This book really spoke to the Kid Reader in me! I only wish the Clock Island series was real.
The book is the story of a famous children's writer, his illustrator and some of the grown up children who were strongly influenced by his prolific series of children's books. They are called back to Clock Island to participate in a contest because the author has added a new book after many years of silence. We come to learn the stories behind each of the characters especially Lucy who had her own childhood trauma and is now hoping to foster and adopt her own child.
I loved the fantastical elements of the story. It seems to mirror what would happen in the books in Jack Masterson's series beautifully. The reader feels the wonder of their childhood reading with the added bonus of a more mature story line. The idea seems to me to be rather brilliant!.
There is a lot of emotion in this story and the characters are easy to root for. It did feel that Jack "the mastermind" Masterson was a bit manipulating but the ending was wonderful!
I think that all readers who followed any generational series as a child will love this book!
Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC to review in exchange for an honest review.

Lucy Hart knows what it’s like to grow up without love and that’s why she is trying to adopt Christopher, a 7 year old in foster care after the death of his parents. In order to fill the void in her life, Lucy was an avid reader. One of her favorite series was the Clock Island Series by Jack Masterson. Lucy knows Jack Masterson as she wanted nothing more than to be Astrid and have the Mastermind adopt her so that she too could live on the island. Lucy is surprised when word gets out that Jack Masterson is holding a contest and a winner will receive a copy of his new book. Lucy gets an invitation to participate. This may be just the thing that she needs so that she can move ahead with adopting Christopher, as she has been limited on funds due to her salary as teacher’s aide. Many avid readers will be able to empathize with Lucy, as reading is an escape from the realities of daily life. This book was highly enjoyable. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book is like Willy Wonka for book lovers!! When Lucy Hart grew up lonely and neglected, her only comfort was her favorite Clock Island book series. Now 26, she receives a mysterious invitation to the reclusive author's private island for a contest where the prize is the manuscript of his next book.
I can't say enough great things about this book! It was whimsical, fun, and every book lovers' dream. It was a little slow in the beginning as she set up the premise of the book, but once I got into it, I seriously couldn't put it down!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A sweet adventure story. Seems more YA than adult. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

The marketing manager for this book emailed me about it and I am so glad she did! Loved, loved, loved this one.

This book was such a fun read. Very much Willy Wonka meets children's literature. I wish the Clock Island books were available to read. All of the puzzles these adults had to solve along the way were great. Facing fears is so important, no matter what our age.

Willy Wonka meets The Inheritance Games in this fun, whimsical story about a children's author inviting four now-adult fans to compete for the only copy of his final book.

The Wishing Game is a book about books and readers and children who find strength and hope between the pages, and I loved that, though I'll admit the story was a bit too sappy sweet for me at times, but that's a preference thing. It's definitely worth the read.

This is the definition of an uplifting, feel-good read.

Grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

-A

A tender, endearing novel about a kindergarten aide who wants to adopt a 7-year-old orphaned boy. Unfortunately she is not foster parent material. She lives with three roommates, doesn’t have a car and barely makes minimum wage. It seems hopeless until she is invited by her favorite children’s author who promises to make the dreams come true for brave children. Lucy races to Clock Island Maine to begin the quest. A gentle, sweet book. I want to recommend it to everyone

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The premise grabbed my interest. Four people of different backgrounds are invited by their favorite author to a remote island to compete in a game of riddles. The characters were likable and their stories compelling. It is very well-written with clues about the characters' backgrounds dropped like breadcrumbs throughout. This little gem will keep you turning pages through to it's (very satisfying) conclusion.

I wanted to enjoy this but found it to be not what I was expecting. I couldn't get into the story or the characters and found the writing a bit off.

Jack, an author of children’s books, hasn’t written a book in five years. Hugo, an artist, stays on the island with the author, not wanting to leave Jack alone. Lucy, a young teacher’s aide, wants to adopt Christopher, a young orphaned boy, but can’t afford to meet the qualifications. And then the author invites four people to his island, to compete to win the only copy of the first new book in five years, something worth a lot of money.

I liked how Lucy worked so hard to make Christopher’s life better after he finds his parents murdered in their bed. She had her own traumatic childhood and wants to make everything better for Christopher. The problem is she just barely gets by on her own and can’t qualify to start the process to adopt Christopher. When she gets a letter from Jack inviting her to Clock Island, she sees her chance for a future with Christopher.

Jack tugged at my heart, the man felt so strongly about all the children who wrote to him, telling him of their problems and how Jack’s books helped them. But he is practically a hermit, cut off from the rest of the world. And Hugo, the way he struggled to care for Jack while wanting to return to the city and have a life of his own.
The Wishing Game tugged at my heart, it was just such a beautiful story, I didn’t want the story to end.

Thank you to Random House Publishing for this advance copy. This is my honest review.

Magical! Somewhere between Willy Wonka and Caraval. I’ve never had a desire to escape from reality and move to an island more than after discovering Clock Island. If you love reading and miss childhood and maybe grew up as a latch key kid in the 80s/90s (like myself) then you are probably going to love this book. It’s filled with magic and mayhem and delightfully good fun but also still has the edge of reality to help keep you grounded. One of the best reads of the year.

The wishing game review

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, and the agent who reached out to me to read this book, of course for an honest review.

5/5 ✨ - I tend to save my five star reads for books which made me cry- and yes this is one of them.

AHHH!!!! This book was so good!!!
- when you gatta scream, you gatta scream!

Oh my gosh did I adore this book! I found myself teary eyed for the last 30% of this book because the feels! I live for a found family troupe and all the things this book had. It was whimsical and magical! I loved Jack as the whacky writer, Hugo as our resident storm cloud, Lucy as our hopeful heroine, and of course Christopher!

I loved all the ways the author explored Lucy’s trauma and how, while she acknowledged it and got to work through a lot of it on her adventure, she still has work to continue doing. I also loved how the author explored Jack and Hugo’s back stories, giving us solid reasons as to why they do what they do.

Ultimately this had me teary eyed and I was really unable to put this down. I loved this book so much! I hope it gets a special edition because it is so wonderful.

I would recommend this book to any fan of TJ Klune. This will be right up your ally and a heart warming favorite!

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer was a novel with an interesting plot...an author of a highly successful series of children's novels stops writing and becomes a recluse for years, then suddenly announces a contest for the rights to his newest novel, and only four people have the 'golden ticket', those he met briefly as children. They must come to his island and compete and there will be one winner...if anyone wins. This novel kept me turning pages long after i should have been asleep to find out about the contest and whether the main character Lucy will win and get her heart's desire, the chance to adopt a young boy who she's become close to. A great novel!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

For lovers of Willy Wonka and a cozy mystery- THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU!

Read in one sitting. If you ever wondered what it would be like to return to the comfort of the books of your childhood as an adult with a hefty reward - read this book!

Loved the story and the character development. The perspective switching between the main characters enhanced the depth of the story. Teary eyes throughout.


Grateful for the ARC of this amazing book, already recommending it to all my bookish friends!

I started this book and instantly got vibes of The Westing Game meets Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets (one of my all-time faves) From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

By the end of the book, I learned that this was not one of those books. It’s in a genre, that while related, is all its own. The Wishing Game is for the kids that grew up reading those books and fell in love with reading. Those kids that fell in love with eccentric but warm-hearted characters, the type of wild adventures that can be found within your own town, and stories that challenged you to guess what could happen next. This book meets those kids where they’re at now: all grown up, still yearning for the magic of these books, grappling with what it means to be an imperfect adult trying to heal your own trauma while caring for the next generation. It’s about found families of all kinds, grief and healing, and the magic of stories that can make you laugh and cry and wonder even when you’re in the middle of dark times.

The Wishing Game made me laugh and definitely made me cry, I’m delighted and grateful to have been able to spend some time in the world of Clock Island and its mysterious Mastermind. Highly recommend!

Oh. My. God. This book! I can’t shut up about it, just ask my friends! What an amazing plot filled with interesting characters, puzzle solving and the world of books and reading. This is just a dream for librarians. Lucy is lovely with her quiet life and her love for a boy who’s been neglected. The author Jack and his reclusive world is charming and mysterious. The whole story is an amazing ride that has the perfect ending. I love when Jack says “Hugo, always be quiet when a heart is breaking”. I CAN’T WAIT TO BUY HARDCOVERS OF THIS FOR EVERYONE I LOVE WHO ARE BOOK FREAKS LIKE ME. My favorite book read in 2022.

I’m calling The Wishing Game the most unexpected, number one recommended book for 2023. Filled with whimsical writing, complicated and heart felt characters and an incredible storyline The Wishing Game was downright magical. Admittedly, I was a little apprehensive when I first received the ARC. The storyline sound complex and fantasy-ish. Famous author Jack Masterson hasn’t written a new book in his children’s series in years and has remained hidden on an island in Maine that was created around his stories, Clock Island. Jack resides with his author and friend, Hugo. Jack announces a contest of sorts, invitation only, where the latest book will be given to the winner of a reality-ish game that takes place on the island. Lucy, a broke teacher’s assistant in California is doing everything she can to adopt one of her students, Christopher. When she’s given the chance to play the game, she’s given an opportunity to turn her life around. I cannot say enough good things about the literal magic that surrounds The Wishing Game. It was fun, engaging, heart breaking and fulfilling all wrapped up in one incredible novel. Out at the end of May, The Wishing Game will make for a fascinating summer read.

A sincere thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this one it was a good whimsical read more about characters than plot but overall a good read .
Thanks for letting me review this book to Netgalley and the publisher

This book was not a genre I usually read but boy am I glad I gave this a chance . I laughed , I cried, I even wished at the end that there will be a sequel. These characters were amazing . I could picture them in my head and could feel the emotions they were feeling.I entered their world and didn’t want to leave. I haven’t felt this emotional about a book in a very long time. All the characters has some heartache to overcome and hoped they would win the Clock Island contest to fulfill a dream they had since childhood.. Jack, Hugo, Lucy and Christopher are characters I will not soon forget. This book was like a warm hug from a friend that you didn’t even know you needed.