'There are six months left of Emma Reiss's twenties...and she has some unfinished business. Emma and her friends are about to turn thirty, and for Emma it's a defining moment. Defined, that is, by her having achieved none of the things she'd imagined she would. Her career is all wrong, her love life is a desert and that penthouse apartment she pictured herself in simply never materialised. Moreover, she's never jumped out of a plane, hasn't met the man she's going to marry, has never slept under the stars, or snogged anyone famous - just some of the aspirations on a list she and her friends compiled fifteen years ago. As an endless round of birthday parties sees Emma hurtle towards her own thirtieth, she sets about addressing these issues. But, as she discovers with hilarious consequences, some of them are trickier to tick off than she'd thought…'
With only six months until her thirtieth birthday, Emma Reiss discovers a list she and her friends wrote when she was fifteen, a list consisting of all the things they want to achieve in the next few years. Emma is shocked to discover she hasn’t fulfilled any of them. Determined to make the most of her life, she sets herself the task of completing everything on the list before her birthday, but it’s definitely not an easy task.
In general, I liked Emma, and sympathised with her and her problems. However, I thought she was pretty mean to her ex-boyfriend, and that put me off her a little bit. I thought Emma’s job was interesting and different, and her colleague, Giles, was one of my favourite characters in the story. In fact, there were a number of very likeable secondary characters in the book; I would have loved for Emma’s dad and his on-line dating exploits to have featured more!
Jane Costello has a knack for creating some truly memorable comic scenes, I don’t think I’ll ever forget Emma’s visit to the STD clinic or her night spent camping! She also clearly has a real love for her hometown of Liverpool, where the story is set, and this really shines through in her writing.
I was definitely hooked by Emma’s tale, and I was particularly pleased with the novel’s ending – it was satisfying, but didn’t come too quickly, or out of nowhere. All loose ends were neatly tied up, and I felt everyone had the conclusion they
deserved!
Jane Costello’s books are light, very entertaining reading, and I enjoy them immensely. ‘The Wish List’ is probably one of my favourite of Costello’s works – witty and sharp, this author really knows what she’s doing!
4 stars
With only six months until her thirtieth birthday, Emma Reiss discovers a list she and her friends wrote when she was fifteen, a list consisting of all the things they want to achieve in the next few years. Emma is shocked to discover she hasn’t fulfilled any of them. Determined to make the most of her life, she sets herself the task of completing everything on the list before her birthday, but it’s definitely not an easy task.
In general, I liked Emma, and sympathised with her and her problems. However, I thought she was pretty mean to her ex-boyfriend, and that put me off her a little bit. I thought Emma’s job was interesting and different, and her colleague, Giles, was one of my favourite characters in the story. In fact, there were a number of very likeable secondary characters in the book; I would have loved for Emma’s dad and his on-line dating exploits to have featured more!
Jane Costello has a knack for creating some truly memorable comic scenes, I don’t think I’ll ever forget Emma’s visit to the STD clinic or her night spent camping! She also clearly has a real love for her hometown of Liverpool, where the story is set, and this really shines through in her writing.
I was definitely hooked by Emma’s tale, and I was particularly pleased with the novel’s ending – it was satisfying, but didn’t come too quickly, or out of nowhere. All loose ends were neatly tied up, and I felt everyone had the conclusion they
deserved!
Jane Costello’s books are light, very entertaining reading, and I enjoy them immensely. ‘The Wish List’ is probably one of my favourite of Costello’s works – witty and sharp, this author really knows what she’s doing!
4 stars
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