I read a lot so I may end up posting here often (especially late at night when I can't sleep because there's a loud dance party right outside my window and I'm stressed because I'm supposed to be studying for Spanish or sleeping but am unable to convince myself to do either at this late hour when my brain has become goofy).
I just finished a YA by Michael O. Tunnell, a professor of children's lit at BYU (in the education department). It is called Wishing Moon and is a continuation of the 'Aladdin and the Lamp' tale. I am really fascinated by Arabian folktales, and it was a hardback on sale for $6.99, so I bought it with my dwindling amount of money (dwindling because I am between jobs.) Hey, I can go without one meal, right?
I would say it was worth a sandwich. I enjoyed it--the culture was interesting and seemed accurate, the characters were round and engaging, and the romance was less predictable than most--but the climax felt a little 'deus ex machina' to me. The resolution of the climax was foreshadowed, but it still seemed too magical and easy. (This thought, however, made me want to examine other books where magic figures into the resolution of the problem but doesn't come across as 'deus ex machina.' Research project!) And the ending--the little 'surprise' on the last page--was just a little bit cheesy for me. And I like cheese.
However, if you are interested in retellings of Arabian Nights stories or enjoy Arabian folklore, I would recommend it, along with Shadow Spinners by Susan Fletcher and Seven Daughters and Seven Sons by Barbara Cohen, two of my favorite YA 'Arabian' books. Shadow Spinners is a different take on the Scherazade tale, and Seven Daughters is a lesser known folktale where a girl disguises herself as a boy to save her family (common enough worldwide--look at Mulan in China and Shakespeare's heroines in England). I would probably pick up these before Wishing Moon, but I recommend all three.
