THE WISHING GAME by Meg Shaffer is, for me, reminiscent of some childhood mysteries like Ellen Raskin's The Westing Game or E. L. Konigsburg's From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler or Zilpha Keatley Snyder's The Velvet Room. They allowed for young readers to put themselves into a character's shoes and try to puzzle out a situation. In THE WISHING GAME, Shaffer brings four adults, former runaway children, to Clock Island, the home of Jack Masterson, a best-selling children's author. He has devised a new game where one of them could win what is essentially a fortune: the only copy of his new book. A main character, Lucy who workers as a teacher's aide, is desperate to win so that she could afford to foster and eventually adopt seven year-old Christopher. The clues are often word games and/or require knowledge of the best-selling series. The story is entertaining, but a bit slow moving in parts with a budding romance (between Lucy and the books' illustrator, Hugo Reese) for further distraction. Described as whimsical and charming by other reviewers, THE WISHING GAME is a LibraryReads selection for May and received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. 3.5 stars

Such an absolute delight of a book! The concept was intriguing — a Willy Wonka-esque competition for the only copy of the last book in a beloved childhood series — and while that central plotline was definitely enjoyable, it was the stories of the men and women involved in the challenge that took The Wishing Game up an extra level for me.

This book did a great job of capturing the pains and doubts of childhood, treating them with respect, and showing how they persist into adulthood and shape our lives, dreams, and actions. I loved following the character arcs of all those involved, and seeing how books were an escape and a lifeline in different ways for each of them.

I loved the combination of whimsy and imagination alongside some very real struggles and difficult circumstances, for both children and adults. It was a very solid 4 star for me throughout, and the ending was so so feel-good that I immediately kicked it up 😂 A great reminder of why we read, and what books can inspire!

Thanks to Meg Shaffer, Ballantine Books / Random House, and NetGalley for my gifted copy. The Wishing Game is out now, and is a BOTM pick for this month!

Make a wish. . . .
But be careful what you wish for. . . .
. . . You might just get it.
This awesome tagline says it all.
This has got to be my favorite book so far this year! About a semi reclusive Author with a Willy Wonka-esque type personality. It has all the feels for me, family problems, friendships, whimsy, dreams and wishes.
Wonderful lovable characters and a storyline that you just wish wouldn't end. I read this book in one sitting with tears in my eyes throughout. Total bonus stars for the Wizard of Oz, and a turtle mention.
Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Ballantine books and the Author Meg Schaffer for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jack Masterson is a beloved children’s author of hugely popular/best selling Clock Island books for kids. The books have made an impact on many children around the world and a few even went as far as to seek out Jack on Clock Island in their youth to get away from the disappointments they were facing and make a wish.

In their adulthood Lucy (A 26 year old woman who desperately wants to foster to adopt a little boy she has grown very close to) and a few other childhood fans of Jack’s work are invited back to compete for a sole copy of his new Clock Island novel (which has the potential to sell for quite a sum of money).

A heartwarming amalgamation of Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory and the Magic Tree House series that keeps childlike optimism and grants everyone’s wish even if they’re not necessarily the winner.

5/5 Starts

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a generation raised on Willy Wonka, I'm automatically suspect of any book that starts with a contest.

As a child, Lucy Hart used the Clock Island series to hide from the fact that she was being raised without love. The Clock Island series from Jack Masterton was everything to her. Now at twenty-six she acts as a teacher's aide and teaches students how to love reading. In this classroom she becomes close with seven-year-old Christopher. The child tragically lost both of his parents. Lucy longs to adopt him, but without money and a stable life there's no way for her to do so.

As Lucy starts to give up on the dream, author Jack Masterson announces that he has a new book coming out. The author of Clock Island is mysterious, and becomes even more of a mystery as he announces that four contestants will have the chance to visit Clock Island and fight to win the one and only copy of the new book.

Okay, okay, Mysterious contest? One and only copy? What is it with wealthy secretive people holding contests on their private islands? This book didn't grab my attention like some others, but I seem to be in the minority when it comes to this book.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

This book was absolutely pure magic! Sometimes a book just speaks to your heart, and this one did just that. This has a little bit of a Willy Wonka feel to it, but it is adults who get to win a pass. Adults who were once the kids who made a wish...There is a special ticket given by a recluse to a chosen few. But that is where the similarity ended for me. Oh, how I cried (sobbed actually), I laughed, I happily sighed...I was so invested in the story and all the characters. And I did not want the book to end!

This book captured me heart! I will definitely listen to the audiobook. This would make an awesome movie...the storyline is so vivid.

5 stars

This one just was not it for me. There were parts that I liked, and then parts I just couldn’t get over. Like, why is this 26 year old obsessed with adopting a child so badly? It’s a no from me, but has super good reviews on Goodreads so, clearly it’s just me.

Thank you to Net Galley for my complimentary eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Full disclosure. I did not request this book, NetGalley sent it to me in DECEMBER 2022, as they thought I would like it. Well played NetGalley. I loved it . I’m just mad at myself for waiting so long to finally read it.

The Wishing Game is the perfect mix of Willy Wonky and Nancy Drew. I was pulled in from the very beginning. Any book that leaves me in tears is an automatic 5 star.

Wishes do come true. You just need to face your fears. This one will break your heart and then stitch it back together.

“It comes after Q” ❤️

Found family
Mystery
Facing your fears

I loved this one so much I have purchased a copy for my personal library.

A Willy Wanka type adventure- The Wishing Game had so much nostalgia without even mentioning a golden ticket or any kind of crazy candy. This book felt so familiar yet so unique and definitely had me holding back tears towards the end.

Lucy Hart ran away to Clock Island when she was 13 wishing to become side-kick to the famous Jack Masterson, author of a beloved children’s book series. Now, a kindergarten TA and desperate to adopt one of her sweet students, Christopher who’s in foster care- Lucy finds herself invited this time to Clock Island. She’ll have the chance to win the one and only copy of Jack Masterson’s final novel. Can she beat the other contestants at the mastermind’s riddles? Her future, and Christopher’s, are riding on it all.

I cannot write a caption describing all the lovely juicy juice that this book has but its riddles and redemption and romance all mixed into one. A delightful concoction of goodness. Thanks #NetGalley for the free arc! It was a gift.

This one is a true nod to the book lovers of the world. It’s unique in the approach to the story, but it gives the reader what every reader wants - escape and hope in what is to come. A story of a children’s author that gives hope to children through their wishes. It harkens a bit to a JK Rowling feel - where the author creates this wonderful world in which children can escape and where they can find hope. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early read.

This book was so much fun to read and made me want to re live my childhood. It gave me all the feels throughout and the plot was very well written.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to honestly review.

Heartwarming and compulsively readable. - I adored this book. I especially loved the characters and the way this story is just brimming with book-lovers-magic. Getting lost in the world of Clock Island was a delight. While I wish there had been a little bit more time on the island and a little bit less exposition, I also can see how necessary it was to set up Lucy and Christopher’s backstory. A delight!

The Wishing Game was such a unique, whimsical story. I really enjoyed these characters As a reader, i love seeing books based on other readers and writers, it gives me so much to relate to. The flow of this story led me to a satisfying conclusion and i can't wait to read more books by Meg Shaffer.

This book is a beautiful story. If you love books (particularly as a child) you will love this one. It did start out a little slowly, but once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down. It centers on the Clock Island book series by Jack Masterson that has been captivating children for many years. Children have been sending their wishes for years in hopes that their wishes will be granted. One of these children was Lucy Hart. She had a difficult childhood. She was ignored by her parents in favor of her sickly sister, then sent away to live with her grandparents. She even ran away to Clock Island in her early teens. Now an adult, Lucy still is not living the life she wants. As a teacher’s aide, she is not fulfilling her dreams. One of her students is an orphan who is very traumatized by the deaths of his parents. Lucy is the only one who seems to be able to relate to him. She wants to foster to adopt him but doesn’t have the resources. She needs a better income, a better place to live and a car to even be considered. When all seems hopeless, she gets an invitation to go to Clock Island for a competition. This time, will her wish be granted?

Also reviewed on B&N under 1IrishEyes430 and Kobo under IrishEyes430

Tick-tock, welcome to the Clock! Shaffer's wonderful world of Clock Island. The Wishing Game is a beautiful story of hope and resilience in the face of numerous adversity. The author does a wonderful job of building relatable characters at all age ranges to appeal to the widest audience. Her realistic world of a children's author who seeks to do good for all children is inspiring. The main protagonist, Lucy, immediately draws you in and builds an emotional connection with the reader. You truly do want her to have all happiness! While the ending was a bit surprising, it was tied together beautifully. I truly wish I could visit Clock Town! What was completely inspiring about Shaffer's writing is the depth with which she went not only to build her own characters, but the create characters in the world of the Clock Island books that inspire the story. I would absolutely love to see these books become a reality and would devour the whole series!
Overall, this was a wonderful journey that alludes to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Every little and big kid's dreams come true in The Wishing Game and I am only sorry to have come to the end!

“Hate is a knife without a handle. You can’t cut something with it without cutting yourself.”

My heart ♥️. This was one of the sweetest, dreamiest, loveliest, most hopeful and most whimsical of stories. I adored it! Read this one, trust me. It is like Charlie And The Chocolate Factory..but with books..and for adults! A win win.

“Hugo, always be quiet when a heart is breaking.”

The audio was absolutely superb! 10/10 and definitely one of my top audiobooks of the year so far. It is read by dual narrators and they just nail it, @racheljnarrates especially. She puts such heart and emotion into her portion and I may very well listen to this one again.

“‘I won’t tell you the whole long story about how I found the books,’ Lucy said. ‘But let’s just say, they found me at the right time.’” 💕

Anyone else believe books just 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 you when you need to be found? I certainly do.

Thank you also to Natgalley, Random House Ballantine, and the author for the complimentary copy of this ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to Random House & NetGalley for the eARC.

The Wishing Game is a heartfelt, warm novel. I really enjoy a book about books, and this was no exception. There is a Willy Wonka theme here and I am all for it. What a fun read.

This was such a fun book to read! It was like a bookish, adult version of Willy Wonka. There were so many loveable characters, I was rooting for almost all of them. It also lets you soak in the magic of a favorite book or series, that you loved so much as a kid. You just fall in and feel as if you could live there forever. Lots of books still do that. You almost feel as if you are in the book. I strongly recommend all book lovers read this.

"The only wishes ever granted are the wishes of brave children who keep on wishing even when it seems no one's listening, because someone somewhere always is."

There are some books that feel like coming home. Just like when you were a kid and fell asleep dreaming in the back of the car, these stories wrap you up in a cozy blanket of familiarity, and make sure you're safe and sound as you escape into a dreamland—a reality that's all in your own head where you can escape and maybe find a little piece of yourself that only exists in those worlds.

Twenty-six year old Lucy Hart has always dreamed big; falling in love with the Clock Island series by Jack Masterson when she was a little girl suffering from a tragic childhood. The series and mysteries within were her escape, and her dream was to one day live on the island. Her dreams stay with her through adulthood, where she then shares the magic and adventure within them with a little boy named Christopher, who she wants to adopt. When Lucy receives an invitation to visit Clock Island (home of Jack Masterson) and compete for a grand prize, she jumps at the opportunity to make both her and Christopher's dreams come true.

She, along with four other childhood dreamers, goes to Clock Island to compete for the only copy in existence of Jack Masterson's newest novel written after his six-year hiatus. She and the other contestants must take part in a battle of wits and riddles, finding the answers within themselves and the books they all loved as children in order to make it to the end.

News of a new Jack Masterson book is makes headlines and there are lawyers, book collectors and publishers to scheming to get their hands on that rare manuscript. Between dodging shady offers from the likes of lawyers and even fellow contestants, her growing dynamic with Hugo (the lovable grump illustrator of the novels who also lives on the island) and the stress of winning and securing a bright future for Christopher and herself—there's a lot at stake and a lot that Lucy could lose.

There is a warm and comforting familiarity to this story. Dedicated to the children who dreamed of winning a golden ticket to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, Meg Shaffer paints an imaginative tale that pulls you right back into childhood, and gives you that same escape that you had reading as a little kid, putting yourself in the characters' shoes to climb mountains, meet unicorns and have adventures of your own.

The Wishing Game gives us all the chance to find that little kid living within all of us. To allow ourselves to remember what it's like to wish for something with all of your heart, and to have the hope that if you wish hard enough, someday it might come true. It's a story that connects you to your inner child, and lets you forget about the stress and worry of the adult world, and to have <i>fun</i> reading again. This novel and the magic within will touch your heart, and maybe, just maybe, make you start to wish for something again.

The Wishing Game was published May 30, 2023. Thank you to Random House Publishing, Ballantine Books, NetGalley and the author for the advanced reader's copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"Stories write us you see. We read something that moves us, touches us, speaks to us and it changes us."

Special thanks to Random House Publishing, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my own opinion.

This was a really great idea for a book. Think of your favorite of a series who is writing a last book in that series and holds a contest for a deserving person. One deserving person out of four compete.

What a beautiful story although heartbreaking at times (specifically Lucy and Christopher in foster-adoption situation). I thought this book would be too YA for me, but surprisingly it wasnt.