This Messner novel is a great coming of age novel! It focuses on 7th grader Charlie, and follows her through her trials and tribulations with ice fishing, her family, dancing, and her friends. Messner did a fantastic job developing characters, specifically Charlie's older, herion addicted sister, Abby. She specifically shows the struggle of an addict in statements such as Abby telling Charlie she'll "cheer louder than anyone" at Charlie's dance competition weeks prior, only to leave and steal Charlie's wallet to get high while the event was occurring. The book pushes readers to think about tough issues such as drug addiction. A great example being when Charlie can't see her sister as a drug addict because she doesn't "fit" the mold. An ideal reading level for this book would be young adults, specifically ages 11-14. The big idea of this book is that real world problems often don't have easy fixes. ( )

I enjoyed the book The Seventh Wish by Kate Messner for two main reasons. The first reason being the plot. The conflict and tension throughout the book made it hard for me to put down. The author develops the characters very well and makes them personable, which escalates the plot even more. For example, the book is written in first person perspective. This makes the book less formal and more relatable. The second reason I liked the book was because the author included a mix of fantasy with reality. Messner uses fantastical elements to dim the harsh reality of life, while also providing her audience with a taste of what life can really be like. For example, topics about drug use and treatment facilities are discussed in the book. The overall message of The Seventh Wish is that life isn’t always perfect, but we must accept the situation that we are in and learn to forgive both ourselves and others. Messner stresses that we are responsible for ourselves and cannot ask or make others change, that is something they must do on their own. ( )

I really enjoyed the book "The Seventh Wish" and I couldn't put it down. I liked how the book uses fantastical elements in an otherwise realistic book such as a tiny fish that grants wishes. The book also uses first person which is good because it shows things like text messages or the logic behind wishes made. The book also deals with harder topics like drug use and the fact that the world is an imperfect place to overall create a story with many ups and downs which leave you attached to the main characters as they deal with their own struggles and those of their loved ones as well. ( )

I liked this book because of the real struggles with drugs that it addressed but at the same time I'm not sure that I liked the idea of connecting the story with a magic fish. The idea of the magic fish was really interesting because it showed the readers the idea that actions have consequences, but at the same time the idea of the fish almost made the drug issue seem fake. Drug addiction is a serious issue so I love that the author addresses it in a way that children can begin to understand and relate to it but I also think that is shouldn't be mixed with a fictional idea of a fake fish. I think the fish seemed like something separate from the drug issue, it was hard to see them connected. Aside from those critiques, the author did a really good job of character development and developing characters that were round and super relatable for the reader. Despite my qualms I would recommend this book to young readers so that they can see a relatable story about the power that drug addiction can have on people and families.

“The Seventh Wish” by Kate Messner is a tale of fantasy on a collision course with real life issues. Charlie is a happy go lucky child who loves Irish Dance. When she begins ice fishing with a friend she catches a magic fish who grants a wish for being let go. Her wishes start out small but as new issues in her life arise they become more and more complicated. Though this book does have many adult issues I think that it is important for children in the beginning of teenage years to be presented with life as it is. Life can be gritty and not always pretty and I think it is important that children see that side of it. I enjoyed the book when I looked at it from the perspective of a child, I think it is difficult to look at it with adult logic and understand what Charlie was thinking as her wishes were being made. ( )