There’s a lot to unpack here. This book is just everything. EVERYTHING I WANT IN A STORY AND MORE. First; y’all, this ain’t a drill. WE HAVE CHILDHOOD BEST FRIENDS TO SWEETHEARTS BE STILL MY HEART. I don’t know if I’ve ever flailed about this but I FREAKING LOVE CHILDHOOD BEST FRIENDS TURNED SWEETHEARTS. Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes ALL OF THE YES.
This book has SO MUCH going on and I loved that! There was never a dull moment. We started out the book with Aladdin as a child and then we steadily went through his life, stopping for key moments, etc. I think that it’s a strong story, but I did find the retelling part a little lacking, just because it’s got Aladdin’s name in there and everything but I didn’t feel like it had much else in there from the story. However, I have only seen the Disney movie and I am by no means an expert on the original story, so this probably wasn’t retold from the Disney movie which would make much more sense.
I am going to put heavy content warnings here though. This is an adorable romance and I really loved it but there is some content you should know about. I will talk a little about this, but will also add trigger warnings to the bottom of this review.
This book largely focuses around Kirstyn being kidnapped. When I first got to that part in the book I rolled my eyes. Kidnapping plotlines are not new to the romance genre, especially historical and fantasy, this book being the former. But I was honestly pleasantly surprised by this book. Don’t disregard it for this storyline, perhaps even read it for it. The reason is simple. Most kidnappings in the romance and historical and fantasy genres are used, to put it simply, as plot devices. They usually happen to speed the story, but leave no lasting effects.
Y’all, if you were kidnapped, you would have some SERIOUS issues afterwards, including but not limited to, sometimes a form of PTSD, nightmares, depression, and it can cause serious mental health issues. What really won this book for me was that, rather than brushing off the kidnapping once it was over, Melanie met the issues head on, brought them into the story in a positive way.
I will say, it does feel a little like it was leaning towards “love of life solves all mental health issues”, and I did find that a little problematic. It’s not addressed how Kirstyn deals with these issues after the fact, just that they’re there. I did have some trouble with that, as it’s important to know, and I was really hoping they’d be dealt with in the story so we could have a view into how they handled the mental issues in historical times. It was slightly thrown over for the overarching romance plotline, which was understandable. But I think we could have had an extra 50-100 pages to deal with it, because it’s important to discuss mental health issues, especially in YA fiction.
That seemed a little negative, but I promise it isn’t! I really did love this book. I think it’s important to deal with mental health issues, even in historical romances, and this book does feature them. I think that’s great, but we still have a long way to go :)
This book is so well written and it absolutely pulls you in from the first page. It speaks to Melanie’s amazing writing abilities, clearly honed from years of writing and publishing amazing stories. I loved how she approached everything, and this is one of her more complicated stories yet she pulled it together effortlessly into a spellbinding story.
I also highly recommend listening to the Swan Princess soundtrack while reading this, mostly the end credits song or For as Long as Forever or the Other Side from the Greatest Showman because I just had those on repeat the whole book and it was perfect! But that could just be me.
I loved how Aladdin worked and worked and brought himself up from the streets to what he became in the end, not someone inhibited by his scars but rather propelled by them. He was such a strong character.
And of course I loved all the cameos from our beloved previous Hagenheim heroes and heroines! I love this series and the stories in it. You’d think after so many stories Melanie would have run out of things to add but with each one the stories and characters are so much richer and it creates a wonderful experience.
Overall, this is an amazing story with an adorable romance, but it also deals with more serious issues to create something worth reading, and worth loving.
TW: abuse(emotional and physical), kidnapping, ptsd, captivity
(that’s what I can currently remember, but if there’s more, comment them below and I’ll add them!)

I loved fairy tales as a child and to this day, I have fond memories of the times I spent immersed in them with a feeling of being completely captivated. Until now, I didn’t realize that a Christian author brought these stories to life in such delightful detail. This is the first book I have read by Melanie Dickerson, and I’m honestly thrilled that there are seven more that I haven’t read. Quite often, upon finding an author I enjoy, I have to wait around for the next book to come out, but not this time!

Besides all the wonderful details and great characterization this is a true Christian book. I love how the author didn’t skimp on details that show the characters faith; the book is filled with people who go to church, pray and have faith. It’s a Christian book that actually has Christian details!

For all the aforementioned reasons, in my book, this is worthy of a 5 star rating!

This is another fantastic tale from Melanie. She has crafted a lovely tale with Aladdin and Lady Kirstyn, that kept me spellbound from beginning to end. I loved finally seeing Kirstyn's story, and meeting Aladdin, It was so fun to read and see how their story unfolded. If you like fairy tale stories, I highly recommend this one, it's got all the necessary pieces: .great characters, romance, danger, a cool setting and time period, good guys and bad guys, and much more. I read it in less than a day so it's a quick and easy read and it is sure to hold your attention. Check it out!

I usually enjoy books that are rooted in fairy tales, so I wanted to love this book. I just could not get into it and did not finish it. Sorry to say it was not my cup of tea.

This was a sweet story about an orphan, Aladdin, that is trying to find his way in the world and working to be accepted. Kirstyn is a young middle child that wants to be noticed and feels like nobody notices her. Aladdin and Kirstyn form a bond during childhood that seems unshakable. I enjoyed getting to know both Aladdin and Kirstyn. They grew into caring adults that still searched for approval. At times the plot seemed to slow, while delving deeper into the thoughts and feelings of the characters. This led to deeper characters and emphasized that a person needs to accept who they are before they can be the best in a relationship. I recommend to those that like a twist on a fairytale and sweet romances. I received a copy from Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This is the sweetest story Dickerson has ever written (and that is saying something) and quite possibly the sweetest story ever. An absolutely lovely Aladdin retelling with enough that is new and enough kept of the old to keep it both interesting as well as traditional. Definite crossover appeal for teens of any age, along with adult fans of inspirational/sweet romance. (posted to Goodreads)

I hate to say it, but I was extremely disappointed in this book. I've enjoyed most of Melanie Dickerson's books because I'm a sucker for fairytales. This one, in my opinion, just didn't measure up.

The story had so much potential. A young orphan from another culture who wanted to prove himself and a young woman from a large family who feels forgotten. With the added dangers in the story it could have been amazing. Unfortunately, it just felt really flat.

The characters were extremely one-dimensional, and the dialogue was stilted. There was no depth, so I never felt invested in their lives. Kirstyn comes across as very immature and she never really grew from that. At one point I found myself thinking, would someone in that kind of danger really be thinking such selfish thoughts about her siblings? Really? The book suffered a lot from the telling instead of showing problem. I couldn't even point to a secondary character who had much depth.

I really wanted to enjoy this book. And there were some good parts to it as well. The thoughts and feelings of the characters are relevant to many people today. And I'll probably still read the next book because I have enjoyed this series. I just think you might be able to skip over this one.

Melanie Dickerson's fairy tale remakes usually capture my attention. I love her take on the stories. She sprinkles in a little bit of her Dickerson magic and tosses what I know of the popular tales and whips up a batch of a new perspective. With her latest installment of her Hagenheim series, The Orphan's Wish, I believe it wasn't as good as the others preceding it.

The only approach to Aladdin I had is the Disney version with the Genie and Jasmine, so I'm not that familiar with the true written story. Dickerson does a great job at inviting me into the Hagenheim kingdom and bringing back familiar characters that I'm familiar with. Clear and concise writing is what Dickerson does best. She really invites me into the character's mind and allows me to feel and think right alongside the characters.

But . . . I have some issues with The Orphan's Wish. First, the first forty percent of the book features a lot of flashback into Aladdin and Kirstyn's early relationship. I would be reading the story, and then be thrown into an aspect of importance to show how Aladdin and Kirstyn's past cemented their present world. Second, I believe, there were too many internal dialogue and thoughts from Aladdin and Kirstyn about the other person. Every decision Aladdin made was because of a "might" relationship with Lady Kirstyn. He couldn't really make any decision on his own. He thought about Lady Kirstyn ALL THE TIME.

The romance appeared a little childish. They met as young kids and became best friends. Then the romance grew, even though Aladdin and Kirstyn were not socially in the same station in life. Aladdin and Kirstyn's thoughts drove me nuts. They thought of each other all the time like a young couple in love. Plus, they were too afraid to admit to each other how they honestly felt.

I wish the bad guy was more. I don't know how to explain it without giving away the plot. He appears, kidnaps, and threatens. Not too much of a threat. Then he is captured, released, and captured / killed for the final time. The conflict wasn't deep enough for me. If felt too shallow.

Overall, I really looked forward to Melanie Dickerson's take on Aladdin with The Orphan's Wish, but it fell short for me. The romance and the plot didn't capture my attention and left me wanting more with the story. I believe I will still collect the book to complete my collection. Fans of Dickerson's other novels should read the novel and see if they enjoy it for themselves.

I received a complimentary copy of The Orphan's Wish by Melanie Dickerson from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

Aladdin was an orphan, stealing on the streets of the Holy Land, before he was taken to Hagenheim by a crusading knight and a priest. He befriends the duke's daughter, Kristyn, and they form a close friendship that lasts through time and distance.



Aladdin cares for Kristyn and he goes off to make his way in the world. He gains the trust of a businessman, Herr Kauffman, who treats him as a son. But just as things begin to fall in place, they begin to unravel.



Will Kristyn and Aladdin be able to cling to their faith and their friendship despite the situations that threaten to tear them apart?



This was a difficult one for me to review, because I had such high expectations, but it just wasn't for me. I've read other books in the series, and other books by this author and loved them all, but this one just didn't do it for me. Kristyn is a brave heroine, she weathers the trials that come her way, and she doesn't give up hope, even when things look darkest.



Aladdin is a man of integrity, who finds himself tested multiple times over the course of the book. He is loyal, and compassionate. I love how he reaches out to Abu, a young boy who lives by his wits on the streets. Aladdin in my mind was a lot like Joseph of the Bible, he is given great responsibility and prospers, yet he is faced with horrible misfortunes not of his doing.



I think the reason that I struggled to like this book was because so much of the relationship between the characters depended on past experiences, memories, and sometimes it felt like they both expected the other person to be a mind reader. Kristyn and Aladdin are separated for much of the book, and so it was hard to see their relationship really grow over the course of the story.



I did like the way that Ms. Dickerson drew from the story of Aladdin, and bringing him to Hagenheim through the Crusades. And I thought that the main elements of the story were wonderfully transposed. While this wasn't my favorite of the collection, I still eagerly await reading the future installments in the series.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

I was either deprived or preserved from experiencing fairy tales in Disney fashion outside of  reading them in an encyclopedia or other books. 

Melanie Dickerson's retellings are enchanting. They give fresh spins on the old tales that I loved from the books from long ago and make me wish I enjoyed Disney movies. I really enjoyed this story, with the germanic twists and turns. 

I feel as though, when I want a comforting story, where I know that the character will suffer, but in the end, things will go right, I can pick up one of her books and know it will be that way. But what is even better than that, is the skillful way the life lessons are woven into each one. 

I obtained this book from the Netgalley and the publisher. The opinions contained herein are my own.

The Orphan's Wish is part of the Hagenheim series but definitely can be read as a stand alone. This is the story of one of the Duke's daughters, Kirstyn and the orphan Aladdin. This is a twist on the original story we know of Aladdin. It was a refreshing point of view of the story with lots of twists and plots I was not expecting. I loved the instant friendship and connection of Kirstyn and Aladdin as it grew throughout their childhood into adulthood, All Aladdin wanted was a family to call his own and he definitely found that in Kirstyn. Clean with religious references throughout the book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Orphan’s Wish continues the Hagenheim saga, this time featuring Kirstyn, one of the middle children of Duke Wilhelm and Lady Rose. As the middle child, she often feels overlooked and underappreciated in her large and rambunctious family. Her elder siblings have lives of their own, and her younger siblings are too young to understand her.

Her young life changes one day while visiting the local orphanage when she makes friends with a young Saracen named Aladdin. Their friendship blossoms over the years as they become best friends.

From the day his mother died, Aladdin has longed for the security that a family provides. As his friendship with Lady Kirstyn grows over the years, he realizes that most of all, he wants to earn the respect of Duke Wilhelm and earn Lady Kirstyn’s hand in marriage. Although he seems successful at everything he does, he never feels worthy of the Duke’s respect.

When he decides to leave Hagenheim in search of fortune, Aladdin can scarce handle leaving lady Kirstyn behind. But he knows that without making a name for himself, Duke Wilhelm will never accept him as a suitor.

Unfortunately, his leaving triggers a series of events that puts Lady Kirstyn’s life in danger. Will Aladdin find her before it’s too late?

I had a hard time getting into this book. It just did not captivate me. Since I did not finish the book, I do not intend to publish a review.

3.5 Stars
A medieval middle grades novel very loosely based on the Aladdin story. This adaptation starts off well, somewhere in the Middle East, then continues in communities in Germany (this book is part of a series). Many of the themes from the original story are included here: orphans and the meaning of family and romance between two people from opposite side of the tracks, but with some Christian elements and written for a younger audience. There were not as many parallels between the Aladdin story and this retelling as many of the other works by this author; however, if you have enjoyed the previous novels in the series, then you will like this one too.

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The story of Aladdin is given a new spin in this latest fairy tale from Melanie Dickerson. The story begins in the Holy Land when Aladdin is just a small boy and we get to watch him grow up before our eyes. As an orphan, Aladdin feels like he has to work harder and strive to be perfect in order to earn love and affection.

Lady Kirstyn has a tender heart for those less fortunate. She longs to give love and a sense of family to the orphans of her family’s homeland. As the middle child, Kirstyn often feels overlooked and under-appreciated in her large family.

Aladdin & Kirstyn are children when they meet and they quickly become friends, going on adventures, and exploring the woods around Hagenheim. They learn to trust one another and build a special bond of friendship. But no one said growing up is easy.

I enjoyed this face-paced story. This story can easily be read as a stand-alone, however, you are sure to treasure Melanie’s other fairy tale stories! I would have like to have seen a little more character growth and maturity before the last couple of chapters. However, that alone shouldn’t discourage you from reading this fun story! Aladdin & Kirstyn are sure to find their way into your heart and take you along on their incredible journey!

If you, like me enjoy reading the fairy tale stories from Melanie Dickerson, then you won’t want to miss out on this latest addition. I give this story 4 stars and would encourage you to pick up this story to enjoy!

(I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own.)

I really enjoyed this retelling of Aladdin. I have enjoyed most of Melanie Dickerson's books so far and they don't disappoint.

Rating: 3 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Melanie Dickerson is one of my all-time favorite authors so when I saw that she had new book coming out I knew that I had to have it. I have always loved Dickerson’s writing, her ability to develop a plot, and the fact that all of her novels contain clean romances and interactions.

One thing I love about Melanie Dickerson is how she never fails to create diverse and interesting characters in her novels. In this Aladdin retelling we meet Aladdin and Kirstyn. I loved Aladdin and his desire to impress and demonstrate his abilities to everyone he meets (this is something that I can relate to). He was also so gentle towards Kirstyn and willing to help in any way possible. But I had issues with his low idea of self-worth. After all he had many people telling him that he was worthy of Kirstyn’s favor all throughout the novel, however, I can understand why he might feel this way based on his skewered views of some of his childhood experiences

I enjoyed Kirstyn; I loved how resilient and strong she was after being kidnapped, and I loved how her faith in God never wavered. There were a couple of thing about Kirstyn that bothered me even though I enjoyed her overall as a character. One issue I had was how oblivious she was to Aladdin’s feeling throughout a vast majority of the novel. The other issue I had was how she often thought that her family didn’t value her as highly as some of her other siblings. Not only were the main characters loveable this novel had plenty of secondary characters to fall in love with such as Abu, Herr Kaufmann, and Hilde.

The overall plot of this novel was enjoyable. Seeing Aladdin find his way in the world and forge a working and personal relationship with Herr Kaufmann was amazing. On the other hand, reading about Kirstyn’s ordeal after being kidnapped and held hostage for so long was heartbreaking. While I liked the foundation for The Orphan’s Wish I felt that at times there was to much going on. I also think the ending could have been cleared up earlier; I felt that the last meetup between Aladdin and the antagonist was unnecessary and made the plot a little less believable. Overall I don’t believe that the minor plot and character issues undermined the beauty of this novel.

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fairy tale retellings, clean romance, or a good read in general. While there are several fights that utilize swords there is nothing graphic about the novel and therefore I think it is appropriate for all age groups.

Another fairy tale retelling from Melanie Dickerson! For those of you who’ve been waiting for Kirstyn’s turn to fall in love, it’s finally here in The Orphan’s Wish. Strangely enough, did you know Aladdin left the Middle East as a little boy and grew up in Hagenheim? I guess it’s a whole new world for him to explore….

Kirstyn is the daughter of Duke Wilhelm and Lady Rose of Hagenheim, raised in the proverbial lap of luxury in 1400s Lower Saxony. But her closest companion is Palestinian orphan Aladdin, rescued as a child from a life of forced thievery. The two grow up together, their friendship surviving every trial, until Aladdin leaves to make his fortune. He believes he’ll never be worthy of Kirstyn’s affections without one, and so he moves to the city of Lüneberg, where he finds success as a merchant.

But Aladdin’s departure from Hagenheim leaves Kirstyn lonely and vulnerable to those envious of wealth, and it’s not long before she’s in very real danger. Will Aladdin and her family be able to rescue Kirstyn in time?

I wasn’t expecting so much intrigue from this book! Romantic drama, sure, and of course there had to be a villain (what’s an Aladdin story without a Jafar?), but the way it plays out in The Orphan’s Wish surprised me. Let’s just say Michael is a special kind of creep and leave it at that. I did love the relationship between Aladdin and Kirstyn as they grew from friends to sweethearts. I found some parts of their story a little hard to believe considering their ages, but if you factor in the medieval era, I suppose it balances out. I did want more resolution between Kirstyn and her family, though.

Overall, a fun fairy tale reimagining with a gentle romance that leaves you smiling. Be sure to catch up with the Duke of Hagenheim and his family when The Orphan’s Wish hits stores later this month!

So I made myself finish this. I did receive it in exchange for a review, but review was not required.

I'll be quite honest--I hated this book. I'm going to try to find some good things, but we'll see. XD

POSITIVES:
+The 1400s was kind of a cool setting! I didn't feel like it was utilized as much as it could have been, but that's an era I haven't read a ton of fiction from.

+Childhood friends to lovers is a trope I enjoy, so the fact that it was present (despite the fact that I wasn't thrilled with the way it was executed) was fun.

+Abu, while not a terribly interesting character, was cute.

NEGATIVES:
-Oh boy, where to start.

-For one thing there's the awkward fact that while this is ADVERTISED as an Aladdin retelling, other than the obvious fact that the male lead was named Aladdin and he had a little sidekick named Abu, I couldn't have told that for the life of me. I can kind of find some parallels? But for the most part they were not present at all.

-The characters were incredibly flat, and also insanely Mary-Sue and Gary-Stu-ish. The only word I can come up with to describe Aladdin is "perfect." Don't believe me? Take the word of the other characters for it. They probably called him that fifty times over the course of this novel. Aladdin is perfect. Kirstyn is beautiful. Abu is young. Michael is cruel. There's no depth to these characters, and it made it incredibly difficult to care about any of them. Eventually, I stopped trying.

-The writing style is uninspired, flat, and rank with "telling not showing." I'll concede that this is something I need to work on myself...I'm not always good at writing with showing and not telling. But in a published book by a famous author? I don't know. I never connected with the world, and I felt like the scenes that were supposed to be suspenseful were way too short and undetailed.

-On that note, I was never genuinely worried about the characters at all. So there's that.

-The world was simply never clear to me. Like, they were constantly talking about Aladdin being "King Midas with the golden touch" but when did that story originate? Was it around in the 1400s? I'm just not sure. And then there were some other things that maybe I simply wasn't picturing right...but again, it just didn't make sense.

-The dialogue. Oh, the dialogue. So cringey. I'm sorry. It was...sad, honestly.
In context: They are drinking water from a stream in the woods. They're like twelve.

Kirstyn: "It's refreshing. Try some."
Aladdin: "Good. Whoever lived here chose a favorable spot for fresh water."

This is just a random example. The book is full of dialogue like this, and I'm...just not a fan. Sorry. :/

-Then the sheer number of flashbacks to Aladdin and Kirstyn's childhood walks in the woods, where apparently all they ever did was talk about what good friends they were and how they never wanted this to change. I...don't know how accurate this is. Seems like they should have a lot more memories of chasing each other through a forest and swimming and playing games than of telling each other how much they love each other (JUST AS FRIENDS!!!!!) as little kids.

-The plot was kind of all over the place. I just....was there a plot, beyond Aladdin becoming successful? Besides the romance? I don't even know.

I'm going to give this book 2.5 stars, because I did finish it and I really tried to find a couple of positive things to say about it. But overall? I did not like this book. That doesn't mean I don't recommend it...this is more a matter of personal taste than anything, I think. But it does mean that I don't think I'll be reading anything more by this author in future. A pity...I had really hoped to like this one.

A sweet, simple, if fairly predictable story...A worthy option for anybody wanting to read a clean romance/historical fiction. That said, what "bugged" me is the choice of names for the main characters. ʻAlāʼ ad-Dīn would have been a lovely "original" name that could have been anglicized to Al. Aladdin, and especially Abu, are so strongly tied to Disney's Aladdin...and the story is in essence a retelling of 'some' of the fairy tale (thief falls for rich noble daughter), minus all magic. But Aladdin without magic becomes just a plain romance and I think this book would have done better to break completely from the fairy tale. Also, in my opinion,if one uses a fairy tale as a spring board, it would be good to actually research the original and expand on that. As such, Aladdin is Chinese (not from the Holy Land) and lives with his mother (not an orphan). But if that doesn't bother you, then you will find a lovely friendship turned romance in these pages, tying in a character from the Hagenheim series.