Around here, when we see the name Joplin, we think of the name of our town, but in this novel by Diane Stanley, Joplin is the name of the main character. In fact, the book mentions how Joplin received her name, even mentioning that she is not named after Joplin, Missouri.
 | From Goodreads: While cleaning out her reclusive grandfather’s house, Joplin discovers pieces of a broken platter in a cookie tin. After having the platter repaired, Joplin wishes that she could both find a friend at school, and befriend the girl pictured in the platter. The next day, Joplin befriends a boy named Barrett, and also notices a girl outside her apartment. A girl who looks remarkably like the girl in the platter… |
I kept thinking of other ways Joplin could fix her problem. At times, it seemed that Joplin was so stuck in her own world that she forgot about what she had at her disposal. Other times, especially in the beginning, it felt like the author was writing for an adult audience, getting bogged down in legal text.
All that to the side, I did find Joplin, Wishing to be an intriguing story. As ridiculous as the premise - a platter that grants wishes, a girl wished from the platter into reality, an immortal bad guy - it works, and anyone with an open mind might want to read far enough into it to get the full effect of the plot.
All that to the side, I did find Joplin, Wishing to be an intriguing story. As ridiculous as the premise - a platter that grants wishes, a girl wished from the platter into reality, an immortal bad guy - it works, and anyone with an open mind might want to read far enough into it to get the full effect of the plot.
