If you had one wish that was guaranteed to come true, what would you wish for? And, at the tender age of eighteen, would you make the right choice? Would you be selfish or selfless? Would the outcome of your wish be what you'd imagined it...or would there be a downside you weren't able to foresee? This book explores a town were wishes come true and just what that means for people of Madison.
Eldon Wilkes was born and raised in Madison, the town where wishes come true. As his own eighteenth birthday, and his wish, are starting to creep ever closer, Eldon has a lot to think about. He starts to wonder what kind of wish he should make: everlasting money? Happiness? His ex-girlfriend back? His popularity restored? As Eldon seeks the perfect wish, he starts to take a closer look at his little town and the people within it. Just how happy are these people? Is wishing really all it's cracked up to be? As answers allude him, Eldon must come rely on his friends and figure out what's really important before making the biggest decision of his life.
First thing I'd like to point out is that I really liked how this book was written. It really captures the feeling of life and teenage angst that everyone has been through (whether you admit it or not). As we take a look around this town, we can find people who we relate to in some form or another. We all know these people. The ones who peak in high school, the ones who long for freedom, the guy around town how always wears cowboy boots, the guy who goes through your trash...they're all a lot like real people. You sympathize with them and understand where they're coming from. The atmosphere of Madison was captured really brilliantly.
Now, that being said, I did kind of find Eldon to be a...difficult protagonist to take a journey with. While he, himself, is not the nicest person in the world, he also doesn't have the nicest life in the world. His family is poor, his sister is in a coma, his parents are only together because they have to be, his ex dumped him, he's suffering on the football field (mostly from people who keep wishing to be the best player in town), and so on and so forth. As a result, this book is angsty. Like, exhaustingly angsty. There's almost no let up. However...it's well-written angst. It feels very real. Eldon feels like a perfectly real kid with a billion problems and little to no outlet for them. He has every reason to be this way. He feels his world is falling apart and, as a teen near the end of high school and with few prospects, it's natural to feel this way. It's time for him to grow up and that's scary. Add on the idea of a life-changing wish on the horizon, and I don't blame him for not having the best attitude. Just something you should know before going in.
Speaking of the wish, the build up for it is actually really well done. Every chapter is like a colossal countdown. It kind of reminded me of Majora's Mask with each day starting with an enormous chapter heading, counting down the days until fate is upon you. It really captures this sense of dread that Eldon is feeling as his day is drawing closer and he still doesn't know what to do. The build-up leads to a pretty intense climax and then...it goes on for a little while longer before ending. Probably could've ended a few chapters sooner while we were still on a high and not drag things out...but I suppose the author wanted to tie up loose ends and I respect that, I guess.
Final Verdict
While it can be tense and angsty and you have to deal with teenage feels throughout, it is still a great story about life, finding what you really want, and growing up. I can see a lot of younger people reading this and getting something great out of it. If you're into this kind of story and you like good writing and don't mind teenage drama, I'd say this one is worth your money at your local bookstore.
Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Please make sure to Follow Midnight Readings for instant updates. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Powerless-Shelley-Miller/dp/1543482546/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519062043&sr=8-1&keywords=powerless+by+shelley+miller
Xlibris: https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001175242
Next Time: And now for something completely different....
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