The 12th Candle by Kim Tomsic (review)

Sage Sassafras has been locked into a generational feud with her nemesis, Godzilla—er, Priscilla—Petty, who lives up to her last name with constant pranks and snarky remarks. Their mothers were former besties until they were both struck by pink lightning during a thundersnow, which ignited the Contrarium Curse and stuck the girls with the worst case of the opposites. Now the Pettys enjoy a luxurious lifestyle while the Sassafras family struggle to stay afloat, especially since Sage's dad went to prison for robbing the bank where Priscilla's father is president. Then it looks like Sage's luck takes a turn for the better when she meets Minerva, an eccentric shopkeeper who gifts her a magic candle that grants wishes, which may harness just enough power to clear the Sassafras name. Sage is a believable feisty twelve-year-old, who has been trying to outrun her family's tarnished reputation for as long as she can remember, and her vulnerability to the preening Priscilla is keenly relatable. As her wishes come true, she begins to realize that there are no quick fixes and the old adage is right—be careful what you wish for. The book briefly touches on the seriousness of bullying and having a parent in prison, but overall it treats its subject matter with a light hand, and there's plenty of appeal in the notion of magic and wish fulfillment. Readers will contentedly follow Sage to the neatly wrapped happy ending.