She actually caused WAR and killed her best friend in the process. See, Zahra has been imprisoned in the lamp for 500 years (I forgot the actual years, kay?) BECAUSE of something that she did. In fact, Aladdin wasn’t expecting the jinni to be a “ girl” and Zahra was expecting to be judged. There is a love/hate relationship going on between the two, initially.

Minus the magic carpet, of course! I saw a few Disney parallels but it wasn’t too obvious (unless you actually memorized the whole Disney version, though). Kind of like how Disney’s Aladdin genie rescue went. Aladdin RESCUES Zahra from the Cave of Wonders (okay, it is NOT called THAT, but you get my point) by rubbing the lamp and not really wishing himself out of the devastation. There is! But before that, let me back up. Okay, hold on, Aladdin and the Jinni? Is there even A princess? And oh boy, how I love her and Aladdin! I am totes #shipping them! She has secrets of her own as well as an ulterior motive in helping Aladdin. This time, the jinni is female and her name is Zahra. Yes, I SAY! It is a retelling of Aladdin and I love the arc Jessica Khoury went with. I was WONDERFULLY surprised by this here book of super AWESOMENESS! Sure, I have heard GREAT things about this book on the blogosphere, but I really try not to get carried away by the hype.

When I picked up The Forbidden Wish on Audible, I didn’t really know what to expect. Don’t want to read the whole review? Click to jump to the Skinny Review.

Last of her name by jessica khoury