By Camilla d’Errico & Joshua Dysart (Titan Books)
ISBN: 1-84576- 683-0
I’m not quite sure of the extent of Avril Lavigne’s creative input in this compelling and enthralling tale of a little girl, isolated and confused in the modern world, but don’t let that deter you from enjoying it.
Hana is not happy or popular. She gets picked on at school, the boy she likes doesn’t know she exists, and her parents are always fighting. She spends too much time on her own, and makes mischief in internet chat rooms. She only has one person she can talk to, and that’s an imaginary version of the pop-star Avril Lavigne.
Then one day she finds the “Make5wishes†website, and eventually succumbs to its seductive offer. In response she receives a diminutive demon who promises to change her life, but constantly warns her that there will be consequences. At first she is content just to have somebody – or rather something – to talk to, but the lure of those wishes just grows and grows…
Of course she succumbs. And the first wish seems to be all gain, no pain. So then she tries another and another. Sometimes the wishes are not instantaneously granted but she’s prepared to wait. She’s still pretty lonely though, and imaginary Avril doesn’t talk to her so much now. She doesn’t approve of the demon or his offer.
Big magic takes time. But soon she gets what she wished for, and even if it all goes bad she still has one wish in reserve… But it does go wrong, and as the delayed requests begin to materialise Hana realises the depth of her folly.
Although ostensibly a fairly derivative tale, with echoes (acknowledged throughout) of Faust and The Monkey’s Paw this is a subtle and chillingly contemporary tale beautifully illustrated. With a haunting tone of predestined tragedy this grips and enchants the reader. The biggest problem will be overcoming the prejudice the celebrity component of the package is likely to engender in casual readers. If you are one such please try to judge this story on its merits, because it is very, very good.
© 2006, 2007 House of Parlance Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.