Wish You Well by Jamie Sumner is a funny, tender middle grade novel about three chronically ill teens who turn a questionable scheme into the adventure of a lifetime. With memorable characters, sharp dialogue, and plenty of bittersweet moments, this story explores what happens when kids accustomed to facing hard things alone finally let others in.
Wish You Well has been added to my September 2026 – New Release Spotlight list on Amazon.
Author: Jamie Sumner
Genre: realistic fiction
Setting: Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Themes: resilience, chronic illness, disability, cancer, macular degeneration, heart transplantation, friendship, identity beyond illness, family, grief, romance
Protagonist: 3 rising 8th graders, two female and one male, all age 13, all three have chronic health conditions - one is gradually losing her sight, one is a heart transplant recipient, and one has cancer, Make-a-Wish Foundation
Recommended for: Grades 5-8
Starred reviews: SLJ and Publishers Weekly
Publication date: September 1, 2026
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Thirteen-year-old Violet Marino wants to play soccer and manage her progressive vision loss without anyone’s sympathy. At a picnic hosted by Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, she meets two fellow eighth graders: Wyatt Cass, an irrepressible heart transplant recipient with a talent for terrible ideas, and Noor Singh, a sharp-tongued foodie undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.
The three have little in common beyond serious medical diagnoses—and persistent calls from a wish-granting organization. Wyatt proposes that they pose as best friends and request three separate adventures, with all three kids included in every wish. After all, who could resist three sick kids traveling together?
Their wishes reflect their very different personalities. Noor hopes to meet a famous chef in New York, tech-obsessed Wyatt wants to visit Google’s campus, and Violet dreams of blowing up a building. A successful crowdfunding campaign helps bring their families into the plan, but changing health conditions, parental objections, and unexpected realizations soon complicate their adventures.
THREE CHARACTERS WHO FEEL REAL
Violet, Wyatt, and Noor cope with illness in distinctly different ways. Violet fiercely resists pity, Noor meets the world with sarcasm, and Wyatt charges forward with relentless optimism. Their illnesses shape their daily lives, but Sumner never allows a diagnosis to become any character’s entire identity.
The trio’s banter, disagreements, fears, crushes, and changing dreams make them feel like fully realized young teens. What begins as a fake friendship designed to manipulate a charity gradually develops into something genuine—and much more emotionally risky.
HOPE WITHOUT EASY ANSWERS
Wish You Well does not pretend that friendship can fix progressive blindness, cancer, or the uncertainty following a heart transplant. Instead, it shows how connection can make fear, grief, and disappointment less lonely.
Sumner balances difficult realities with biting humor, joyful adventures, and moments of hard-won hope. Readers who enjoy realistic stories about complicated characters facing serious problems will find plenty to love here. With starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal, Wish You Well is an excellent choice for middle and high school library collections.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
