First published 2005
A girl stares at a bright magazine picture and makes a desperate wish. She wants something good to happen to her. The image sparks hope in her mind as she thinks that whatever she sees could become real in her own life. But then doubt creeps in. She examines her wish carefully, searching for problems that might prevent it from coming true. She discovers a gap in her request that worries her. Racing against time, she adds one crucial word to her wish: soon. The girl hopes she has not waited too long to fix her mistake. Her simple wish becomes a window into the longing that drives her, the careful way she thinks about possibility, and her fear that good things might pass her by if she does not act quickly enough.
Genres: literary-fiction, family-life, coming-of-age, contemporary
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: emotional, found-family
Period: 21st-century
352 pages · Library Binding · Greenwillow Books