You Wish by Jeff Victor is such a sweet and magical story with a lot of heart. The artwork is gorgeous and full of emotion, and the message really sticks with you. It’s one of those graphic novels that feels both fun and meaningful at the same time.

This was a super cute comic aimed at children, but honestly for anyone. I adored the art style, it reminded me a lot of Over the Garden Wall, but more vibrant tones. The story itself was well thought out. A kid searching for their lost parent is always an interesting story, but add in the fact their parent is actually a genie makes it more magical and fun. I think it is a great representation of how you don't have to be like everyone else to find your place in the world. And even if you never "fit in" you will find the people who will love you either way.

I am excited to read the next volume!

I received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review

This was unbelievably adorable and cute and fun, and probably something I wouldn't have otherwise come across before diving headfirst into the exciting world of ARCs!

You Wish takes the classic magic lamp and genie premise and does something genuinely refreshing with it.

An awkward kid in the middle of nowhere with her single parent dad discovers a magical lamp and the magical flame kitty herald of the genie of the lamp, and discovers magical secrets of her family's past and goes on an epic adventure...

This is a kids comic, but has enough style and substance to entertain all ages very much in the tradition of Gravity Falls and Owl House.

Weird. Cute. Cool. Wonderful!

This was a wholesome story about a small girl that she by mistake rubs a lamps and learns that she is a half gini and goes on a mission with the announcer of the lamp.

I really like the artwork and the colors, this is a graphic novel that I would see made into a tv show. A criticism I have that in the begining the plot moved so fast and the main character immediately decided to go on an adventure leaving the people she loved behind which was a bit strange. I will definitely continue with this one thought because I believe it has a lot to give..

The graphics in this book are very appealing and the storyline is one I feel you readers will enjoy.

Really fun take on genies in a lamp. It takes place in such a different environment than normal genie stories. I really dig the aesthetics the author chose for it.

This kid and gribblet are great together. lovely banter & humor. I honestly wish I could hug them both!

The art was also amazing you get to see some of the genie world while they travel which is pretty cool! But overall I love the art style and the way he captures the scenes with lights and shadows.

I am curious for the next one!

Omg I loved this! Imagine finding a dusty old lamp on your land, cleaning it up and summoning Gribblet! Gribblet is so cute! A little monkey/cat type thing that can create fire and light.

I love how this story is a mission to find Avery's mum, when all seems lost, can Avery and Gribblet find Caressa and bring her back to the human world?

I love the process bit at the back, the comic sketches and the ideas behind it. Looking forward to grabbing book two and seeing where it takes the story!

@idwpublishing #idwreviews

Such a fun read! Had my kids on the edge of their seats to discover what would happen next in Avery’s journey. Preordered book 2!

My son and I are always looking for new books to read. He reads on his own, but we also read together every night. Apparently, he likes the voices I do for the characters. Anyway, this is the first book of a middle-grade graphic novel series. It follows a 10-year-old, Avery, who discovers her mom is a genie and was punished for creating her. She goes to the genie world with her mom's herald, Griblet, in search of her mother and finds a few obstacles in her way.

My son loved this story, and we are going with his rating, which is 4.5 stars. His favorite part was Griblet, who offered some comedy, and that's about all I got from him. Some action sequences were fun as well. The artwork is amazing and such a great view of different parts of the genie world. I liked the after story part where the author has his sketches of the characters and world as they came along during creation. I thought the story was sweet and emphasized family. Though Avery had her dad, she was still very lonely. Overall, a fun story, great art, and the kid loves it.

Avery’s understanding of her life in the middle of nowhere changes when she summons Griblet.
Cut illustrations and warm themes.
Also some interesting action to keep you engaged.
Best for children, less layered for adults.

<i>You Wish</i> by Jeff Victor is a fast-paced graphic novel with a compelling premise about family reunification. While the story is engaging, it feels somewhat shallow, offering little beyond a straightforward introduction to its world. The plot doesn’t delve deeply into its themes, leaving the narrative feeling more surface-level.

The artwork and world-building, however, are impressive and clearly where much of the effort went. The visuals are immersive and well-crafted, but the focus on them ultimately detracts from the deeper exploration the story could have benefited from. Overall, <i>You Wish</i> is an enjoyable, quick read, though it falls short of its potential when it comes to narrative depth.

Hopefully, now that the world and characters have been introduced, we'll see a more developed plot and story structure in the sequel. I would not recommend this for emerging middle-grade readers on account of the complexity of language.

First off this book is visually stunning. The backgrounds have so much detail and the multiple locations all had their own unique details and colour schemes. It was also clearly shown how vast some areas were which can be hard with perception in such a small cell like a comic.

The story was also unique. I haven’t seen a genie falling in love with a human, before with the wishes being used to make a baby. Which also leads to how unselfish the dad is, because money seems to be the most requested wish, as the genies already know how to trick those who use that wish.

The storyline was nicely wrapped up as the whole story is covered in this one book, which is nice and doesn’t force the reader to get the whole series to get to the end. But that there are more in the series, so I am thinking side quests!!

This would be a great book for middle schoolers or a beginner graphic novel as it was quick, lots of visual interest, and no overly scary parts.

Thank you IDW Publishing and NetGalley for the e-ARC
Avery's life is very boring, living in the middle of nowhere only having her dad as company until she finds a very special lamp.
This is a very fun adventure going into a magical land and brining home a family. I love the art style, it looks like it could be a movie. I can't wait to read the next one to see where Avery will take us next
4 stars!

This graphic novel follows Avery, a lonely girl in the middle of nowhere, living with her dad. One day she finds a lamp and while cleaning it releases Gribblet (a herald genie). She learns some secrets and goes on a grand adventure. This was so sweet and funny, with eye catching illustrations. I think that everyone would enjoy this wholesome tale.

Disclaimer: I received this graphic novel ARC from NetGalley and IDW Publishing | Top Shelf Productions in exchange for a free and honest review.

This was cute! I am in love with Gribblet. What an adorable and spunky character! This is fast paced and has a good message about family and the lengths that we will go to in order to bring back the ones we love.

4.5

“This place could use a little magic, that’s all I’m sayin’.”
And magic she shall get.

Cool idea with cute art, mesmerizing fantasy world and nice, diverse character designs. Plus the funny ‘denglish’ (or so they sound like) words in the genie language!

I would’ve liked to have a bit more of the “magic card tricks” described in the blurb, as there are cards in the beginning, but not many card tricks. Still, her loneliness, living in the middle of nowhere, was shown quite well.

Characters: I loved the loving & caring dad, the pet-to-be Gribblet, the relatively relatable Vulgarin, the mysteriously majestic Arbiters, and, of course, magic-loving Avery. Her mom, Caressa, only fell a little flat and was a cliche damsel-in-distress character.

But overall it was fun, and I’m sure lots of kids in the target group will love this!

Looking forward to volume 2, I want to know more about Gribblet. I have my theories ...

~

Thank you to IDW Publishing on Netgalley for a digital review copy.

-09.03.25

The format of being a graphic novel makes the book easy to read and follow along with. The story contains a couple of twists and turns which make for an interesting read. Also i love the illustration style.

This is a great little middle-grade graphic novel. I really liked the art style, it fits the story perfectly and it's cute and impressive in equal measure. The story is inventive, adventurous and fast-paced, and there's an adorable little sidekick creature. Perfect for middle-graders!

Many thanks to Netgalley and IDW Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Avery lives in the middle of nowhere and helps her dad run their family gas station. When one day she wishes that her life had a little more *magic* in it, everything changes. She discovers an old oil lamp in the storage and when she tries to light it she meets Gribblet, a cute fire creature who is herald (a being who assists genies by explaining rules to humans). Avery discovers a secret about herself that changes everything and she gets transported to the world of the genies where she goes on a journey to discover the truth about herself and her family.

What a beautiful graphic novel debut! The art is exciting with fun characters and detailed atmospheric panels. The coloring is vivid and exciting - perfect for an adventure story. Young readers will identify with a lot of the feelings Avery has throughout the story: loneliness, grief, and a desire for more excitement/ adventure. The pacing is quick making it a great choice for reluctant readers. This book will appeal to fans of The Girl & the Galdurian by Tim Probert and Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi. I would recommend this book for readers in grades 3 and up.

This is such a great book for kids! A young girl discovers a magic lantern and soon learns that her mother is not only a genie but is also still alive. Determined to find and save her, she embarks on an adventure with her new friend. Along the way, they face challenges and must find ways to overcome them. The art fits the story perfectly, drawing you in and making the journey even more immersive.