Meg Finn is in trouble. Unearthly trouble. Cast out of her own home by her stepfather after her mother's death, Meg is a wanderer, a troublemaker. But after a botched attempt to rob a pensioner's flat, Meg, along with her partner in crime, Belch, ends up in a very sticky situation. Meg's soul is up for grabs as the divine and the demonic try every underhanded ploy imaginable to claim it. Her only chance for salvation is the Wish List. But how can she persuade the pensioner Lowrie to help her when she has wronged him? And even if she can persuade him, will she really have enough good points to face up to St Peter?
An unforgettable and gritty tale of life, death and an unexpected hereafter. **
Amazon.com Review
Meg Finn has led a miserable life. First, her mum died, saddling her with a useless, nasty stepfather. Then, angry and alone, Meg found herself committing acts of petty crime with dim-witted hood Belch Brennan. Finally, just as she was about to go straight to honor her sainted mum’s memory, Belch went and got them both killed as they attempted to rob crabby old Lowrie McCall. And if that wasn’t bad enough, now St. Peter and Beelzebub can’t decide which way Meg is supposed to go. She is one in a million: a soul perfectly balanced between good and evil. Now Meg’s got to go back and somehow tip the scales UP--the further, the better! To earn her wings, Meg’s been assigned to help the last person she tried to hurt (Lowrie McCall) who has a wish list of wrong choices that he wants to make right. But Beelzebub can’t stand the thought of a bad soul going good. So he sends back the soul of powerfully stupid Belch, (who went straight down without stopping) to muck things up for Meg and Lowrie. But Meg’s got smarts on her side and more than just a few tricks up her insubstantial sleeve... At times, best-selling author Eoin Colfer’s Wish List reads like a head-on collision between Dawson’s Creek and Touched by an Angel. But rabid fans of the Artemis Fowl books won’t notice or care. This black comedy is sure to make every fantasy-reading teen’s Wish List. --Jennifer Hubert
Description:
Meg Finn is in trouble. Unearthly trouble. Cast out of her own home by her stepfather after her mother's death, Meg is a wanderer, a troublemaker. But after a botched attempt to rob a pensioner's flat, Meg, along with her partner in crime, Belch, ends up in a very sticky situation. Meg's soul is up for grabs as the divine and the demonic try every underhanded ploy imaginable to claim it. Her only chance for salvation is the Wish List. But how can she persuade the pensioner Lowrie to help her when she has wronged him? And even if she can persuade him, will she really have enough good points to face up to St Peter?
An unforgettable and gritty tale of life, death and an unexpected hereafter. **
Amazon.com Review
Meg Finn has led a miserable life. First, her mum died, saddling her with a useless, nasty stepfather. Then, angry and alone, Meg found herself committing acts of petty crime with dim-witted hood Belch Brennan. Finally, just as she was about to go straight to honor her sainted mum’s memory, Belch went and got them both killed as they attempted to rob crabby old Lowrie McCall. And if that wasn’t bad enough, now St. Peter and Beelzebub can’t decide which way Meg is supposed to go. She is one in a million: a soul perfectly balanced between good and evil. Now Meg’s got to go back and somehow tip the scales UP--the further, the better! To earn her wings, Meg’s been assigned to help the last person she tried to hurt (Lowrie McCall) who has a wish list of wrong choices that he wants to make right. But Beelzebub can’t stand the thought of a bad soul going good. So he sends back the soul of powerfully stupid Belch, (who went straight down without stopping) to muck things up for Meg and Lowrie. But Meg’s got smarts on her side and more than just a few tricks up her insubstantial sleeve... At times, best-selling author Eoin Colfer’s Wish List reads like a head-on collision between Dawson’s Creek and Touched by an Angel. But rabid fans of the Artemis Fowl books won’t notice or care. This black comedy is sure to make every fantasy-reading teen’s Wish List. --Jennifer Hubert
From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up-Meg, kicked out of her house by her stepfather after her mother dies, becomes a troublemaker. When she and her friend Belch attempt to rob Lowrie McCall, an elderly neighbor, a nearby gas tank inadvertently explodes and she finds herself in a tunnel, hurtling toward the beyond. Meanwhile, Saint Peter and Beelzebub argue over Meg's soul-she is not really a bad kid but neither is she a very good one. In order to decide her fate, they send her back to Earth, where she must try to patch things up with Lowrie. After a rough beginning, she and the dying man embark on a quest to help him right the mistakes that he made during his life. Their adventures are both humorous and poignant, as Lowrie confronts his regrets and Meg strives to attain salvation. Whether the events are set in Ireland or in a hereafter complete with computer technology, Colfer concocts a delightful novel that is written in a much lighter vein than his "Artemis Fowl" books (Hyperion). He brings together several unforgettable characters, including an irascible old man, a mouthy heroine, and a malevolent spirit that attempts to stop Meg from completing her mission. The interaction of the heavenly-and not so heavenly-beings adds an unexpected dimension to the novel. An entertaining and compelling read.
Janet Hilbun, formerly at Sam Houston Middle School, Garland, TX
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