I received a free copy of A Wish Made of Glass by Ashlee Willis in exchange for my honest review.

“When I was a child, I danced with the fey folk.”

The kinship of the fey is the fabric of Isidore’s childhood, but when her mother dies, Isidore’s grief drives her away from the fey. An unlikely friendship with her new stepsister, Blessing, carries her along until she begins to realize that Blessing is everything that she’s tried and failed to be. As jealousy grips Isidore, she looks to the fey, desperately hoping to have her sole wish ranted, but wishes, like hearts, are easily broken. Will she manage to obtain the one thing she wants above all else without destroying what she needs most?

A Wish Made of Glass is beautifully written, and it tells a hauntingly familiar story – a life riddled with mistakes and highlighted with pain – the story of fallen man. Isidore is far from perfect. She’s jealous and bitter, selfish and angry. Though a fairytale, A Wish Made of Glass wanders into reality by painting a vivid picture of how dwelling on wrongs leads, inevitably, to bitterness and pain. But it also shows how love can cover a multitude of wrongs if we simply choose to abandon ourselves and love.

As in her previous work, The Word Changers, Ms. Willis’ description is breathtaking. I continue to be floored by her skill and elegance, and I am in awe of how she writes raw characters so true to life that it’s sometimes painful to watch them grow. The pacing is comfortable, and the tender touch of romance woven throughout is both sweet and powerful.

But all of the intricacies of writing pale in comparison to the way this story explores human emotion – both the lovely and the ugly. This exquisite Cinderella retelling is achingly true, and the image that crystallizes by the end is hopeful and beautiful. Therefore, I give A Wish Made of Glass five out of five wonderstruck stars and a PG rating.

Find it on Amazon or Goodreads. :)