For teens exploring complex moral dilemmas and the possibility of redemption, this book follows a deceased girl's spiritual journey to right wrongs and find her way to a better afterlife.
A parent might reach for this book when their teen is exploring moral complexity, questioning what makes a person 'good' or 'bad,' and is ready for a story about second chances. The Wish List follows Meg, a troubled teenager who dies during a botched robbery. Stuck in the afterlife between Heaven and Hell, her only path to redemption is to return to Earth as a spirit and help the old man she wronged fulfill his list of lifelong regrets. This fantasy adventure uses Eoin Colfer’s signature humor to tackle serious themes like death, domestic abuse, atonement, and empathy. It’s an excellent choice for teens (13+) because it frames profound ethical questions within a fast-paced, funny, and engaging story, showing that it's never too late to make things right.
Characters are hunted by demonic beings from Hell, which could be frightening.
Sad ThemesModerate
Deals with death, grief, domestic abuse, and regret.
Moral AmbiguityModerate
The protagonist is a sympathetic character who commits a serious crime.
Sensitive Topics
Death is a central and direct theme; the protagonist dies violently in the first chapter and the plot revolves around the afterlife. Domestic abuse is also handled directly as the motivation for Meg's criminal actions. The book uses a Christian framework (Heaven, Hell, St. Peter, Beelzebub) but treats it with a secular, bureaucratic, and comedic fantasy lens, rather than a religious one. The resolution is hopeful, focusing on the power of atonement and second chances.
Ideal Reader
A teen aged 13-16 who appreciates dark humor and fantasy and is ready to think about more complex moral questions. It's a perfect next step for a reader who loved the cleverness of Artemis Fowl but is ready for more emotional depth. It would also resonate with a teen who feels defined by their past mistakes and is seeking a story that champions the idea of a second chance.
Parent Prep
Parents should be aware of the intense opening chapter, which includes a home invasion, a dog attack, and a character's violent death. The ongoing theme of domestic abuse, while not graphic, is a core part of the protagonist's backstory. The book can be read cold, but a heads-up about the dark start may be beneficial for more sensitive readers. The trigger might be a parent overhearing their teen expressing cynicism about human nature, or making a comment like, "Once you mess up, you can't fix it." This book directly counters that kind of fatalistic thinking.
Age Experience
A younger teen (13-14) will likely be drawn to the action, the funny spectral sidekicks, and the imaginative world-building of the afterlife. An older teen (15-17) will likely connect more deeply with the themes of redemption, the weight of regret, and the nuanced idea that good people can do bad things for understandable, if not excusable, reasons.
What Makes It Special
What makes this book unique is its seamless blend of genuinely dark subject matter with laugh-out-loud humor. Unlike many stories about redemption that can be somber or preachy, this one treats the journey as a chaotic, funny, and deeply human adventure. It's Terry Pratchett meets a coming-of-age morality tale.
Read plot summary
Meg Finn, a teen from an abusive home, is killed in an explosion during a bungled robbery of an elderly man, Lowrie McCall. In the afterlife, her soul is found to be perfectly balanced between good and evil, leaving her in limbo. To earn her way into Heaven, she is sent back to Earth as a spirit to help Lowrie, who was injured in the break-in, complete his personal 'wish list' of atoning for four past mistakes. Meg and Lowrie form an unlikely bond as they undertake this redemptive quest, all while being hunted by demons, including the soul of Meg's thuggish accomplice who has been fused with his dog.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Meg's soul is perfectly balanced between good and evil because her bad deeds were often driven by good intentions (like escaping abuse). Do you think intention should matter when judging an action? Why or why not?
2
Lowrie's wish list is about making amends for his past mistakes. If you could go back and 'right a wrong' from your own life, what would it be and why?
3
Belch and his dog are fused into one creature in Hell. What do you think this symbolizes about their relationship and Belch's character in life?
4
The book mixes very serious topics like death and abuse with a lot of humor. How did the humor affect your experience of reading about these difficult subjects?
5
St. Peter and Beelzebub work together to figure out Meg's fate. What does their strange partnership suggest about the book's ideas of good, evil, and justice?
