At seventeen, Adeelah Naji is transformed into a genie and imprisoned in a bottle. For a thousand years, she fulfills the wishes of greedy masters—building their palaces, lining their pockets with gold, and granting them every earthly pleasure. All that sustains her is the hope of finding Karim, the boy she fell in love with as a human. When at last she finds a note from her beloved, she confirms he has access to the elixir of life and that he still searches for her.
But someone else also hunts her. Faruq—the man who plots to use her powers to murder and seize the life forces of others—is just one step behind her. With the help of a kind master named Nathan, Adeelah continues to search for Karim while trying to evade Faruq. To complicate matters, she begins to experience growing fatigue and pain after conjuring, and finds herself struggling against an undeniable attraction to Nathan.
As Faruq closes in, Adeelah must decide just how much she’ll risk to protect Nathan and be with Karim forever. How much power does she really have to change her future, and what is she willing to sacrifice for an eternity of love? If she makes the wrong choice, the deaths of many will be on her hands.
I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review. There was no compensation.
Bottled is a standalone young adult paranormal book that is about a Genie. I wasn’t sure about this book when I first read the blurb. Genie’s don’t usually get the limelight in literature and when they do, they are more of the mythical Djinn (badass cosmic beings who only grant three wishes. You don’t want to piss them off). This book’s world actually does have the Djinn and Genie.
When I did start reading it, it was easy to get into the flow. The writing is easy and you are pulled into the world quickly. The background of Adeelah does take some time, but given the fact that she’s been a Genie for a long time and her previous masters weren’t really the greatest, it makes sense for her to warm up to Nathan (or even the reader).
I also noticed a clear inspiration to the television series, I Dream of Jeannie. No, Adeelah isn’t an adorable loveable blonde, she doesn’t like her situation in life, and she doesn’t have a strong emotional bond with her masters (except for Nathan later in the book). Also, Adeelah isn’t blonde. So, the similarities only expand to the quantity of wishes, but there was a feel in the book that hearkened the show for me.
The romance is nice and isn’t physical, Adeelah is unable to touch. It was a nice touch to a young adult romance type book. There wasn’t a love at first sight or a sparks flying kiss. It was a typical girl who is looking for her love, but begins to find something in the person helping her. It is a great book that shows how a person could be in love with someone, but not realize who they are until they meet a person who is better for them.
Maybe I’m putting too much thought into it, but that’s what I felt when reading the book. I wasn’t feeling a love that tested time. I was feeling a girl trying to find herself again and make her own decisions in the end.
All in all, it’s not a bad book for a young adult reader. I like that it was a standalone and the ending was perfect for me. I would try another Carol Riggs book.
Casia's Corner 