Before I start let me be very clear, I love Kate Messner and her books. But.... sigh .... this one just didn't really work for me.
Charlie is an Irish step dancer and wants to progress and get a beautiful dress for competitions. To help raise money she decides to go ice fishing and sell her catch. But, she is afraid of being out on the ice so she doesn't go far. When she finally does catch a fish it talks to her and tells her if she lets it go she will get a wish. So she wishes that she will stop being afraid of the ice and that a boy named Robert will like her. And the wishes come true - kind of. The wrong Robert likes her - similar names - and she does lose her fear of ice.
The first part of the story moves along in similar fashion - wishes that partially come true because of wording, getting ready for the competition... Then the ball drops. Charlie finds out that her sister Abby is addicted to heroin. Things get real at that point with treatment, lies, and a scary episode where Abby overdoses.
My biggest struggle with the book is the mixing of the magical fantasy of the fish and the harsh realism of the addiction. I think that either facet could have been a story in itself. A lighter story with the fish and a totally different story with the addiction. Putting them together didn't work for me. Sorry.
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