What We Wish For

by Melody Maysonet Narrated by Gail Shalan

Overview

From award-winning author Melody Maysonet, What We Wish For is a poignant YA novel that explores one teenager's coming-of-age as she struggles through homelessness, family feuds, and her mother's addiction.

Be careful what you wish for ...

Fifteen-year-old Layla Freeman likes to pretend her life is fine. After all, her mother is about to celebrate thirty days sober, and yeah, they've moved into a homeless shelter, but it's only temporary, right? Her mom will get better, and in the meantime, it's important that no one at school finds out where she's been living for the past month. Layla has worked hard to build her reputation as a girl who doesn't care what others think of her, but the truth is she does care-deeply-and she's tripping over her own lies, especially to her best friend, as she tries to pretend nothing's wrong.

With their time at the shelter running out, Layla hatches a plan to get help from her rich aunt and uncle, despite the long-standing feud between their families. When the plan backfires and her mom ends up in the hospital after an overdose, the silver lining is that she's sent to fancy rehab-paid for by Uncle Scott and Aunt Tanya. Layla gets to move into her aunt and uncle's mansion while her mom is gone and begins building a tentative friendship with her snobby cousin-even as her relationship with her best friend deteriorates.

Armed with new wealth, new relationships, and even a new mother figure, Layla thinks all her dreams have come true ... But secrets have a way of coming out, and one secret above all threatens to turn her world upside down-and destroy her entire family.

Editorial Reviews

Chris Crutcher

Melody Maysonet’s What We Wish For is a testament to the horrors of addiction, the pain of betrayal, the power of tenacity, and the saving grace of friendship. It is brutal and enraging and heartbreaking and a little bit funny; and in the end, small-t triumphant. When you close the back cover, you will simply nod your head, knowing you have read something capital-T True.”

Booklist

[Maysonet’s] first-person narrative is engaging, and the emotions generated are vivid…Convincing and satisfying.”

School Library Journal

★ 09/01/2024

Gr 7–10—Layla, 15, keeps many secrets from her classmates and even from her best friends—secrets like the fact that her mother is an addict and that they live at the homeless shelter. She has no idea that an even bigger secret will soon turn her life upside down. It seems that things are taking a turn for the better when her mother gets her 30-day sobriety chip and a job interview; but for Layla, good things never last. When her mother overdoses, and Layla winds up in her estranged aunt and uncle's mansion with a cousin who obviously dislikes her, she learns that even those who seem to have it all are hiding dangerous secrets. Layla meets and is instantly attracted to a classmate, a recovering addict who also lives at the shelter. Layla is a strong and resilient teen, but she has typical teen problems, and the burden of caring for an addicted mother, while keeping so much of her life hidden, causes her to suffer anxiety, guilt, and low self-esteem. She is surrounded by well-defined characters, each of whom carries his or her own problems and secrets. Sensitive topics, e.g., suicide, physical abuse, and drug and alcohol abuse by adults and teens, are discussed frankly, and in a way that illustrates the widespread effect of these problems on families and friends. There is no fairy-tale ending but a hopeful one for Layla and her family. VERDICT This story of a teen's life with a single mom fighting addiction is often harsh and tense, but it remains honest, believable, and quite engaging.—MaryAnn Karre

Kirkus Reviews

2024-05-30
At 15, Layla Freeman is already adept at hiding secrets.

Even Layla’s best friend, Morgan, has no idea that Layla’s mother Shauna’s alcoholism has led them to seek refuge at a homeless shelter. There, Layla meets Gabriel, a recovering heroin addict and new student at her school. After Shauna suffers a near-fatal overdose, Layla’s wealthy aunt and uncle offer her a place to live; they pay for rehab on the condition that their past will remain hidden to protect her uncle’s mayoral campaign. This secrecy strains Layla’s friendship with Morgan and complicates her feelings for Gabriel. Caught up in the comforts of her new lifestyle—complete with a smartphone, expensive clothes, and a comfortable bed—Layla tolerates her uncle’s temper until Shauna’s relapse triggers a violent clash. This incident unleashes an explosive family secret, forcing Layla to seek help from those she’s pushed away. Maysonet depicts the stark impact of addiction with compassion, emphasizing the toll it takes on sufferers and their loved ones alike. Layla’s internal struggles with guilt and self-loathing offer a realistic glimpse into the emotional turmoil of those affected by substance abuse and poverty. Although Layla’s uncle’s villainy at times feels overdone, the book’s strengths lie in its rich character development and poignant narrative. Layla and Gabriel read white; Morgan is Black.

Simultaneously tragic and hopeful and consistently authentic. (author’s note)(Fiction. 14-18)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940191352398
Publisher:	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	09/17/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged

Videos