Genre: Publication Date: April 26, 2016 Pages: 355 Published By: Harper Teen Series Standalone Review copy: ebook from Edelweiss for honest review
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There's a reason they say "be careful what you wish for." Just ask the girl who wished to be thinner and ended up smaller than Thumbelina, or the boy who asked for "balls of steel" and got them-literally. And never wish for your party to go on forever. Not unless you want your guests to be struck down by debilitating pain if they try to leave.
These are things Lennie only learns when it's too late-after she brings some of her uncles' moonshine to a party and toasts to dozens of wishes, including a big wish of her own: to bring back her best friend, Dylan, who was abducted and murdered six months ago.
Lennie didn't mean to cause so much chaos. She always thought her uncles' moonshine toast was just a tradition. And when they talked about carrying on their "important family legacy," she thought they meant good old-fashioned bootlegging.
As it turns out, they meant granting wishes. And Lennie has just granted more in one night than her uncles would grant in a year.
Now she has to find a way to undo the damage. But once granted, a wish can't be unmade...
These are things Lennie only learns when it's too late-after she brings some of her uncles' moonshine to a party and toasts to dozens of wishes, including a big wish of her own: to bring back her best friend, Dylan, who was abducted and murdered six months ago.
Lennie didn't mean to cause so much chaos. She always thought her uncles' moonshine toast was just a tradition. And when they talked about carrying on their "important family legacy," she thought they meant good old-fashioned bootlegging.
As it turns out, they meant granting wishes. And Lennie has just granted more in one night than her uncles would grant in a year.
Now she has to find a way to undo the damage. But once granted, a wish can't be unmade...
To put it simply: I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it any more. So yeah, I'm going to fulfil a a dead girl's wish. But that's not all of it. I'm also going to that party to FUCKING OWN IT.
Grinning, I bring the jar up and take my second swallow. And this timethe crowd cheers. It is perhaps the best moment of my life. I am at the biggest party of the year and I am owning it. Bow down, bitches.
"We, Grant. Wishes. Make a wish isn't a way of saying, 'Down the hatch.' It's our way of saying, 'What do you wish for?' That's it. Right there. We grant wishes. Do you think you maybe got that now?"
I'd be jealous except, lets face it, some people are meant to rule the world and some are meant to ruin it. And at this point I don't think there's any doubt which category I fall into.
So here's the deal. I had no clue that this was the same author that wrote Another Little Piece. It was a book on my must have list in 2014, and though I have it I never got the chance to read it. I have looked at it longingly many times but it remains on my shelf. Well, Down with the Shine has made regret never making the time to read ALP.
The book starts off with a bang. Well, not literally but seeing Lennie's best friend dies, it's hard to explain the intensity that leads this book into its start. Having not read the synopsis since originally deciding that I needed this book, the start also took me by surprise. I was sure that I was in for some sort of contemporary/mystery, but that was quickly remedied. This book hooked me in with its quick pace and honest characters. Quinn crafted a twisted and intriguing tale, that was more original than I could have expected, and so addictive I only put it down to sleep... Because I had to. I can't say that once I understood that Lennie could grant wishes that I knew where everything was going. In fact despite the fact that you have an idea of the chaos once the wishes are granted, there is always some twist of fate that comes to take out any preconceived ideas you may have.
I would like to say as far as Lennie goes, that her character was extraordinary but she wasn't really. Lennie was an outsider because of her notorious father, and kind of isolated herself because she felt judged. Hell, maybe she was judged, but she had no idea the power that she held either. She had lost the only friend she felt she had, and only learned her inner power, when she decided not to take life laying down any more. When I said she wasn't extraordinary, what I meant was she didn't seem that way because despite what she thinks she is anything but ordinary. I think that Lennie is the type of character that everyone can get behind. Beyond the fact that she can grant wishes, she is just the girl that wants what she feels is beyond her reach. Basically, Lennie is the girl next door... Well, she is isn't quite the girl next door because people see her as from the wrong side of the tracks, but on the inside she is the girl next door.
The entire book is based around Lennie and her 'mistakes', but there is a little wiggle room love and friendship. When I say love and friendship, I don't just mean Lennie but everyone around her. It's hard not to see the wishes many made as not just a curse but also a blessing. Lennie wanted nothing more than her friend back, and Smith wants Lennie to get what she has coming to her. Problem was that in the process they created a bond that they didn't expect. Same could be said for so many people that Lennie granted for. The wishes made a mess of everything, but in the long run as they say "everything happens for a reason," and many of the characters became developed in their own way because of this.
There is no denying that this book was an absolute addiction. The kind of book that people start and don't put down until the end. With quirky characters, wonderful pacing and throughout, Down with the Shine is one of my favourite reads this year! Hats off to Kate Karyus Quinn for creating a fun and unique read that fantasy and paranormal lovers alike will surely devour!
The book starts off with a bang. Well, not literally but seeing Lennie's best friend dies, it's hard to explain the intensity that leads this book into its start. Having not read the synopsis since originally deciding that I needed this book, the start also took me by surprise. I was sure that I was in for some sort of contemporary/mystery, but that was quickly remedied. This book hooked me in with its quick pace and honest characters. Quinn crafted a twisted and intriguing tale, that was more original than I could have expected, and so addictive I only put it down to sleep... Because I had to. I can't say that once I understood that Lennie could grant wishes that I knew where everything was going. In fact despite the fact that you have an idea of the chaos once the wishes are granted, there is always some twist of fate that comes to take out any preconceived ideas you may have.
I would like to say as far as Lennie goes, that her character was extraordinary but she wasn't really. Lennie was an outsider because of her notorious father, and kind of isolated herself because she felt judged. Hell, maybe she was judged, but she had no idea the power that she held either. She had lost the only friend she felt she had, and only learned her inner power, when she decided not to take life laying down any more. When I said she wasn't extraordinary, what I meant was she didn't seem that way because despite what she thinks she is anything but ordinary. I think that Lennie is the type of character that everyone can get behind. Beyond the fact that she can grant wishes, she is just the girl that wants what she feels is beyond her reach. Basically, Lennie is the girl next door... Well, she is isn't quite the girl next door because people see her as from the wrong side of the tracks, but on the inside she is the girl next door.
The entire book is based around Lennie and her 'mistakes', but there is a little wiggle room love and friendship. When I say love and friendship, I don't just mean Lennie but everyone around her. It's hard not to see the wishes many made as not just a curse but also a blessing. Lennie wanted nothing more than her friend back, and Smith wants Lennie to get what she has coming to her. Problem was that in the process they created a bond that they didn't expect. Same could be said for so many people that Lennie granted for. The wishes made a mess of everything, but in the long run as they say "everything happens for a reason," and many of the characters became developed in their own way because of this.
There is no denying that this book was an absolute addiction. The kind of book that people start and don't put down until the end. With quirky characters, wonderful pacing and throughout, Down with the Shine is one of my favourite reads this year! Hats off to Kate Karyus Quinn for creating a fun and unique read that fantasy and paranormal lovers alike will surely devour!
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