• Contact Me
  • About Jess and the Dogs
Books and dogs

Books and Dogs

A blog about books and dogs

  • Book Blog
  • In The Stacks
  • About Jess and the Dogs
  • Contact Me
You are here: Home / Women's Fiction / Book Preview: What You Wish For by Katherine Center

Book Preview: What You Wish For by Katherine Center

Featured, Women's Fiction

What You Wish For by Katherine Center and a basset hound dog

I received an ARC of What You Wish For by Katherine Center from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I will admit I’m struggling with this review. This book grapples with a very polarized subject in America: safety in our schools. I’m trying to think of the emotions involved when someone says school shooting. It’s like the first drop in a roller coaster when you hear the words: your stomach just flips.

So as an ardent Katherine Center fan, I went into this book like a hog coming out a chute.

And I ran into a brick wall at full force.

What You Wish For

I will start this off by saying when you get an ARC from NetGalley they caution you that it’s not the final version of the book. I’m very much hoping this book gets another edit because there were consistency mistakes. So I won’t go into those here assuming they’ll be caught in the last round of edits.

But I will mention in the inconsistency of characters.

I admire Center’s work for its tightness. You could bounce a quarter off of her books because she has her characters so tightly nailed down even you could predict their answers to unasked questions.

That was unfortunately lacking in this book. Every time a character was faced with a decision and choose an action, there was suddenly a backstory to explain the action. Instead of weaving these character traits in so masterfully you don’t notice them, the back story reared its ugly head like a mass of deal shoppers on Black Friday.

It was so utterly disjointed it threw me from the story time and time again.

The Characters

The main character, Sam, has epilepsy, and she chooses to be alone because of it. But I never bought her story. Pieces of her past popped up when they made convenient plot points as if she were picking and choosing which parts of her past to react to.

Our hero, Duncan, read like a grocery list of all the cool things you want your teacher to be, but in reality, his character was so flat an iron would be intimidated, and when he did do something from the grocery list of traits, it felt forced and unusual.

I always love the background characters in a Center novel, but it’s like she forgot to write them. Sam’s best friend, Alice, was painted like a paint by numbers and every time she popped up, you would get another space filled in. It was cobbled together, and it wasn’t flowing (I’m thinking of Margaret’s sister in How To Walk Away).

The Story

I had a hard time with the subject matter of the story. School shootings are a tough subject, but one we all need to face in light of how life is today. I don’t think there’s a “right” answer.

Center does a great job of painting a picture to show the pros and cons of ultimate security versus fostering learning. She doesn’t claim to have an answer, and she encourages the reader to think for herself.

However, I think the subject matter itself prevented me from sinking into the story. Even though I had read the blurb and knew what the story was about, I didn’t expect it to take the turn it did.

Trigger Issues

I don’t read books about dogs for obvious reasons, so I like to point out potential trigger issues for readers.

In What You Wish For by Katherine Center, you will find

  • School shootings
  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Epilepsy
  • Death

You Might Also Like…

You will enjoy What You Wish For by Katherine Center if you also liked….

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez

Final Thoughts

I would encourage anyone who enjoys contemporary women’s fiction to pick up this book. I didn’t connect with the characters, and I thought the story lacked Center’s trademark solid writing. However, the subject matter is one to be discussed, and I think this is a good bridge into the topic.

What You Wish For by Katherine Center will be released by St. Martin’s Press on July 14, 2020.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Share2
Pin1
Tweet
3 Shares

April 14, 2020 · Leave a Comment

Disclosure of Material Connection

Some of the links in the page above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Previous Post: « Book Discussion: The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Street by Karen White
Next Post: Book Discussion: The Ship of the Dead by Rick Riordan »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to the blog about books and dogs.

I'm Jess and these are the dogs. Come on in, and let's find your next favorite read. Read More…

Browse by Category

Subscribe to Books & Dogs via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Search

Let’s connect.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Latest on Instagram

I FINALLY got around to reading this one. I’ve s I FINALLY got around to reading this one. I’ve seen SO many romance readers gush their love for Sebastian I was worried it wouldn’t live up to the hype. Well...it did. Check out my full review on the blog. Link in bio.

#historicalromance #booksanddogs #lisakleypas #sebastian #romancebooks #romancereadersofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #historicalromancenovel #amreading
When you keep clicking refresh on the tracking num When you keep clicking refresh on the tracking number because you REALLY need the next book in the series NOW. 😬

#romancebooks #romancereadersofinstagram #romancenovels #bookstagram #readersofinstagram #lisakleypas #ravenels #romanceseries
This. #booksanddogs #beautyandthebeast #belle #di This.

#booksanddogs #beautyandthebeast #belle #disney #disneyprincess #bookstagram #books #adventure #disneymovies #library
Guys. This book is so freaking good. #historicalr Guys. This book is so freaking good.

#historicalromance #lisakleypas #romancebooks #romancereadersofinstagram #romancenovels #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #amreading #amreadingromance
Friday. #dogmom #bassethound #bassethoundsofinsta Friday.

#dogmom #bassethound #bassethoundsofinstagram #sleepydog #dogsofinstagram #doglife #dogsandbooks
My husband really wanted the tagline for this book My husband really wanted the tagline for this book to be: he’s hurt, but he’s not THAT hurt.
🙄😐🤦‍♀️ 

#historicalromance #romancebooks #romancereadersofinstagram #romancebookstragram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram
Follow on Instagram

Find Your New Favorite Author

abby jimenez beatriz williams bill martin jr christina lauren deanna raybourn elizabeth hoyt elizabeth wein helen hoang hook jane austen jane yolen jennifer mcquiston jm barrie judy schachner julia quinn karen mcmanus karen white katherine center kristan higgins kristin hannah lauren willig laurie r. king linda holmes lynn kurland lyssa kay adams Magnus Chase mariah frederick mariah fredericks mark teague mary russell mike rowe movie adaptations n.d. wilson natalie jenner neil gaiman ransom riggs rick riordan sarah maclean sherlock holmes steven spielberg susan meissner taylor jenkins reid television adaptations tessa dare tradd street series
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright Policy
  • Disclosures and Disclaimers
I FINALLY got around to reading this one. I’ve s I FINALLY got around to reading this one. I’ve seen SO many romance readers gush their love for Sebastian I was worried it wouldn’t live up to the hype. Well...it did. Check out my full review on the blog. Link in bio.

#historicalromance #booksanddogs #lisakleypas #sebastian #romancebooks #romancereadersofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #historicalromancenovel #amreading
When you keep clicking refresh on the tracking num When you keep clicking refresh on the tracking number because you REALLY need the next book in the series NOW. 😬

#romancebooks #romancereadersofinstagram #romancenovels #bookstagram #readersofinstagram #lisakleypas #ravenels #romanceseries
This. #booksanddogs #beautyandthebeast #belle #di This.

#booksanddogs #beautyandthebeast #belle #disney #disneyprincess #bookstagram #books #adventure #disneymovies #library
Guys. This book is so freaking good. #historicalr Guys. This book is so freaking good.

#historicalromance #lisakleypas #romancebooks #romancereadersofinstagram #romancenovels #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #amreading #amreadingromance
Friday. #dogmom #bassethound #bassethoundsofinsta Friday.

#dogmom #bassethound #bassethoundsofinstagram #sleepydog #dogsofinstagram #doglife #dogsandbooks
My husband really wanted the tagline for this book My husband really wanted the tagline for this book to be: he’s hurt, but he’s not THAT hurt.
🙄😐🤦‍♀️ 

#historicalromance #romancebooks #romancereadersofinstagram #romancebookstragram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram
I may have worn out my assistant. #amwriting #amw I may have worn out my assistant.

#amwriting #amwritingromance #romancebooks #romancereadersofinstagram #bassethoundsofinstagram #bassethound #dog #dogmom
My reread of this old favorite by Julia Quinn left My reread of this old favorite by Julia Quinn left me more in love with Miranda’s story than ever. Find out why on the blog. Link in my profile.

#booksanddogs #juliaquinn #historicalromance #romancebooks #romancereadersofinstagram #romancenovels #bookstagram #books #reading
Books and dogs on a Sunday morning. #booksanddogs Books and dogs on a Sunday morning.

#booksanddogs #bookstagram #hrreadathon20 #historicalromance #romancereadersofinstagram #romancenovels #amreading #amreadingromance

Disclosure of Material Connection

Some of the links in the page above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Amazon Affiliate Disclosure

Books & Dogs is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and its affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2021 · Anchored Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in