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Wishbone

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What to expect

Bloomsbury presents Wishbone by Justine Pucella Winans, read by Sam Krochmal

Coraline meets Ghost Squad in this terrifying story about what happens when you aren't careful what you wish for.

Ollie Di Costa wishes things could be different.

He wishes the bullies at school would leave him alone. He wishes his parents would stop fighting. He wishes his sister Mia didn't have to worry about things like paying for college. But most of all, he wishes he wasn't so angry about all of this. When he and Mia find a two-tailed cat they name Wishbone, Ollie takes comfort in telling him everything he wishes would change—then suddenly, it does. Everything Ollie and Mia wish for comes true, and it's like all of their problems are solved. But magic comes at a price. Whatever they wish for is not simply given to them, but taken from others. And to make matters worse, a mysterious shadow man called The Mage is after Wishbone and his power. With each wish, darkness takes over more and more of their world, and worst of all, it threatens to take over Ollie, too. But can he let go of everything he's ever wanted?

Justine Pucella Winans, author of the Stonewall Honor book The Otherwoods, brings us another bone-chilling middle grade horror, urging readers to not only be careful what you wish for, but beware of who you may become if you aren't.

Critics Review

A magical, high-octane adventure and a perceptive examination of queerness and fear.
Publishers Weekly
A quirky magical romp with real depth.
Kirkus Reviews
Spooky, funny, and queer--what's not to love?
Kirkus Reviews
River's very human struggles with facing fears, learning to trust in allies, and being truthful about themselves will resonate with many tweens, even the non-magical kind. Mr. Fluffy Pancakes, River's heroic sidekick, leaps off the page with humorous body language and expressions that speak louder than words.
School Library Journal, starred review for The Otherwoods
Winans' nightmarish monster realm holds horrors and revelations . . . River's sarcasm injects welcome humor into the narrative, which is as much about their personal journey toward self-confidence and silencing bullies as it is about surviving literal monsters. This reluctant hero will mean the world to many readers and be beloved by all.
Booklist, starred review for The Otherwoods
[An] emotionally complex portal fantasy. . . . Balancing gruesome creature encounters with an empowering meditation on bravery, this middle grade debut offers up a panoply of nightmarish ghouls and harrowing perils, but the real appeal comes from tender interpersonal ties and themes of self-discovery
Publishers Weekly, starred review for The Otherwoods
An excitingly suspenseful portal horror led by a cleverly humorous, adorably queer, and intrepid nonbinary tween. . . . The Otherwoods is creepy fun with a queer heart, and a cunning and determined protagonist whose growing self-confidence is a joy to experience.
Shelf Awareness, starred review for The Otherwoods
Author Justine Pucella Winans
Narrator Sam Krochmal
Duration 7 hours and 44 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781547614769
Format Audiobook
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing
Genre Children’s / Teenage fiction: General fiction
Availability AU, GB, IE, US

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