Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

This was a fast-paced fantasy series set in Victorian England. Maeve is a very feisty heroine! The story had humor, magic, and adventure! This novel is perfect for middle school children! I recommend this for fans of Shannon Hale, Gail Carson Levine, and Jessica Day George!

Thank you for the chance to read this book. I am excited to say that it was pretty cool! My favorite thing about this book was the illustrations. I thought they were really beautiful. The storyline was 3/5 stars for me, and I shared this experience with a middle grade reader in my household who thought it was a good read! I have read that Berry is a well-liked author, so I believe that this book will be a nice addition to a home library or children's / young reader collection.

I'm a big fan of Julie Berry's adult books and had heard reviews about this story when it came out on audible, but hadn't read it yet. When it released as a physical copy, I was so excited to see Berry's take on a children's world.. And Maeve's world was a lovely one. Her school is typical, terrible boarding school but I loved when Maeve went digging through the trash and found a genie in a sardine tin. From there, the story really took off. It was so fun to see Maeve and her friends go through all sorts of adventures: from the supernatural to the realistic. There were so many great twists and surprises. So much so, that I hope this becomes a series. I would love to spend more time in this world.

Sometimes, we're all in need of a little adventure. Maeve Merritt, heroine of WISHES AND WELLINGTONS can certainly attest to that, and lately, I've also been craving adventurous stories - which is why Julie Berry's novel was such a treat!

The premise is simple, fun, and full of promise: in 1896 London, fiery schoolgirl Maeve finds a djinni inside a sardine tin. What follows is exactly the type of action you'd expect from such a discovery, including a trip to Persian ruins, tussles with a dastardly businessman, daring thefts and counter-thefts, and some sweet vengeance on snooty archrivals. Berry's writing style is fast-paced and effortless; despite a plot that occasionally felt padded, I found I couldn't turn the pages fast enough!

I will mention, however, that I am getting tired of the "I'm not like other girls!" trope. It's great that Maeve plays cricket and mouths off authority figures (seriously, I loved her!!) but I wish her sassiness hadn't come at the expense of "girly" girls. We're frequently told that her elder sisters are "ninnies" because they care about things like dresses, marriage, and dances; but why must traditionally feminine interests always be framed negatively? Maeve is not a strong character because she enjoys "boy" pastimes like sports, and her sisters/schoolmates should not be framed as weak because they enjoy "girliness." The amount of times we hear words to the effect of "airhead" used to describe feminine girls became exhausting. There were several other instances where the plot wasn't as self-aware as it perhaps should have been about the realities of empire, orientalism, poverty, & power etc, but I can't really go into them without spoilers. Yes, this is a MG novel and we can't expect every book to explore every historical issue, but WISHES AND WELLINGTONS came SO CLOSE to touching on these problems in a wonderfully accessible, fresh way, only to shy away into safer, more familiar territory that I felt I'd read about before. I don't know. I suppose I just craved a little more daring, because I know young readers in 2020 will be able to handle complexity, and I know Julie Berry had the skill to weave that into her novel.

BUT - end rant - there is still much to love about WISHES! It's clever, quick, and oh-so-magical, and I'm sure it'll be a hit. The author is clearly a powerhouse, and I'm excited to read more from her in the future. 3/5!

This tale about Maeve and her djinni was okay. It's not something that compelled me to read it and it took some time to finish. The word choice was out of place for the setting which grated but it could have been worse. This book will appeal to some, but it is definitely not a fantasy that everyone will love.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Young Readers for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.

I want to like this historical fantasy with a sassy, unrestrained heroine...but I just couldn't. I lost interest pretty swiftly, even getting to the point where I started another book because I had entirely forgotten I had been reading this one. I think there's too little history to bring in the historical fiction fans and far too little magic (which is often cast in a negative light as well) to bring in the fantasy fans.

I began reading this book aloud to my children and they lost interest, so I finished it myself. I was drawn to this title because I loved (like, adored) Lovely War by Julie Berry and although I expected the content in this book to be quite different, I didn't find the writing that I loved in Lovely War to be present here. Overall, the story wasn't too bad at all but I don't think I'd rush to recommend this work of hers.

Julie Berry is a phenomenal YA writer and it was great to read her middle grade novel. Maeve and her friends are a delight and the quick-plot keeps things moving along. I recommend this for fantasy readers!

Lovely story! Wishes and Wellingtons is a great mglit book full of fun and adventure! Maeve is such a fun and witty character to follow as she protests her magical discovery from people pursuing her. The story line is full of twists and turns and is sure to keep you captivated. I liked how it was a more historical setting but wasn't boggled down by facts and vocabulary. I definitely recommend!

This is a great middle grade book. It’s full of a fun and exciting plot that kept me captivated to the end. The characters are witty and delightful. I can’t wait for more!

Five stars for a book that children will enjoy to read and parents will approve.

Berry cleverly writes the story staying true to the time period without being overly wordy and keeping children entertained. The story line is well thought out with plenty of twists and turns that lead the reader through the story with plenty of adventure.

Wishes and Wellingtons is a unique historical fiction book aimed at younger readers which will be enjoyed by children and parents alike.

Maeve Merritt lives at the London boarding school for "Upright Young Ladies." A slight tomboy and a girl with no real tolerance for rules imposed on her to be dainty, Maeve is getting into trouble, sometimes deserved, sometimes not. When she discovers a djinni while being punished her world completely changes.

Wishes and Wellingtons is a fun little historical adventure for readers on the younger end of middle grade. When I saw the description, I was hoping for a book that felt like E Nesbit's Psammead books, which have a group of children going on magical adventures with a powerful being, but the actual magic is fairly minimal to the plot here. Maeve spends a lot more time trying to protect her djinni from being stolen than she does using his magic, and so I was slightly disappointed. I also struggled a bit with the Americanisms, given the Victorian London setting (we really, really don't say 'trash'. about people OR rubbish, to give an example from the very beginning of the book). I understand that this is a US publication, but it breaks the immersion in the setting from the get-go. That being said, it's a sweet little romp and one with plenty of good themes around girl power, friendship, and learning to stick up for yourself.