Publishers Weekly
02/26/2024
Self-reflection prompts personal bravery in this high-strung dual-POV romance endorsing honest communication among friends and family. Despite coming from “different worlds,” white-passing scholarship student Natalia Diaz-Price, “the only other Latine person in my class,” is Ethan Forrester’s “favorite person.” Similarly, Ethan, who reads as white, accepts Natalia as “exactly who I am. No armor. No fake smiles.” While acting on a pact to “be each other’s firsts” on prom night, however, a miscommunication leaves each of them believing their romantic feelings are unrequited. After a summer avoiding each other, they reunite during a senior class seaside camping trip, uncertain of where they stand and each jealous of the other’s assumed new love interests. Ethan is the only one around when Natalia accidentally spills a jar containing anonymous secrets from her classmates’ self-reflection exercise, prompting them to desperately hunt for seven missing letters—which might include their own confessions—and forcing them to confront their past along the way. The lovers’ stubborn noncommunication sustains the romantic angst that drives Des Lauriers’ debut. Multifaceted secondary characters and Natalia’s candid examinations of the hypersexualization of BIPOC women add thematic depth. Ages 14–up. (May)
From the Publisher
"Eva Des Lauriers' writing brims with fragile, hopeful beauty—the way I ached for these characters and their huge, complicated hearts as they reveal their truest selves over the course of a single life-changing day. One of the best YA novels I've read in a long time." —Rachel Lynn Solomon, author of Today Tonight Tomorrow
"Utterly charming—full of heart-rending first love and self-discoveries that are the trademarks of the best of YA. Des Lauriers’s fresh voice is undeniable and makes this debut a standout. Natalia and Ethan will absolutely steal your heart.” —Maurene Goo, author of I Believe in a Thing Called Love and Somewhere Only We Know
"I was absolutely swept away by this gorgeous story. A stunning combination of summer, growing up, and young love—you won't be able to turn the pages fast enough!" —Jenna Evans Welch, New York Times-bestselling author of Love & Gelato and Spells for Lost Things
"Eva Des Lauriers wrote the book I had been waiting for. Angsty and heartfelt. Romantic and smart. From the moment I picked up I Wish You Would I could not stop reading it. This book will make you feel ALL the feelings." —Kristin Dwyer, author of Some Mistakes Were Made and The Atlas of Us
* "Des Lauriers’ brilliant debut novel will set readers’ hearts aflutter. Romantic, compelling, and optimistic, I Wish You Would isn't to be missed." —Booklist, starred review
School Library Journal
06/01/2024
Gr 10 Up—It is a week before the start of senior year, and class president Natalia Diaz-Price is busy planning and running the Senior Sunrise camp night. Also, her parents recently announced their divorce, and her mom has decided to move three hours away, so Natalia must decide if she's staying or going with her mom. Ethan Forrester is Natalia's best friend and secret crush. He recently discovered that his celebrity father cheated on his mom with a costar and has left the family. Ethan and Natalia have stopped speaking because they have not been able to communicate how they truly feel about each other. During one of the camp activities all the seniors are tasked with writing a wish on slips of paper and putting them in a jar that will be tossed in a bonfire at the end of the trip. Inadvertently, some of the slips escape from the jar and Natalia asks Ethan to help her find them. Told in dual point-of-view, the story takes place over one night and readers are able to see the internal conflicts for both Natalia and Ethan. This helps to see the arc both characters go through. Between chapters, Des Lauriers includes some of the students' wishes, so readers get a glimpse of other classmates' lives. This friends-to-lovers story imparts lessons about the importance of communication for relationships. VERDICT A feel-good love story that touches on important issues faced by young adults today. Recommend where upper YA books are popular.—Davia Schmidt
