Wish by Joseph Monninger

Description:


Bee’s brother, Tommy, knows everything there is to know about sharks. He also knows that his life will be cut short by cystic fibrosis. And so does Bee.




That’s why she wants to make his wish-foundation-sponsored trip to swim with a great white shark an unforgettable memory.


But wishes don’t always come true. At least, not as expected. Only when Bee takes Tommy to meet a famous shark attack survivor and hard-core surfer does Tommy have the chance to live one day to the fullest.


And in the sun-kissed ocean off a California beach, Bee discovers that she has a few secret wishes of her own. . . .


Epic wins:

• Tommy: (aka Snow Pony) He was one spunky kid. Bee’s sweet and honest brother who has a slight obsession with sharks. I just loved his fascination with sharks. He also has Cystic Fibrosis or CF and knows he only has half a life. :(
• Bee: (The MC) According to her oh-so honest brother (a boy who won’t waste his limited breath lying) she is really pretty, like drop-dead pretty. She always, always, always puts Tommy first. As Ty puts it she holds her cards close to her and lets Tommy take the lime light.
• Little Brew: (well actually it’s Jason… it’s a long story) A Cali boy who lives for the surf. He and his brother, Ty, treat Tommy like he is a normal kid; they went so far as to give him an Indian name, Snow Pony.
• Ty: LB’s brother and Tommy’s idol, a shark attack survivor. Not your typical ‘Yeah the shark bit off my arm and or leg’, no he was bucked off his surf board by a great white only for the great white to realize it was just a gross human :) Tommy practically idolizes him and I think Ty idolizes Tommy back.
• Sometimes books sweep you into the story catapulting you into the book. Sure I love that type but this book was different, and I didn’t hate it. It slowly drags you wave-by-wave until It builds to a huge wave and crashes down on you dragging you under and holding you there for several chapters. In these chapters you don’t know if everything will be ok or not, which
• Favorite Quote: “You didn’t always have to explain why you loved something. Love was a thing that swam beneath you, kind of like a shark, and you wouldn’t want the world to be without it, but it could hurt too” (186 Monninger) -Tommy
• All the fun shark facts
• Bee’s love for Tommy
• The new light it shed on sharks. They explain that sharks don’t mean to attack humans. Like this: Your favorite cookie is chocolate chip, you think you see one but it’s dark so you can’t really tell what it is. You take a bite and its raisin, not you’re favorite so you throw it back. An honest mistake.
• The romance between Bee and a certain guy…

Epic Fails:

• It was sooo very slow in the beginning but it made up time the end.
• The mom’s a little off, and there is a role reversal with Bee and her mom. This IS normal sometimes.
• Basically the whole time there is foreshadowing of a bad event the problem is you don’t know what it is till it happens (those dang hooks!).

Overall:


I give it (wait for it…) A HIGH STINKIN’ FIVE! Sure it took some time to get into it but so worth every second!
P.S. Sorry for all the ocean/surfing metaphors, it just sort of happened that way.


just sayin,
-Kare