The Wish List

by Eoin Colfer

Book Overview

Meg Finn is in trouble, unearthly trouble. Cast out of her own home by her stepfather after her mother's death, Meg is a wanderer, a troublemaker. After a botched attempt to rob a pensioner's flat,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786818638
• ISBN13: 9780786818631
• Release Date: October 2003
• Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
• Length: 252 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.5" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 10 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 9

Customer Reviews

An entertaining if straight-forward adventure is hamstrung by sacrilege galore

"The Wish List" is a relatively enjoyable ride for younger audiences. The pace is fast, the scenes snappy, and the plot very easy to follow. Despite its simplistic and childish plot, a fact I will forgive given its target audience, it has basic but serviceable character arcs for both protagonists. They play off each other extremely well as a stereotypical old grumpy man and troubled teen. The man also has a tragically relatable backstory which tugs at the heart strings. The teen’s story was a bit more ridiculous and caricatured yet still serviceable enough for the plot. The antagonists are flat and largely incompetent until the very end with all their victories and practically every action existing to foreshadow elements for use in the protagonists’ final redemption. The worst part of the book, in my opinion, was the sacrilege it indulged in. It puts this novel in an awkward spot where, if you are young enough to enjoy it, you probably should not read it due to the wrong ideas it perpetrates. On the other hand, if you are old enough to handle the theological inaccuracies, you may struggle to find it engaging. For these reasons, I cannot recommend it which is a shame because otherwise it would be a good fit for younger audiences.

This book is awesome

I would recommend this book to everyone who is interested in the "after life". I understand that we have our own beliefs so we all pretty much different answers as to what might happen "next". Eoin Colfer explains his own version as to what the mystery of the "after life" is. In the book "The Wish List", a girl called Meg Finn is too bad for heaven, but too goos for hell. She battles demons, and manages to take care of an old man called Lowrie, what talent!, let's hear a round of applause!

As good as Artemis Fowl...

Needless to say, I loved this book. In spite of the fact that I'm a Christian, I didn't find it offensive in any way, and the ideas were imaginative and great! I was worried that I would be disapointed, after loving the Artemis Fowl books so much, if 'The Wish List' wasn't very good, but the last thing I was was disapointed. I found the characters believable and funny, and the plot utterly fascinating. In spite of what other reviewers said about Meg, I thought that she was well-developed and realistic. Perhaps she seems more realistic to a teenager? I think this book is more for teens than adults, but should be enjoyable for all ages.

Put This Book on Your Wish List!!!!!!!!!

This is a really great book!!! Only Eoin Colfer could turn hanging by a thread between Heaven and Hell and being sent back to help someone you wronged while having a half human half dog demon on your tail ready to drag you down to Hell into a very pleasant, humorous, action filled book, filled with emotion. Eoin Colfer did a great job with this book and all the others he has written like the ones in The Artemis Fowl Series and The Supernaturalist. Meg Finn is a 14-year-old girl who, after her mother died, left her mean lazy boob of a stepfather. She now is helping Belch to rob an old guy named Lowrie McCall. When they are in the house Lowrie comes out with his gun to find Meg and Belch busy pawing through his stuff. With that gun pointed at him, Belch decides to set his vicious dog on the old man. The mutt lunges at Lowrie and blood gushes everywhere. Meg grabs the gun and threatens Belch with it if he won't call of his dog. Belch calls him off but then grabs the gun and chases Meg down an alley there he kills Meg and himself and his dog. (killing himself was unintentional) Meg finds herself traveling down the tunnel. Instead of down with Belch, as she expected, she keeps going straight. Because of saving Lowrie, her list of good and bad deeds has come out even. Meg has to go back and help old Lowrie if she wants to get up into Heaven. Unfortunately for Meg though, the Devil has seen the bad things Meg has done in her past and is also wanting her soul. He sends Belch to make her do something bad so she will be on an express ride to Hell. Back on Earth, Meg has to help Lowrie, but he is not making it easy. Lowrie has made a wish list for her to help him to complete (hence the title). The list takes them all over the world, with Belch in hot pursuit. Lowrie and Meg have a shaky relationship at first but as the story goes on their friendship strengthens till they are strongly connected by friendship. This book is extremely good and is filled with the sarcastic humor that is so common in Eoin Colfer's books. This book had a lot in common with the Artemis Fowl Series such as the Action, the style of writing, and all the high-tech gizmos. Colfer couldn't even give up all fairy stuff as Belch continuously was calling the hologram, named ELPH, a fairy to further irritate him (the hologram was sent to help Belch in his quest to retrieve Meg). I highly recommend The Wish List which is humorous, and packed with action as well as heart.

Delicious

When a "real" life entity enters a book of fiction, and the reader perks up in anticipation to see how the author handles the writing of this character, you know that you're reading the work of a good writer. Such it is with The Wish List. When Beelzebub made his initial appearance, I practically sat straight up with my hair on end. Colfer has such a terrific sense of humor, and a remarkable ability with characterization, that I looked forward to the scenes with Beelzebub (and especially his ruminations on Satan) the most. That's not to say that the rest of the story was uninteresting - far from it. The story was refreshingly unconventional, and while I promised myself that I would never mention Artemis Fowl in a review about Colfer's other works, I feel the need to say this: This man can write books without Artemis Fowl in them. Unfortunately (?) Artemis Fowl - not just the character, but the entire series - is so riveting that it can be difficult to look past it and judge the rest of Colfer's work as standing on their own. Well, difficult for some, but not for me. This book tells the engaging and delightful story of a girl who made a series of poor choices in her life (although many can be forgiven due to the effects of her horrid stepfather), and one particularly bad choice. It's almost a delightful twist of such concept films as "It's a Wonderful Christmas", or perhaps even a satire, and it works brilliantly. It would have been very easy to fall into cliché ridden roles and experiences, but Colfer is far too deft an author to fall prey to any of those. Delightful book, highly recommended.

Something for the entire family...

This is the best book I have read in a long time. I borrowed it from my youngest son and was thoroughly engrossed. It is a book I would like to read aloud and discuss with my children. For anyone curious about life after life and how our place in eternity is decided, The Wish List provides some very thought provoking content. The heroine, Meg Fin, finds herself prematurely in the hereafter, due to her and her partner in crime, Belch, untimely death while they are trying to rob an ageing pensioner, Lowrie McCall. Meg's balance sheet tallies to an unusual 50/50. Since neither heaven nor hell can claim her, she is sent back by St. Peter to help Lowrie. If she can tilt the balance sheet by doing good, she will go to heaven. However, Satan has decided he'd like to have someone of Meg's intelligence and determination in hell, so he sends Belch to drag her back. Lowrie feels he wasted his life. The Wish List is a list Lowrie has made of four things he wants to do before dying and Meg must help him achieve them if she wants to get to heaven. How they work together, and while so doing, develop a deep respect and compassion for each other, is amazing. Meg comes to understand Lowrie's life and heart and develops a deep compassion for him and a determination to help him atain his four wishes before he dies. Lowrie also comes to understand Meg's deep sorrow after losing her mother. Mr. Colfer is a master storyteller who weaves a wondrous tale...it's almost like he's had a sneak preview of the hereafter. This book will make you laugh and cry, and think quite a lot. I recommend it for all readers. Mr. Colfer ranks with Madeline l'Engle and C.S. Lewis as my favorite authors.