WISH MONSTER

Sixth grader Violet Park is heartbroken when her beloved dog dies—so, when she encounters a monster in a cave in the woods who gives her the opportunity to wish Midnight back to life, she jumps at the chance.

Violet is satisfied that no one else remembers that Midnight is supposed to be dead—until classmate Hudson Causeway expresses his suspicions. Hudson is an odd kid: smart and kind but constantly overlooked by teachers and most other students, except for his one friend, Quinn Taylor. As Violet tries to figure out why Hudson is immune to the effects of her wish, she realizes that the monster wants her to bring it more wishers. She invites beleaguered shop owner Mr. Kazem to meet it, but when his wish has a terrifying side effect, Hudson and Violet realize that the wish monster may not be the benevolent entity they thought it was, and they set out to destroy it. When they learn that Hudson’s mother knows more about the monster than she let on, a horrifying truth dawns on them. Packed with plenty of twists and action, this thoughtful novel explores the unintended consequences of getting one’s deepest desire. Violet is cued Korean American, Hudson presents white, and Quinn has dark skin and “a mass of frizzy brown hair that [gives] off a distinct mad-scientist vibe,” a description that unfortunately evokes negative racial stereotypes.

Monstrous good fun.