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Review
5+ magical stars!
“Love makes a place for itself even if there isn’t one…Love carves into the hardest of places.”
Mia Sheridan has really outdone herself with The Wish Collector. This story has stolen my heart and is easily one of my favorites of hers to date. The unique storyline, the wonderful characters, and the depth of emotion create a stunning story about choices people make, the regret, grief, and guilt they live with, and the forgiveness and second chances that heal the aching hearts. Jam-packed with all the feels, this is one story you do not want to miss.
Jonah has been hiding behind the walls of Windisle Plantation since an awful tragedy ruined him eight years ago. He sees himself as the monster people believe him to be and refuses to leave the property. Clara leaves everything she knows behind her and goes to New Orleans to dance in the ballet. It has always a dream of hers but she never realized how hard it would be to go out on her own.
When Clara hears a story about the haunting of Windisle Plantation and legend of the weeping wall, she becomes completely enthralled. She is determined to find the reason behind why the ghosts, Angelina and John, haunt the manor. It is believed that Angelina may grant a wish left in the wall so people from all over leave wishes in the wall hoping for a miracle. When Clara leaves her own wish, it’s one that changes her life as well as Jonah’s forever.
The Wish Collector is fantastically written. Beautiful words and descriptive imagery paint a picture full of mystery, magic, and spellbinding love. Two love stories weaved together – one heartbreaking, one heartwarming, both breathtakingly beautiful – that will fill you with so many emotions your heart will be bursting at the seam with love for the the characters.
Jonah sits at the wall and collects wishes. He has never responded to a person at the wall before but after reading Clara’s wish he can’t help but talk to her. There is something about their voices that draws them to each other. They enjoy each others company and look forward to their visits as Clara continues to return to the wall.
For a moment they only breathed together and she closed her eyes, picturing them as they must appear from above, their bodies in the same position, pressing toward each other, the barrier of the wall separating them.
They find camaraderie in each other the more they talk. Without the ability to see to whom they were speaking, their other senses grow stronger and an unusual bond forms.
For now they were just a boy and a girl, sitting on opposite sides of a wall, a layer of thick stone between them, but their hearts connected nonetheless. And for now, he would enjoy the moments they had.
Clara and Jonah are brought to life in this story. They are brilliantly developed, flawed, and far from perfect but they are perfect for each other. Both outcasts in their own way, when they meet they are lonely and searching for something they didn’t even know they wanted.
Clara is compassionate, caring, and selfless. She has an exceptional grace about her and a heart full of forgiveness. She proves over and over again what a truly wonderful person she is and it was easy to imagine her as real.
Jonah is a damaged hero. He harbors so much guilt, regret, shame, and grief over the choices he made and the heartache that followed. I cried for the pain that he endured both emotionally and physically and hurt for all he discovers. However, he shows us what a great person he is no matter what he believes and I wanted him to see the way Clara sees and understands him.
Maybe, she thought. Maybe we were all some shade of monstrous given the right circumstances.
Clara and Jonah make a really special couple. Both are lonely and find solace in each other and their connection is genuine and believable. They take away the sadness and bring a peace that soothes their souls.
It had been a long damn time since he’d been surprised—him, the monster behind the wall. No, not the monster, the wish collector.
One half of his lips tipped. Talking to her, those brief moments, he’d been transformed from the former to the latter.
Clara brings Jonah back to life, opens his eyes, and offers support without taking away his own strength. She believes in him and I loved that she refuses to give up. She knows when to push and when to step back. She has a good understanding of what Jonah needs and wasn’t scared to express her love even if it has to ability to drive him away.
It had all started with her. Everything good that had happened to him in the last few months was because she had shown up at the weeping wall that day.
They experience a love that neither have felt before. I enjoyed watching it bloom from a solid friendship to more. The progression was well paced and I believed it. The build-up made my heart flutter and soar every time there was even the smallest hint of how Jonah and Clara could be together.
Foggily, she remembered thinking that there was nothing like the anticipation right before a stage curtain opened. Nothing at all. But oh, how wrong she’d been. Waiting for Jonah’s kiss was like that moment, only infinitely better. Oh yes. Something wonderful is about to happen.
The second love story, Angelina and John’s, was full of hopes, dreams and is from years ago. A story of legend and history. It’s a love built from deep within the soul and one that was undeniable. Even when you know the outcome, their heartbreaking end makes you weep. Angelina and John were such an important part of Clara and Jonah’s story that their own story was necessary to help bring Clara and Jonah together. I loved the way their story was integrated; it added mystery and magic and I was desperate to learn the truth.
The secondary characters play a vital role as well. I loved Cecil and Myrtle and their unconditional support and love they give to Jonah as they stand by him through the hard times. And I loved Mrs. Guillot who gives Clara kindness and a friend when she first moves to New Orleans. I enjoyed her company as much as Clara did.
Overall, The Wish Collector is a truly magical story. A new favorite and top 2018 read for sure, this book remains in my heart and I can’t stop from wanting to relive it over and over again!
*ARC generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*
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