Granted

Description:

From John David Anderson, author of the widely acclaimed and beloved novels Ms. Bixby’s Last Day and Posted, comes Granted, a hilarious, heartfelt, and unforgettable novel about a fairy-in-training and her first wish-granting assignment.

Everyone who wishes upon a star, or a candle, or a penny thrown into a fountain knows that you’re not allowed to tell anyone what you’ve wished for. But even so, rest assured: There is someone out there who hears it.
Ophelia Delphinium Fidgets is no ordinary fairy—she is a Granter: one of the select few whose job it is to venture beyond the boundaries of the Haven and grant the wishes of unsuspecting humans every day. It’s the work of the Granters that generates the magic that allows show more the fairies to do what they do and to keep the Haven hidden and safe. But with worldwide magic levels at an all-time low, this is not as easy as it sounds. On a typical day, only a small fraction of the millions of wishes made get granted. And even granting those promised few means navigating a human world fraught with danger.

Today, however, is anything but typical. Because today Ophelia is going out on her first assignment. And she’s about to discover that getting what you truly want takes much more than a handful of fairy dust.

MY BOOK REVIEW:

My thanks to Harper Collins Children for this ARC to read and provide my honest review.

What a ride! I absolutely loved this middle-Grade book by Anderson. If you love books about fairies, wish granting, dreams and magic, this book is for you. I couldn’t put this book down. It read smoothly transitioning from one plot twist to another with ease. What I loved the most about this book is the author’s voice. John David Anderson’s ability to weave a story is well… magical. The characters leap off the pages and the magical journey that the Protagonist faces is quite the adventure!

This book wraps the meaning of dreams, wishes, family, magic and especially fairies around your heart and it is sure to leave you smiling and wanting more when you turn that last page.

The plot flows well. The Protagonist’s determination to fulfill her “assignment” sways from the path to success when one plot twist after another keeps her just out of reach of achieving her goals. The pace is steady and exciting and the characters are charming and relatable.

I love the cover. It’s true meaning will make sense once you’ve read the book. show less

This is just the cleverest take on the fairy world. I was thoroughly entertained. Main fairy, Fidgets, is full of flaws, but her heart is in the right place. She perseveres, never wanting to be the fairy who fails a mission. And yet she is incredibly down to earth and able to rally off a slew of fairy swear words. You'll be cheering her on to the very end.

The fairy world exists. You know all those times you threw a coin into the fountain, blew out your birthday candles or witnessed a falling star and then made a wish? Fairies heard them. Ophelia Delphinium Fidgets is a fairy. She is training to be a wish granter. Up till now she has worked a clerical job in the Wish Granting Department. Wishes don't come as frequently as they used to show more so it can take awhile for a trainee to get their first assignment, but Fidgets is getting her chance sooner than most.

Her first assignment is fairly straight forward. A girl throws a coin into a fountain and wishes for a bike. Fidgets is prepped with fairy gear and away she goes. From the beginning her mission is a mess. She's caught in the wake of an airplane, harassed by a goose, dumped by a bird, saddled with a dumb dog, nearly run over, nearly drowned, slapped around and essentially bruised and broken by the end. She's lucky she didn't die. If only a homeless man had not reached in the fountain and stolen the very coin she was after, she most likely would have avoided this disaster. But then we would not have had this crazy wonderful story.

This book screams to be made into a DreamWorks movie. It has the feel of Monster's Inc. The monsters create nightmares. The fairies grant wishes. Things go wrong in both, creating a mad sense of urgency to get things back on track. This book should be an easy sell for girls who like fantasy. show less

What a sweet story. Obviously my favorite character was Sam the dog. He was sweet but also very empathetic because of past mistreatment. I got a little misty eyed when he talked about being kicked. But the story was full of great characters including the main character Ophelia, a rebellious "modern" fairy. I like that her rebelliousness was based around her empathetic perception of the things she saw. This book is a great exercise for young readers in selflessness and empathy. The narrative takes two children who have lost something and leads the reader through Ophelia's dilema of who needs more help. One child had a bike stolen, the other had watched their father march off to the war in Iraq. I liked that this book didn't leave the show more narrative conclusion at one child getting something and another child not getting something. The conclusion conveys that magic is not the only way to have your wish granted. show less

* I got this book for review for the publisher*

I really adored this read. I love how John crafted the fairy world and made it some complex but also so easy to understand. I love how the book to read was a pure joy. I loved the fast pace element of the novel. I really had a hard time putting this book down. I thought this book had some predictable moments but overall this book was pure magic. I really loved the main character and also all the side characters just put a smile on my face. I would def read more by this author in the future!

* I got this book for review for the publisher*

I really adored this read. I love how John crafted the fairy world and made it some complex but also so easy to understand. I love how the book to read was a pure joy. I loved the fast pace element of the novel. I really had a hard time putting this book down. I thought this book had some predictable moments but overall this book was pure magic. I really loved the main character and also all the side characters just put a smile on my face. I would def read more by this author in the future!

What is a wish and are they all valued the same? Ophelia Delphinium Fidgets is a Granter...that is a fairy who grants wishes. She has always prided herself on being the best and following every rule. But what happens to her on her first mission will change the way she moves through the rest of her life.
Written for young readers, this story is fun and exciting but also raises questions surrounding some of life's hardest truths.
I would say it is a worthy addition to any juvenile library collection, be it school or public.
Thanks to the publisher and edelweiss for this ARC.

Listening to this audiobook was a delightful treat. Fairy-in-training Ophelia Delphinium Fidgets is on her first mission to grant a wish when EVERYTHING seems to go wrong. Funny, charming and filled with lessons about friendship and the really important wishes we truly desire.

Thank you Libro.fm for giving free audiobooks to booksellers!