Rose Gardner writes twenty-eight wishes on the back of a receipt and leaves the twenty-ninth space blank so she can choose what she thinks is suitable. All of the things she wrote on her wish list have to be accomplished before she dies.

“Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes” is a fantastic mystery along with a little romance.

Rose is a quirky and innocent character, unless you ask her mother, who assumes she’s possessed. The day Rose is accused for the murder of her mother, her new neighbor is the only one there to console her, creating a close bond. He seems to know something about the predicament she’s in, and has some secrets of his own.

Rose sets out to prove that she didn’t murder her mother. The townspeople believe she did and therefore have a nasty attitude toward her.

The author, Denise Grover Swank, portrays the extremities of how much everyone hates her. Swank shows perspectives of everyone in the book, which makes it more understandable. As a result of this conflict, her character grows into an actual adult and she stands up for herself, unlike before when she was constantly pushed over–and that’s a quality everyone should have.

Although this book was a mystery, Swank makes it easy to follow along and the important points of the story are easy to see. She did an excellent job and kept my nose stuck in the book with her constant ‘play changers.’ I can’t wait to read the next books in the set of eight from the Rose Gardner mystery.

This book was eventful; it kept me guessing and wanting to know more, just like any good book should. I recommend it to anyone and if you like it, check out the sequel “Twenty-Nine and a Half Reasons” because that’s not the end of Rose Gardner’s story.