Down with the Shine by Kate Karyus Quinn Published by HarperTeen on 4/26/16
Genres: Young Adult
Pages: 355
Source: Edelweiss
My content rating: Mature YA (Talk of sex, Drinking, Murder)
My rating:
There's a reason they say "be careful what you wish for." Just ask the girl who wished to be thinner and ended up smaller than Thumbelina, or the boy who asked for "balls of steel" and got them-literally. And never wish for your party to go on forever. Not unless you want your guests to be struck down by debilitating pain if they try to leave.
These are things Lennie only learns when it's too late-after she brings some of her uncles' moonshine to a party and toasts to dozens of wishes, including a big wish of her own: to bring back her best friend, Dylan, who was abducted and murdered six months ago.
Lennie didn't mean to cause so much chaos. She always thought her uncles' moonshine toast was just a tradition. And when they talked about carrying on their "important family legacy," she thought they meant good old-fashioned bootlegging.
As it turns out, they meant granting wishes. And Lennie has just granted more in one night than her uncles would grant in a year.
Now she has to find a way to undo the damage. But once granted, a wish can't be unmade...
This book was just all sorts of fun, but I have to warn you not to take it too seriously. It’s full of irreverent humor, to be sure. (You don’t often see books that poke fun of characters who have been victims of a grisly murder, but this one does). If you’re okay with that, then this book will suit you just fine!
What Fed My Addiction:
- Wishes gone wild! My favorite part of this book was seeing all of the crazy ways that Lennie’s classmates’ wishes came true. Since no one was taking their wishes very seriously and Lennie had no idea that she was actually granting them, most of the kids made ridiculous wishes that teenagers would think were funny and sometimes Lennie paraphrased them in ways that made them even crazier. The results were spectacularly goofy and often utterly ridiculous. (Like I said, this book does NOT take itself seriously.) I kind of loved seeing how they all played out!
- The ending. The solution to the whole wishes dilemma was nothing that I was expecting and it actually allowed Lennie a lot of character growth (which I also wasn’t necessarily anticipating). I really enjoyed the way that Quinn wrapped everything up and the direction that the book took at the end.
What Left Me Wanting More:
- The romance. I actually didn’t dislike the romance in this book, I just wasn’t 100% invested in it. It was fine, but I didn’t find myself completely swooning (but I was still rooting for them to get together). Luckily, the romance was just one element in a book that had a LOT happening, so the lack of spark in the romance didn’t bother me all that much.
If you’re a fan of fun, irreverent (but not overly gross – I’m not a fan of those) comedies with a fantastical twist, I definitely recommend this one. Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans (like me!) will probably be especially enthralled – it’s that sort of snarky humor. I give this book 4/5 stars!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
About the Author
Kate Karyus Quinn is a chapstick addict with a love for live theater and a BFA from Niagara University to prove it.
After growing up in the suburbs of Buffalo, NY, Kate left her hometown for Southern California and film school, where she earned an MFA in Film and Television Production from Chapman University.
After finishing her degree, she moved with her husband to Knoxville, Tennessee. However, she recently made the move back home, with her husband and two children in tow. She promised them wonderful people, amazing food, and weather that would… build character.
Kate is first and foremost an avid reader and unapologetic booknerd. Although, she mostly reads YA and romance, she often samples different genres in her constant search for the next great read.
This one sounds like so much and kind of weird (in a good way!!) Glad to see you enjoyed it. Great review!
I love all her books for their quirky uniqueness and had fun with this one as well, glad you did too!
I really want to read this one! I’m a fan of quirky and weird books!! I’m glad you liked it.
-Lauren
I didn’t really know what this was about til I read your review, I knew vaguely I guess, but the idea of wishes sort of out of control is really interesting! I think I might be adding this one. The snarkiness sounds fun too.
OOoh nice! This one sounds awesome! I need to read this author’s books! I already have one but this one sounds soooo awesome! Glad to hear it was enjoyable!! Great review!
I really want this book! It sounds so fun, but it does sound like you probably can’t take it too seriously. Quirky and irreverent can be fun though when done right. And it’s nice that it even had some character growth at the end. Great review 🙂
I’m excited for this book. I read Another Little Piece and while I didn’t LOVE it, it made me really curious about what else the author would come up with. It was such an odd premise. Just really out there (kinda gross) and just intriguing. Glad to know you liked it. I’m looking forward to trying it 🙂
I am glad to hear you liked this book more than I did. It was a really original story. Great review!
This book sounds like a lot of fun and definitely unique! I like the sound of everything you described here, and the blurb for that matter 😀 Thanks for bringing this to my attention my friend^^ xx
I have this one on my to-read list, it sounds so fun and quirky. And the plot with the weird wishes that come true sounds like a fun one. It sounds like a fun book, although that is good to know not to take it too seriously. I am sorry the romance didn’t fully work for you,but it sounds like the rest is good enough to make up for that. Great review!
I’ve read one other book by Quinn – one called Another Little Piece. Without a doubt one of the strangest, most bizarre books I have ever read. (Not to mention rather gruesome.) When it ended I sat there wondering what in the world I had just read – and not really understanding it. LOL This one sounds slightly less bizarre and certainly not as dark so I might give it a try at some point. Enjoyed your review, Nicole!
This one does seem like a pretty fun book which can be a good laugh and isn’t too serious. I think I have it so I’m looking forward to trying it sometime. And the sound of all the wishes coming true is pretty entertaining. But I know how you feel about the romance – every now and again there is a book where I just don’t care too much for it. It’s just there xD