‘Wish’ adds magic to coming-of-age novel

Alexandra Bullen, a young adult fiction writer, made her debut this month with the novel "Wish."

The book is a typical coming-of-age story centered around Olivia Larson, who has recently moved to suburban Chicago with her family to start anew.

Olivia's twin sister Violet has recently died, and Olivia acts as the glue that holds the family together, but the bond between Olivia and her parents begins to slowly fall apart.

She begins her first day at Golden Gate Prep School not knowing anyone and painfully aware that she doesn't fit in among the effortlessly cool hipsters who strive to blend in. She is shy and awkward – the exact opposite of her deceased exuberant twin sister.

Her only confidence is in English class, where she confronts her arrogant teacher the first day.

After being forced to attend a party for her mother's law firm, Olivia searches for a dress in Violet's old things. The dress seems perfect except for a tear in the seam.

Olivia stumbles across a hole-in-the-wall seamstress shop called Mariposa. The eccentric dressmaker assures Olivia that her dress will be ready on time.

When her dress arrives, Olivia finds that it is not the dress she brought in, but it's beautiful, so she wears it anyway.

After braving her mother's party, she runs into some classmates who invite her to a cooler party at a friend's mansion.

There, Olivia meets the drop-dead gorgeous Soren who happens to be dating the popular and equally gorgeous Calla.

At the end of the night, Olivia realizes just how alone she really is. She offhandedly wished for her sister, Violet, to be with her again.

The next morning Olivia wakes and finds herself being pulled to what would have been Violet's room. There, she finds her sister alive and well.

Olivia is shocked. She doesn't know how or why her sister is back, but she doesn't want to reverse it.

She returns to the seamstress Mariposa to find out why it happened. Mariposa tells Olivia that she is a magic dress maker and grants her two more wishes with some restrictions.

With Violet at her side, Olivia pursues her life with renewed vigor, making friends, getting involved in school and winning the heart of Soren.

Both sisters live their lives to the fullest, and Violet, through Olivia, gets a second chance.

When things goes awry one fateful party, Olivia accidentally wishes her sister away. After she realizes what she's done, she remembers she can't wish for the same thing twice.

A heartbroken Olivia mourns her sister's death once again but realizes that Violet was the inspiration she needed to live her life the way she was intended to.

Bullen's novel is slow-paced and predictable but also sweet and heart-wrenching. She seamlessly unites real life situations and magic.

The new author has a way with words that makes you want to keep reading.

Bullen may become a force to be reckoned with in the literary world, and her new novel makes readers ask themselves, "If you could wish for anything, what would you wish for?"

Grade: C+