A Wish After Midnight by Zetta Elliott

I won this book at Black-Eyed Susan's blog a few months back and have set it aside for awhile until I was in the mood for another YA.

Seriously, I shouldn't have waited that long. The moment I started the first line, I didn't stop, literally, until I was done with the book. (Okay, I only stopped when I had to nurse the baby and change his diapers.)

Fifteen-year-old Genna's voice is so genuine and completely engaging that it's a wonder to me that this book is only independently published.

Genna lives with her mother and three siblings in a tiny, run-down apartment in Brooklyn, where days are bleak and hopeless. She has bigger dreams, however, and so always tries to do things right. Genna always has pennies in her pocket for when she goes to her sanctuary, a lovely garden with a fountain, where she would drop those pennies and make wishes for a better life.

One night, she makes a wish and gets transported back in time to Civil-War-era New York City. She then has to suffer the life of a supposed runaway slave, while trying to survive and to go back to her own time. The story just escalates and gets more and more interesting by the page.

I loved this story because it wasn't just a story. It is a voice with a message. I admire the author for breathing so much life into this book. Recommended for young readers, and adults who like YA literature with heart and substance (and engrossing, page-turning plot).


Thank you, Zetta Elliott, for writing this captivating book. And thank you, Susan, for the win and for introducing me to this author. Read Eva's review here.