I remember when Artemis Fowl came out and reviewers lauded it to the skies as a "new kind of fantasy." It made me furious because it didn't sound like anything new at all to those of us who know and love the fantasy genre; in fact, I was so annoyed that I refused to read it or anything else by its author, Eoin Colfer. Years later, I learned he was tapped to write the sixth book in Douglas Adams' classic "trilogy," Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and thought that odd. But then I heard an interview with Colfer on the radio and he came across as very funny and engaging, enough so that I finally got curious about his writing. Rather than start with the book that annoyed me all those years ago, I picked an earlier book, The Wish List, and I'm glad I did. This is a dark YA comedy, about young Meg who dies at the tender age of 14 after participating in an attempted burglary of an old man. She is sent (with her killer) to the afterlife, but although the killer goes staight to hell, Meg is found to be perfectly balanced between good and bad, and as a result, she is sent back to Earth as a ghost, to assist the old man in completing his final wishes before he dies. How well she does that will determine whether her soul goes to heaven or hell....This is actually quite a gentle story, despite its early violence, and while I wouldn't put it on par with the great comic stories of our time, it is quite entertaining. Short too - it can be read in a day, if you're so inclined. Recommended. ( )

my freind julie says its a good book
she still crys when she reads it ( )

This is an interesting, (OK wacky) take on the after-life. Normally this type of book would not be my particular cup of orange soul-residue, but I'll admit that I didn't want to stop reading until the it was over. I liked how the author withheld the details of the terrible deeds that Meg had inflicted on her step-father until the end. This is a kinda-creepy, often- silly book that finishes with a cool blue twist that just makes you feel (surprisingly) good. ( )

Very funny and clever book. ( )

Fourteen-year-old Meg Finn had done enough bad deeds in her lifetime to put her on the fast track to hell, however, during her last moments on Earth it is the good act of trying to save an old man’s life that might save her soul. During a botched robbery, Meg and her partner in crime, Belch, are accidently killed with Belch and his evil dog going to hell and Meg in limbo. Meg’s spirit is sent back to Earth with the task of setting things straight in order to escape eternity in hell and she returns to Lowrie, the old man she helped save, but who was also injured during the robbery. To get into the pearly gates Meg must help Lowrie complete his “wish list,” a list of regrets he wants to change in his life, but time is running out and Belch is back from hell with a mission of his own: to see that Meg fails.
While fantasy and supernatural type books are usually not what I typically read and it took me awhile to get into Wish List, I could soon see why this book is popular for teens. Colfer’s writing style is hysterically funny in some scenes and it helps that the book never takes itself too seriously. I think that this title would also be a good recommendation for reluctant readers if they have no issues with the afterlife topic. ( )