Books for Young Readers
Genuine Sweet by Faith Harkey
Publisher: Clarion Books | April 2015
Age: 9 – 12 years | 288 pages
Told in the engaging, irresistible voice of Genuine Sweet herself, Faith Harkey’s debut novel spins a remarkable tale of a small-town girl with big-time magic and an even bigger heart.
Twelve-year-old Genuine Sweet has just discovered she is a wish fetcher. Wish fetching is in her family—mom and gram could fetch wishes too. She gathers magic from the stars to grant wishes for others, but never for herself. Things go well for Genuine as long as she keeps the wish-granting local, but when a friend convinces her to grant wishes online, it all gets a bit more complicated than she anticipated.
Filled with southern charm—the story is set in a small Georgia town—it’s sweet, folksy, and moves at a leisurely pace; almost a bit too slow at times. There are a lot of characters, not a lot of action, and a few adult topics—death, cancer, alcoholism, plus a budding romance. These are handled well and are suitable for a book aimed at middle grade and older readers.
I was expecting more magical realism and fantasy, but instead this is a sweet story with several lessons about responsibility and growing up.
Rating: 3½ stars
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Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
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Under My Apple Tree 
I’d probably like this because it doesn’t have too much magical realism. I know I’d like the setting.
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This sounds sweet, Leslie. Nice review!
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