Review: The Forbidden Wish

Summary:

She is the most powerful Jinni of all. He is a boy from the streets. Their love will shake the world… 

When Aladdin discovers Zahra’s jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn’t seen in hundreds of years — a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra’s very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes.

But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?

As time unravels and her enemies close in, Zahra finds herself suspended between danger and desire in this dazzling retelling of Aladdin from acclaimed author Jessica Khoury.

My Thoughts:

Full disclosure: I struggled with this one for a couple of weeks.

I honestly think it was a case of “it’s not you- it’s me,” but who really knows.

I’ve loved the trend in retellings and this book was a great addition, but for some reason I struggled to get done no matter how much I was enjoying it as I read.

That said, I’ve already ordered it for my library because I know that my students will adore it!

The writing and descriptions were beautiful, but…there was just something that didn’t set right with me. I really think it was just that it wasn’t what I wanted to read at the time.

In that sense, I’m struggling to even write about it- as you can tell- but don’t turn away from this just for my feelings. Again, I really think it was just me. I think I would’ve adored it if it was what I was in the mood to read when I started.

So…fun retelling and great writing, but I’m stuck in a rut and don’t know what I want to finish.

Go me!

Now back to trying to find something I can be excited about and zoom through. I hate when I get stuck in a rut and just feel “eh” about stuff that I would normally otherwise LOVE. I’ll definitely be giving Forbidden Wish a reread later on.

-Melanie