I Wish You Would

It’s Senior Sunrise, the epic overnight at the beach that kicks off senior year. But for Natalia and Ethan, it’s the first time seeing each other after what happened at junior prom—when they almost crossed the line from best friends to something more and ruined everything. After ghosting each other all summer, Natalia is desperate to pretend she doesn’t care, and Ethan is desperate to fix his mistake. 

However, Natalia is the student body president, and she needs to be focused on making Senior Sunrise the best event ever—otherwise, students won’t feel inclined to attend other class events for the rest of the year. Natalia doesn’t want her friends to have a lackluster year. One of their most popular traditions is the writing of the Lion Letters. Each student writes down their fears and their resolutions for their last year of high school and puts them into a jar. At sunrise the next day, the letters are thrown into the ocean, never to be read. Or at least, that’s how it’s supposed to go.  

Natalia bares her soul in her letter, but the second she puts it in the jar, she regrets that, too. So, while everyone is distracted, she tries to grab her letter, but she accidentally tips the jar over. Seven letters are scattered to the wind, and there’s no way of knowing who they belong to. Now, Ethan and Natalia are forced to work together to find the lost letters before any secrets are revealed—especially their own. 

Natalia and Ethan are both interesting protagonists who learn the same valuable lesson—never be afraid to ask for help. The book oscillates between their perspectives. They also share a flaw: an inability to communicate. This makes it easy for the reader to relate to and empathize with them. Along the way, they learn to trust each other and their friends, and their entire high school learns that most secrets are better dealt with together.  

While the message is positive, the conflict becomes repetitive, with Ethan and Natalia constantly misunderstanding each other. The ending is predictable, and both Ethan and Natalia develop similarly and learn the same lesson. As characters, they are too similar to one another, and while they do grow, it feels as though that growth is temporary. The story feels stale, and the conflict is somewhat surface level. That said, the plot is entertaining and the language is simple. The romance between Ethan and Natalia is sweet, and the secrets provide fun reveals, even if they are predictable. 

Readers who enjoy the friends-to-lovers trope, heartwarming displays of friendship, and stubborn, strong characters will love I Wish You Would. This book is filled with moments of acceptance, self-discovery, and facing fears, along with the fun romantic tension between Natalia and Ethan. Both characters are inspiring and learn how to fight for what they believe in. Overall, this is an enjoyable read with fascinating secrets, relatable fears, and beautiful dreams of college and a future relationship.  

Sexual Content  

• Reminiscing about their prom night, Natalia describes her first kiss with Ethan. “Then my best friend leans in and kisses me.” She is snapped out of the memory before it’s described. 

• Later, when talking with a classmate about Ethan, Natalia remembers “the way [Ethan’s] featherlight touch traced [Natalia’s] collarbone, [her] neck, the curves of [her] hips,” and feels embarrassed. 

• Ethan’s famous dad, Mr. Forrester, corners Natalia at a party and gets a little too close with her. Natalia thinks, “Does he realize how close he’s leaning?” Mr. Forrester mentions that “[his] costar Sofía always complains about her curves, but men love them.” He acts as though he’s about to attempt something sexual with Natalia, making her uncomfortable. They are interrupted by nearby voices, and he backs off.  

• The day before senior sunrise, Natalia’s friend Rainn confesses that he has a crush on Natalia. When she doesn’t respond, he kisses her. Natalia describes the event, “Rainn’s gaze drops to my lips, and before I have time to think, he kisses me.” She breaks the kiss and turns him down.  

• When one of the missing letters is found, some of the students read it. Natalia’s friend Leti turns to another friend and talks about the letter. The letter reveals that Leti rightly reported the former drama teacher, Mr. Ford, for inappropriate content and had him fired. Leti says, “Mr. Ford is the guy I told you about—the one who posted nudes of my sister after they dated. I had to do something.”  

• After Natalia receives a news alert that Mr. Forrester has been caught cheating, she shows Ethan the article. Ethan describes the photo of his dad and costar “kissing in broad daylight on a busy New York City sidewalk where they’re on location for the show. The photos are grainy, but there’s no denying it’s [his dad].” 

• During a confrontation about their poor communication, Ethan and Natalia kiss each other. From Ethan’s perspective, “The kiss is savage with urgency. Lips and teeth and moans. Hot breath and cool skin. [His] fingers disappear in the wild tangle of her hair as [he] pull[s] her flush against [him]. Still, [he] want[s] more, so much more. The delirious taste of her, the anchoring feel of her. Sunset on [their] skin, Natalia in [Ethan’s] arms.” 

• After having a long, thorough conversation, Natalia and Ethan kiss again. “Ethan’s soft, urgent lips moving against [Natalia’s]. He tastes like minty toothpaste and ocean salt, and [Natalia] melt[s] against him. Every way [she] go[es], he follows. Strong and sure and solid.” 

Violence  

• Ethan finds one of the missing letters. In an effort to distract the rest of the class, Ethan asks his friend Rainn to hit him. “Without hesitation, Rainn punches [Ethan] in the side, harder than [Ethan] expect[s].” Rainn has been harboring some ill feelings towards Ethan and takes it out on him in this moment. The fight lasts a couple of pages, and in the end, they both have a few bruises.  

• After finding out why Mr. Ford was fired, a student named Tanner reacts violently and aggressively confronts Leti. He verbally abuses Leti, and, as he escalates, another student, Prashant, steps in to stop him before Tanner becomes physical. “A skinny arm crosses [Natalia’s] vision as it cracks a fist into Tanner’s jaw.” An adult arrives to diffuse the situation, and Prashant has to ice his hand.  

• As Ethan confronts his dad about his behavior at the party, his dad denies insulting Natalia. After trying to gaslight his son, Ethan punches his dad. “That’s when [Ethan] lost it. [Ethan’s brother] had to pull [Ethan] off [his dad]. [Mr. Forrester] crumpled then. [His] lip was swollen and bloody where [Ethan had] hit him.” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

• After they get to senior sunrise, Natalia notes that one of their classmates “looks rough. His eyes are red, and [Natalia] can smell the booze coming out of his pores.” Natalia learns that he was at a party the night before. 

• When Ethan’s dad corners Natalia at a party, she notices that “the ice in his glass clinks [as he moves], some of the amber liquid sloshing onto his wrist.” His speech slurs a little, implying Mr. Forrester is drunk.  

• When Tanner confronts Leti, she “smell[s] the booze on his breath.” A teacher-chaperone, Mr. Beckett, reveals that this is a third strike for Tanner, implying that he’s been caught drinking before.  

Language 

• Language includes frequent use of fuck, shit, damn, bitch, ass, and pussy. The latter three are often used as insults, such as when Claire, a classmate, reads Ethan’s secret letter in front of a large group and someone responds, “says the bitch reading the sex letter.”  

• Some profanity is used as adverbs or expressions of frustration. For example, Ethan thinks, “leave me the fuck alone.”  

Supernatural  

• None 

Spiritual Content  

• None 

by Kate Schuyler