Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick. Our library purchased and our patrons have been checking out and and enjoying the book. I see it is a popular book club choice as well we hope to have more oppurtinies to support authors like them

This month, the #literarylovelies read the Wishing Game by @meg_shaffer. I absolutely loved this book and I think it’s better if you don’t know what it’s 100% about. It was so genuine and heartfelt; the bond between Lucy and Christopher was so pure. They were two people who just needed each other. I loved that the book was imaginative and you really felt like you were on Clock Island yourself. This is my first choice for a book to be made into a movie! 5 stars!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review!

This is such a sweet, heartwarming story about human perseverance. Lucy wants more than anything to help Christopher, a former student of hers now in the foster care system. When Lucy was a child in a difficult home life, she ran away to Clock Island, home of her favorite author, Jack Masterson. Now as an adult, Lucy is invited back to Clock Island to compete for a copy of a never-before-released Jack Masterson book. Throughout the course of the competition, Lucy has to confront a lot of the events of her childhood and young adult years which she has tried to forget. I thought the story was paced well, the characters were decently developed, and there was a healthy dose of magic-infused-reality which could make anyone believe if you wish hard enough for something, it'll come true.

I only heard good things about the Wishing Game but I was very disappointed. Lucy Hart is way too obsessed with Christopher who she wants to adopt but has no resources to do so. The book was beyond repetitive and I expected a lot more of the games on the island. It also wrapped up too neatly in the end. I would not recommend this book.

Short synopsis: Lucy is given the chance of a lifetime to get the only copy of the next book in the Clock Island series, her childhood favorite. She is desperate to win in order to have enough money to prove to child services that she can adopt Christopher, an orphan from school.

My thoughts: I heard this one was great, and it did not disappoint. It was tender, heartfelt, raw and beautiful. I especially loved the moment at the end when Lucy is talking about motherhood and how hard it is, because motherhood (and parenting in general) is not easy. It’s hard, exhausting, and those little ones can get on your last nerve…. But I would do anything for them and give anything in my power to make sure they are safe and happy.

I loved the magic and whimsy in this, it was a total mashup of Charlie and the Chocolate factory and knives out and just done so well. Also, I’m a huge fan of a book about books and this one painted so many beautiful scenes of this island and the man who wants to make dreams come true.

Be sure to pick this one up, such an enjoyable read that may just have you wiping your tears.

Read if you love:
- Whimsy and magic
- Books about books
- Found family and motherhood
- Forgiveness
- Riddles and puzzles

This was a fun book that I breezed through. I'd definitely recommend and encourage those looking for a lighthearted, but not without intrigue, to read it.

This felt like Willy Wonka meets Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore - its all riddles and delight and it reminds me that there are books written for adults with all the spirit and joy of the fiction I started reading as a child. I highly recommend this one for anyone who wished for their dreams - and chased them as they grew up. 4.5/5

This is a book about books, a reclusive author and the love of reading. Jack Masterson is the author of the bestselling books called the Clock Island series. Children would often write to the author telling him their hopes and dreams. Some even tried to go to the author’s own private Clock Island because they saw it as a refuge. Masterson would encourage children to make a wish and believe in the power of their wishes. His books captivated children and adults alike and yet, at the height of his writing career, he suddenly stopped writing.

A young man named Hugo was chosen to create new illustrations for the already published titles and to design new artwork for subsequent installments. He has lived on the island with the author and became fond of the writer. Since the writing stopped, Hugo has watched and worried.

Lucy Hart was one of the children who sought refuge in the books and with the author. She felt unloved as a child and believed in the power of wishing. Now, many years have passed and she works as a teacher’s aide. One of her students has recently become an orphan and wants desperately to live with Lucy but that can’t happen because Lucy doesn’t own a home or have sufficient funds to care for him.

Lucy and Christopher share in their love for the Clock Island books. They are disappointed that the series didn’t continue. Then to everyone’s amazement, Masterson announces he’s written a new book and will have a contest to give the only existing copy to one lucky winner. A select few get invitations to join the author on his private island and compete for the book. Lucy is one of the lucky invitees. This is her one chance to get the money she needs to qualify as a foster parent for little Christopher. She just needs to win the contest.

The book is filled with charming details. The island and the series of books based upon Clock Island is creative and inventive. Christopher is adorable and Lucy is big-hearted. They both have suffered and deserve to get their wish. But there are other contestants and the game is on.

Despite the strong premise and the heart-tugging characters, there’s just something missing. Perhaps it lies with the motivations behind the actions of some of the characters. None of that overshadows the many positive elements of the book and the author brings her tale to a satisfying conclusion. As a testament to the love of books and reading, it succeeds and will draw in all who find reading an adventure to be savored.

The Wishing Game was such an enjoyable book. From cover to cover it was precious! I read it in a perfect afternoon! I loved all of the puzzles sprinkled throughout the book and the themes of chosen family.

Thank you Net Galley and publishers for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Did you love Charlie and the Chocolate Factory but also want more book-books in your life? Well, here you go. The characters are a little flat, but the plot is A+—many feel-good moments and adorableness for all ages.

What a wonderful book. If only there were a place like Clock Island and a wonderful person like Jack to fulfill all you wishes. Just a fantastic book.

My favorite book this year! Pure magic!!! Clock Island and all the people who dwell/visit just pull you in and make you want to stay forever!

ucy Hart is a kindergarten teacher’s aide with a heartbreaking past. Her one dream is to adopt her former student, Christopher, who is an orphan. As each day passes, that dream slips further away. The pair have found joy in reading a set of children’s books about the mysterious land of Clock Island.

Then, the reclusive author of the books announces that he has come out of retirement to write another installment. A contest is announced to win the book’s sole copy. Lucy is finally given some hope that her luck may finally change.

What a wonderful book! This was such a whimsical story with a creative concept. My inner-child wanted to dive into the world of the Clock Island books! The characters were very relatable and I was rooting for Lucy’s success. The Wishing Game was an emotional rollercoaster and I so appreciated the author’s writing style. This book is definitely one of my favorites of 2023. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Not my absolute favoeite but the Wishing Game was certainly impressive. I held off reading but eventually my friends assigned it for book club so while I am glad I read it, im not signing up for a re read any time soon.

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy. Lucy learns that her favorite author, a reclusive author of children's books who had a big impact on her childhood, is having a kind of reality game. Four invited contestants go to his secluded island to compete and hopefully win his last novel. Lucy hopes to win so that she can prove that she is fit to adopt a boy that she has formed a bond with as his teacher. This was a quick read, with good scenery and fun gameplay to follow. #thewishinggame #megshaffer #bookstagram @netgalley #lovetoread #lovetoreadbooks #takeapagefrommybook #readallday #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #booksaremagic

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer is many things: an adventure, a mystery, a love story. It’s about an author of children’s books, his illustrator, and his readers, both child and adult, and so it often felt like a children’s book, except many adult themes were introduced throughout. Although this combination was a little strange, I enjoyed the balance of light and dark, happy and sad, in the story. I liked that the central relationship was between Lucy and Christopher, a young woman and a child (found family is a big theme). Overall the book gave me House in the Cerulean Sea vibes. The ending was surprising and satisfying, and I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a cozy, heartwarming read.

This was the funnest book I've read in a long time. A cross between Alice In Wonderland and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in a sense. It has some pretty deep issues but overall it is a book about "wishes" and "never giving up". At least that is how I saw things. There was a part that made me cry some ugly tears and if you read this book you will know what part I'm talking about. For the most part this is a very moving and happy story though. If you believe that wishes can come true that is.

Four children met a children't author, Jack Masterson when they were all young. Jack wrote the Clock Island Adventures. When they are all grown up they are invited back to Clock Island to play a Wishing Game in hopes to win a single copy of an unpublished manuscript of his last book. The winner will benefit greatly from this and each has a reason to need it. Each has a chance though Jack says possibly no one will win.

This is also the story of Lucy and Christopher. Christopher is a foster child and Lucy wants to be able to foster then adopt him. He his mother. But Lucy is struggling and is not qualified to be a foster much less adopt a child. She only has a part time job. No car. No real home that is just hers. Her hopes are very slim until she receives the invite to Clock Island. Can she win this game and become Christopher's mother?

You get to know Jack and Hugo. Hugo is the illustrator of the Clock Island books. He's been with Jack for years and is a vital part of this story. I really liked him. Jack is a strange kind of man but he always has the best of intentions. He can make you laugh out loud in places. He can make you get a bit mad at times too. But he is what he is.

There are a few games or riddles the four contestants have to win and they are a bit complex even though they are based on children's stories. This book is about some things that can and do happen in life. It's about an island. A contest. A group of children. Siblings finding each other and possibly making amends. And it's about love.

Thank you #NetGalley, #MegShaffer, #RandomHousePublishing, #Ballantine, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

It's also one of my BOTM picks.

Five huge stars and I can't recommend this one enough. You will love it. It's just a fun yet serious read.

Well, I really want to go and see Clock Island! And also to read the books that Jack wrote. This was a great story and so heartwarming. Lots of riddles and puzzles to unlock the secret wishes of those lucky enough to get to go to Clock Island. The ending is a warm hug for all and I really liked Lucy. She and Christopher deserve the best.

Seriously though, I want to go to Clock Island.

Meg Shaffer blew me away with The Wishing Game and the fact that it is her debut novel. It took me a little bit to get in to this book but once I did, I could not stop.

The Wishing Game is a story about a beloved children's book author and a contest that he invents for four of his now-grown-up readers. Jack had encounters with each of the adults when they were children and each of their stories made an impression on him.

I don't want to say too much to risk giving anything away. This book has everything that I love in a good story: quirky characters, the idea that we are better together, and a strong cast of characters.

This is definitely one of my favorite books of 2023. Meg Shaffer has earned a place on my "will read anything this author publishes" list.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Possible triggers: Parental death, overdose, and miscarriage

Not my typical book, but I had to pick it up after seeing rave reviews. I read it mostly on audio, with a switch to a physical/ecopy about halfway. What a sweet, emotional story. I just loved it so much.