut, so I haven\u2019t been reading much, but I\u2019m really enjoying both of these!)<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/feedyourfictionaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/183\/2024\/02\/New-2023-IMWAYR-Button-250.png\")
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I\u2019ve joined up with the IT\u2019S MONDAY! WHAT ARE YOU READING? kid-lit edition, hosted by Unleashing Readers<\/a> and MARVELOUS MIDDLE GRADE MONDAY hosted by Always in the Middle\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n![\"#IMWAYR](\"https:\/\/feedyourfictionaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/183\/2025\/01\/214152049._SX315_-265x400.jpg\" "\\"#IMWAYR")
As You Wish<\/strong> by Nashae Jones<\/a>
Published by<\/strong> Aladdin<\/a> on January 14, 2025
Genres:<\/strong> Contemporary Fantasy<\/a>, Middle Grade<\/a>, Romance<\/a>
Pages:<\/strong> 272
Source:<\/strong> The Publisher<\/a>
Cover Artist:<\/strong> Jonathan Bean
My rating:<\/strong> ![\"4.5](\"https:\/\/feedyourfictionaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/183\/2018\/06\/Devoured-It.png\")
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<\/a>\u00a0<\/b>\n<\/div>\nBuy from Barnes & Noble,<\/a>\u00a0Amazon<\/a>, Bookshop.org<\/a><\/h4>\n
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<\/p>\nAbout the Author<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Nashae Jones is a kid lit writer, because at an early age she learned what the magic of books could do for a developing mind. She always dreamed of creating worlds that would stay for a reader long after they put down their books. Nashae is also an educator and book reviewer (kid books, of course). She lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, son, escape artist husky, and two black cats that Nashae is convinced are reincarnations of Pinky and the Brain.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
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I\u2019ve loved reading or listening to fairy tales, myths, and legends since I can remember. I love tales of magic and whimsy, and I\u2019ve enjoyed these stories since I was a kid. <\/span><\/li>\n
<\/strong><\/strong>I love visiting haunted historical markers\u2014whether that\u2019s houses, railroads, hospitals or graveyards. I\u2019m a sucker for a good ghost tour, <\/span><\/span>and I try to go to one in every city I visit.<\/li>\n
I love cosplaying and going to Comic Cons to meet my favorite actors. My recent favorite meet and greet is with Steve Burns who played Steve on Blue\u2019s Clues.<\/span><\/li>\n
<\/strong><\/strong>In my opinion, they are the best animals on Earth, and my dream vacation involves visiting fluffy cows in Scotland. <\/span><\/li>\n
<\/strong><\/strong>Christmas is my favorite holiday, and I count down every year in anticipation of the Christmas season. <\/span><\/li>\n
<\/strong><\/strong>I love the serenity of the mountains. I do my best writing when I\u2019m surrounded by the woods and the mountains.<\/span><\/li>\n
<\/strong><\/strong>I eat Thai food once a week, and I would probably eat it everyday if I could. <\/span><\/li>\n
<\/strong><\/strong>I love visiting independent bookstores and exploring the shelves. Each bookstore has its own personality, and I love being able to uncover all of them.<\/span><\/li>\n
<\/strong><\/strong>I love the show Psych<\/em>. It pretty much has become a comfort show for me over the years. My kids have grown to love it too.<\/li>\n
<\/strong><\/strong>I get the majority of my clothes and housing decor from thrift shops. I love finding something that is meaningful for me that was discarded by someone else. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\nMG posts since my last IMWAYR & MMGM:<\/h2>\n
Other MG happenings:<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nWhat I\u2019m currently reading:<\/h2>\n
What are some of your favorite contemporary fantasies? I want to know!<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Like this:<\/h3>\n