Genuine Sweet, twelve, of tiny, impoverished Sass, Georgia, inherited the ability to grant any wish except her own but with help from new friends, her life and town are improving until unexpected trouble arrives and Genuine learns the difference between wishing for a better life and building one.

Sixth-grader Emilia Torres struggles with ADHD, her controlling abuela, her mother's work commitments, her father's distance after returning from deployment, evolving friendships, and a conflict over school redistricting.

Eleven-year-old Georgie is still adjusting to leaving Atlanta for a small town, having a stepfather, and being unable to get close to her stepsister when her six-year-old sister, Peaches, suddenly becomes very ill.

As high school graduation nears, Wren Gray is surprised to connect with gentle Charlie Parker, a boy with a troubled past who has loved her for years, while she considers displeasing her parents for the first time and changing the plans for her future.

Thanks to her sneak-thieving skills, Hush Cantrell can fend for herself. Which is a good thing, since her mom's the last person to look out for her. Hush's life isn't all roses, but when her new friend Desiree enters the picture, things start looking up. That is, until Hush's luck runs out and she's finally caught. Now Hush has to turn over a new leaf: her only alternative to the dreaded 'juvvie' is a job at Miz Tromp's Nursery, [where she soon] realizes...