The Wish (novel)

The Wish is a children's novel by Gail Carson Levine. It was published in 2000.

Plot Synopsis

Eighth-grader Wilma Sturtz is friendless. Her closest childhood friends have moved away, and her efforts to make new ones have failed. Wilma goes from being a nobody to being truly unpopular when a very personal essay written for language arts class is read aloud to the class by her teacher. However, Wilma's fortunes change when she offers an old lady her seat on the subway. The mysterious woman offers to grant Wilma one wish, exactly as Wilma wishes it. Flustered, Wilma wishes to be the most popular kid at Claverford, her private middle school.

To Wilma's surprise, the wish is granted. Boys fall all over themselves to pay attention to her; girls include her in their circles; she even receives poetry from a secret admirer. She also receives 40 dates to Grad Night. Her newfound popularity brings her new friends -- the popular Ardis, BeeBee, and Nina, but also an unwanted "friend", Razor-mouth Suzanne, a very nasty girl at school. However, she also finds that her wish is not perfect; she has garnered the attention of Jared, an unpopular boy with whom she would rather not become friends. Worst of all, she soon discovers that her wish only works on students at Claverford when Stephanie, a student not at Claverford treats her with indifference -- and in a month she and her new friends will graduate.

Even as she comes to value the sincerity of a friendship with unpopular Daphne and a budding romance with once-scorned Jared, Wilma tries desperately to cling to the happiness she has found in her brief popularity and keep the wonderful friends she has finally found.

Wilma found the importance of true friendship.