The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury

Title: The Forbidden Wish
Author: Jessica Khoury
Page Count: 406
Rating: A
Keywords: Fantasy, True Love, Jinni, Aladdin, Retelling
Genre: Young Adult
Younger Readers: Language is not really an issue with this one and the romantic scenes do not wander much past intense making out.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

She is the most powerful Jinni of all. He is a boy from the streets. Their love will shake the world... When Aladdin discovers Zahra's jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn't seen in hundreds of years—a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra's very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes.

But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?

As time unravels and her enemies close in, Zahra finds herself suspended between danger and desire in this dazzling retelling of Aladdin from acclaimed author Jessica Khoury.

My Review:

If you are looking for a stand alone novel to dive into rather than trying to commit to a new series, then this might just be the pick for you. It is a retelling of Aladdin with the genie, or jinni, being a female rather than the traditional man. And this is where the problems come into play.

First off, Jessica Khoury is an amazing writer. The world she created was rich and fascinating. I devoured the words from the page, immersing myself into the culture she had created. It was unique and refreshing. Her description stood out from the YA norm with their depth. Rather than the normal corniness that can come with jinni tales, this one was beautifully done. You experience everything as if you were there. Sarah J. Maas's praise on the front cover reads "Lush, romantic, and exquisitely written- a rare, glittering jewel" and I could not agree more.

Zahra is ancient compared to Aladdin. Typically this would create a disconnect between the two characters. The Forbidden Wish does a good job of avoiding this discrepancy though. She is not an idiot by any means but her role as jinni has limited her experiences and made her fearful of the world. Watching her explore the world as her feelings grow for Aladdin and testing the limits as she has known them is a lot of fun.

Now for Aladdin. I HATE the player type character. You know which one I'm talking about? The one that is vague about his intentions towards the heroine. Sometimes he is known to be a major flirt, only wanting a pretty girl. Flitting from one relationship to the next. Never saying if he wants to be a friend or more? This is annoying in the real world and fiction. Becomes boring rather quickly. I was terrified as I started the book that this was going to be Aladdin, especially during the scene at the Rings. He seemed like he had played at least one character in the past and was quickly drawn to the pretties girl around. I was pleasantly surprised with him though. His character experiences development, growing up from the player boy to honorable young man. Just get past his initial annoyances and you're golden.

If you're not a fan of love triangles I would not worry too much about this one. Yes, Aladdin does have his choice between two beautiful girls. However, it is not presented in the desperate annoying way where he cannot tell which one he loves more. Trust me on this one. And if you hate instalove, do not worry. It is the more satisfying, or realistic, friendship that grows into more.

As the story came to an end I found myself sad that it was a stand alone. I wanted so much more from Aladdin and Zahra. I absolutely recommend this one.