What You Wish For: A Novel

Katherine Center

Jul 2020 · Sold by St. Martin's Press

About this ebook

"The story’s message, that people should choose joy even (and especially) in difficult and painful times, seems tailor-made for this moment. A timely, uplifting read about finding joy in the midst of tragedy, filled with quirky characters and comforting warmth."—Kirkus (starred review)

From the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away comes a stunning new novel full of heart and hope.

Samantha Casey is a school librarian who loves her job, the kids, and her school family with passion and joy for living.
But she wasn’t always that way.
Duncan Carpenter is the new school principal who lives by rules and regulations, guided by the knowledge that bad things can happen.
But he wasn’t always that way.

And Sam knows it. Because she knew him before—at another school, in a different life. Back then, she loved him—but she was invisible. To him. To everyone. Even to herself. She escaped to a new school, a new job, a new chance at living. But when Duncan, of all people, gets hired as the new principal there, it feels like the best thing that could possibly happen to the school—and the worst thing that could possibly happen to Sam. Until the opposite turns out to be true. The lovable Duncan she’d known is now a suit-and-tie wearing, rule-enforcing tough guy so hell-bent on protecting the school that he’s willing to destroy it.

As the school community spirals into chaos, and danger from all corners looms large, Sam and Duncan must find their way to who they really are, what it means to be brave, and how to take a chance on love—which is the riskiest move of all.

With Katherine Center’s sparkling dialogue, unforgettable characters, heart, hope, and humanity, What You Wish For is the author at her most compelling best.

Ratings and reviews

4.5 stars I have loved every Katherine Center book I have had the pleasure of reading. The characters are so endearing and often wonderfully adorkable. They encounter relatable issues and obstacles that will have readers rooting for them from the start. What You Wish For is no exception. After reading Happiness for Beginners (you can find my review here), I was so excited to learn that loveably goofy Duncan would be getting his own book. I dropped all my other reading commitments and dove right into What You Wish For. Though it's not necessary to read Happiness for Beginners prior to this book, I do recommend it because it's wonderful and I think it will really enrich the experience. I loved the overall message of choosing joy, even in the face of fear and adversity. The book deals with some very serious, but timely topics (TW: school and gun violence), that may be extremely difficult for readers. It sometimes felt too in your face, but at the same time I can understand why the author chose to show these two extreme sides to the issue. I enjoyed the contrast between bright and sunny Sam and doom and gloom Duncan, especially after seeing him so dramatically different in Happiness for Beginners. Yes, they both make some poor over the top choices, but I could understand that for the most part, their hearts were in the right place. It was fairly clear from the start what Duncan's history would entail, but it didn't take away the impact of his past when all was revealed. Sam and Duncan have a lot of emotional scars to process and deal with, but I loved how they ended up helping each other (and the entire school community) heal. It's a slow burn, second chance-ish romance between them and I have to say that one of my favorite parts of the book is when Duncan is high on pain killers ("The opiates never lie." LOL). I really enjoyed Sam's inner monologue/voice. The story is told completely in her POV, but her little jokes and quirks were so endearing. Her friendship with Alice was the best and I loved all the math jokes and connections. One of my favorite parts of the book however, was when a few familiar characters popped up during a beach scene. I couldn't wipe the HUGE smile off my face and I may have let out a contented sigh. It really was the tiny bit of epilogue my heart needed for those characters. Another highlight was Chuck Norris and the few easter eggs/nods to Happiness for Beginners. Overall, this was another fantastic read by Katherine Center and is sure to be one of my top reads of 2020! *I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

This is my second Katherine Center book and it's safe to say I'm a fan. Her books are addictive page turners that tackle some deep and serious issues without feeling heavy or too pedantic. It's no easy feat to combine the topics of school violence, death, sadness, and love and not overwhelm the reader, but Center manages it effectively. I love how she builds her characters and miss them when the book is done. I'm already looking forward to reading my next book of hers.

What You Wish For by Katherine Center is not what I expected from reading the blurb. I was looking forward to reading something light and entertaining (I wanted a change of pace). I thought it had a rough beginning where I felt I was plopped into the middle the book instead of the beginning. Samantha “Sam” Casey is the librarian at the Kempner School on Galveston Island, Texas. Sam loves her apartment, her friends, the staff, students, and her job. Max and Babette Kempner founded the school and have become surrogate parents to Sam. She lives in the apartment in their carriage house. I did not like Sam. She is an insecure woman who rattles on endlessly. She has an eclectic wardrobe. What You Wish For is told in the first-person so we get to know Sam’s every thought. The reason Sam left her last job was utterly ridiculous. There was a great deal of repetition of information (I lost track of how many times we are told Duncan is goofy, she had a crush, Tina did not like her) and there is foul language as well. I believe the book is supposed to be humorous, but it missed the mark. Samantha’s full name is not mentioned until the fourth chapter and I thought all the characters lacked development (they are not fleshed out especially Sam’s friend, Alice). There were two scenes that went on way too long. One is the dance party which could have been cute if it had not felt like it lasted five hours instead of five minutes. The other is a touching scene with Clay Buckley (the sweetest young man) near the end. I did appreciate the epilogue that wrapped up What You Wish For. There were some areas that could have been humorous with a little tweaking. The main themes of the book are to find joy in your life and find reasons to celebrate. We all need happiness and hope in our lives. The author did touch on serious subjects which were PTSD, bullying, and school safety. I struggled to finish What You Wish For because I wanted to dump the book after reading the first chapter. I found the story to be cheesy which resulted in eye rolling and me yelling at the book. I did, though, enjoy the descriptions of the Kempner School which is in a beautiful building and of Galveston Island. I suggest you read a sample to see if this book is what you are looking for. What You Wish For was not a wish come true for me.

About the author

KATHERINE CENTER is the New York Times bestselling author of over a half dozen novels, including What You Wish For, Things You Save in a Fire, and How to Walk Away. Katherine has been compared to Nora Ephron and Jane Austen. The Dallas Morning News calls her stories, “satisfying in the most soul-nourishing way.” Katherine recently gave a TEDx talk on how stories teach empathy. Her work has appeared in USA Today, InStyle, Redbook, People, The Atlantic, Real Simple, and more. She lives in Houston with her husband and two kids.