Just One Wish

By: Janette Rallison

Narrated by: Heather Masters

Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Seventeen-year-old Annika Truman knows about the power of positive thinking. With a little brother who has cancer, it's all she ever hears about. And in order to help Jeremy, she will go to the ends of the Earth (or at least as far as Hollywood) to help him believe he can survive his upcoming surgery.

But Annika's plan to convince Jeremy that a magic genie will grant him any wish throws her a curveball when he unexpectedly wishes that his television idol would visit him. Annika suddenly finds herself in the desperate predicament of getting access to the handsome actor who plays teen Robin Hood and convincing him to come home with her. Piece of cake, right?

Janette Rallison's proven talent for laugh-out-loud humor, teen romance, and deep-hearted storytelling shines in a novel that will have listeners laughing and crying at the same time.

©2009 Janette Rallison (P)2015 Janette Rallison

You will cry.....But it will be for a great reason

This book is fun, hilarious. You're seventeen again going on adventures you believe you're doing for some one else. As always though God gifts you both.

A cancer story that doesn't grate

If you could sum up Just One Wish in three words, what would they be?

A good book

Who was your favorite character and why?

The writer in the trailer was amusing.

Have you listened to any of Heather Masters’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Steve did something spoiler-y

Any additional comments?

You should listen to this one, it's good.

Good sweet story

This is a clean, well written story about an older sister who goes above and beyond for her sick brother. I’m 36 and loved listening to this story. I picked this book because I have listened to other books narrated by Heather Masters so I knew she’d do a great job.

Exceeds expectations

I love how Rallison takes difficult subjects and weaves them together with humor and tenderness. The romance is sweet, the characters are strong, and the plot is masterful. I kept trying to guess the next plot twist and was surprised at each new turn. I laughed out loud and was moved to tears.
I'd expected a fluffy romance. It is there--plus much more. Surprised myself just how much I enjoyed it!

Tears ... so many tears....

Beautiful story and beautiful writing, I read this book in school years ago and will continue to read it again and again. And I doubt it will ever cease making me cry.

Just what I wished for

Where does Just One Wish rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

7 out of 10. It's good for its genre but not what I'm normally drawn to.

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoyed the relationships between the characters. They had realism and the right amount of humor. The brother-sister relationship was sweet. The high school bestie was hilarious and loyal. The movie star was teen heartthrob material. The ending was quite good.

Which scene was your favorite?

I love when Annika sneaks onto the TV studio set. The bits with the snake were inspired.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. it took a while to get into this book. I liked the second half much better. At first the narrator irritated me, but after about the first hour she seemed to really connect with her character and did an amazing job of adding emotional depth to what she was reading.

Any additional comments?

This is worth a listen. The content is clean. The story tackles some of the real-life issues that face families of children with life threatening illnesses in a way that inspires and uplifts.

Just One Wish

The Saying be careful what you wish for is very true,
This story is bittersweet, and hilarious all in one package.
Jeremy who has a tumor, and makes the wish for the Robin Hood movie actor to come and see him before the surgery,
The love a sister and the bond of a brother,
I laughed all the way through the book, till the last chapter then I cried.
Heather Masters did an amazing job wit the narration.
And if you are a fan of the outlaw loved the centuries, Robin Hood.
You very well may enjoy this one.
Just skip the last chapter if you have someone who is dying of cancer.

Have your tissues nearby!

WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Seventeen-year-old Annika Truman knows about the power of positive thinking. With a little brother who has cancer, it's all she ever hears about. And in order to help Jeremy, she will go to the ends of the earth (or at least as far as Hollywood) to help him believe he can survive his upcoming surgery.

But Annika's plan to convince Jeremy that a magic genie will grant him any wish throws her a curveball when he unexpectedly wishes that his television idol would visit him. Annika suddenly finds herself in the desperate predicament of getting access to a hunky star actor and convincing him to come home with her. Piece of cake, right?

MY TAKE
I love everything I've read my Rallison, and this story was not a disappointment. I've had the book for a while but didn't have a chance to "read" it until I found it in audiobook. The narrator did a fabulous job.

Oh, my heck. This one's a heart twister. Little Jeremy is the sweetest little kid, and I love how much Annika loves him and wants to help him. The story deals with the serious issue of little kids with cancer, and there's a definite religious element to the story.

The Robin Hood actor, Steve, was a little irritating at first, and it took a long time for a connection to start between him and Annika. But the wait was totally worth it. But have tissues beside you.

4 1/2 stars

Serious themes with a light, romantic touch

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes! Though this is a YA book, and I am long past that age bracket, this book gracefully deals with themes that are constant in the human experience

What was one of the most memorable moments of Just One Wish?

The romantic in me loved when Anaka and Steve were stranded outside of Barstow and getting to know one another.

Have you listened to any of Heather Masters’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first of Heather Masters's books I have listened to. She is a perfect reader for Janette Rallison's books.

Who was the most memorable character of Just One Wish and why?

Anaka was the most memorable because I got to know her best, having lived inside her head for the entire book. However, I loved Madison, too. What a true friend! She was so level headed and so willing to get out of her comfort zone.

Any additional comments?

As my headline stated, I loved it that this book dealt with serious themes. I appreciated Anaka and Jeremy's story about the underworld and her dream about the Grim Reaper as she struggled to deal with the realities of her brother's illness. Janette's light touch and sense of humor (like Mr. Truman's pronunciation of Persephone) kept the serious situations from becoming maudlin.