Of course I was pulled in by this beautiful, soothing, whimsical cover and I really didn’t need to know a lot about the story inside. I’ve since learned that it’s a debut and a truly captivating one at that!

Under the dark cloud of her mum’s depression, Phyll and her parents move to the Cornish coast in the hopes that the cloud will finally lift. Summer camp isn’t all that great either until the day the kids take a trip to the old folks’ home and Phyll meets Mr Djinn, who seems pretty sure that wishes can come true. While avoiding Hilda and the Horribles and hoping that her mum will finally be happy again, Phyll makes a new dog friend and finds herself at the centre of a local dog-napping mystery. Could a little bit of wishing magic be about to come her way?

The description of depression was very accurate and it was handled with extreme care by the author. While I wanted the family to be back together again, I really didn’t know whether Phyll’s mum would win her battle or not because of course, it is such an unpredictable disease. I also loved how the book explored how depression affects an entire household, not just the sufferer.

Phyll is a very thoughtful girl and her mind was such a joy to spend time in. The idea of thoughts being ‘forts’ is one of those ideas that I’d never had before but that makes perfect sense. Of course, a journal is supposed to be a safe outlet and therefore, the place where thoughts become forts!

I was fascinated by Mr Djinn and would have loved to sit with him for hours and listen to the thousands of stories in his mind. At first, I couldn’t work out whether he really was a magical being or simply an imaginative, perhaps confused, old man. However, the more time Phyll spent with him, the clearer it became that Mr Djinn was not of this world. He seemed to be able to make things happen and I’m still not sure whether this was from his magic or simply from good things landing in the lap of a good person like Phyll. Either way, he gave the whole book a shimmering aura that was thoroughly enchanting.

The book is many things. It’s a dog-napping mystery, it’s a family story plagued by darkness, it’s a story of good magic but more than anything, it’s the story of a young girl learning both the beautiful and ugly realities of the world. It’s a story of friendship in all its forms and the power that can wield.

Wishes Come In Threes reminded me to make the most of the life I’ve been given and try to find the magic in everything. It told me that beautiful things are often the result of broken or unpolished things that have been treated to time and love. A very simple but powerful book that I read in one sitting easily.

I really enjoyed Andy Jones' first foray into writing children's books.
Phyll moves with her Mum and dad to the coast as her Mum is struggling with depression. She goes to a summer club where she manages to make a best friend and an enemy.
On a visit to a care home, Phyll meets the mysterious Mr Djinn.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was invested in the range of characters, particularly 'Dunk' the dog and Mr Djinn.
Recommend and will definitely be ordering a copy.
Thanks for the ARC.