It’s book review time! I was looking for something in the fantasy vein, but the genres listed on NetGalley lied to me. It happens sometimes. The book is fantastical in the sense that these things don’t happen, but that’s about it. Mostly it’s regular old fiction with a little zest. Anyway, The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer was released yesterday (May 30th) from Ballantine Books. As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s do the thing!

The Wishing Game follows Lucy Hart as she struggles to make her dreams come true, the biggest of which is adopting Christopher. When everything seems impossible, she receives an invitation to her favorite childhood author’s private island to participate in a potentially life changing contest. Can she win against the other contestants? Can she face her fears? Can she resist the brooding artist who lives on the island with the author? Will all her wishes come true?

There’s definitely a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory vibe, but without the fantasy elements. More of a made-for-adults version (not the smutty kind of adult, just the kind of book kids wouldn’t appreciate as much). The golden ticket is a blue envelope and the factory is an island off the coast of Maine with a sad little amusement park that was never finished for reasons you’ll find out if you read it. Honestly, it’s pretty neat because it’s tied in with a (fictional) series of children’s books. The books have fantasy elements, but the novel itself reminds me more of a slightly dark Hallmark movie. Everything could potentially happen in the real world.

As far as the plot goes, it’s predictable, but that makes it comforting. You have to have a couple of miserable losses to make the wins seem earned. There’s a bit of romance just to spice things up. And the author dude is super rich and benevolent, so you know everyone is going to win in the end somehow, even though it might not be what they thought they wanted. There are plenty of trials along the way and everyone has their own fears to face. It’s well paced and despite the predictability, it’s intriguing.

The characters are mostly well rounded. Lucy is likeable and relatable for the most part. Her relationship with her sister felt really cringe-y until it’s finally revealed what her sister did. I feel like that reveal could’ve been made earlier and it would’ve helped a lot. Up until it comes out, Lucy comes off as selfish and ableist in a way and I didn’t want to feel that way about her. Especially when it was the fact that her sister was a dick rather than the fact that she was sick that caused everything. Anyway… Christopher’s age is difficult to pinpoint in the beginning. It seems like he’s 12 or 13 at first, but then he’s 7, which is a little jarring, but he finally settles into his age. Hugo is my favorite, of course. And Jack is interesting. I did wish that the other contestants were fleshed out better. They felt like they could’ve been anyone really, like they were just cardboard placeholders basically. And the potential bad guy just disappears, so that was awkward. But mostly the people were cool.

And the writing was nice. It made for a quick read. I actually finished it like two weeks early, so it went surprisingly fast. And I kept thinking about it for a couple of days afterward, but I haven’t thought about it much since. I guess that means it’s one of those books I enjoyed in the moment, but won’t remember much of a few months from now, which isn’t a bad thing.

Ultimately, I really enjoyed The Wishing Game despite the fact that it wasn’t what I was expecting. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for more books by Meg Shaffer.

Overall, I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. It was fun and if you enjoyed stuff like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as a kid, you’ll probably like this book.

Epic, genre bending. A thriller, fantasy meets love letter to books and the power of imagination. The premise of this book drew me in and did not disappoint. The ultimate "be careful what you wish for" Well written, immersive, page turner

ecommend The Wishing Game as a relaxing beach read for any book-lover needing a nostalgic escape.

The book features a small cast of characters drawn together by their love for the Clock Island series, a collection of children’s books that takes its fictional young heroes through mysteries and puzzles put together by “The Mastermind.” At the end of each book, the heroes’ lives are miraculously changed for the better.

Our main character Lucy takes this belief in miracles and dreams to heart. Once a child hooked on the Clock Island books, Lucy is now a struggling teaching assistant who wants nothing more than to adopt her orphaned student Christopher. She uses the series to whisk Christopher away from his troubles in the foster system and encourage him to dream for a better life. Meanwhile her dreams of adoption are shattered due her lack of money, car, and support system.

So when “The Mastermind” releases a special challenge - a Willy Wonka-esque contest of puzzles and riddles, with the invaluable single copy of Clock Island’s last installment as the prize - Lucy sees this as her chance to finally get the money she needs for adoption. But there’s a twist to this contest. There are only a handful of contestants, including Lucy, and each of them has been to the real Clock Island before…

As a child who spent every waking minute glued to a chapter book, I got pulled so easily into the nostalgia and whimsy of The Wishing Game. Imagine getting to relive your favorite series as an adult! Clock Island’s hidden treasures and mysterious locations felt real to me, and I love how the author captured the sense of childlike wonder with this special setting.

Though I didn’t feel strong ties to the characters themselves, I enjoyed watching Lucy, Hugo, and Jack grow each in their own way. Though painfully naive in the beginning, Lucy learns that hope sometimes means accepting help from others and swallowing a bit of pride. Polar opposites Hugo and Jack learn to balance dreaming and reality.

This book deals with some emotional topics - the foster system, death, and parental neglect to name a few - but it’s not a mood-killer at all. As the reader, you come away a little bit lighter with a hopeful feeling at the end.

Maybe it’s because I got so nostalgic, or maybe it’s just my taste as a reader, but I felt that some portions of this book were underdeveloped. The contest itself feels too quick, and there’s a good bit of pages spent developing a romance that honestly didn’t feel needed. There were times when I felt things were rushed, or maybe edited back from the original copy. I was disappointed by that, but the concept kept me reading until the end.

This was just the sweetest! I wanted to give every single character a hug in this adorable book about found family and bravely wishing for your dreams while you work to make them come true. Any small gripes about unbelievability were quickly squashed by how lovely the story and sentiments expressed were.

The inspiration from Willy Wonka was clear though making it about books made me happier than chocolate. I’m a sucker for nostalgia and this had me thinking about the books that changed my world as a child.

The writing style is easy to read and I enjoyed how the story continued to blend as time went on. This is an easy recommendation to pick up when it comes out this Tuesday, 5/30!

One of my favorite quotes: “Hate is a knife without a handle. You can’t cut something with it without cutting yourself.”

the ✨ wishing ✨ game
Thank you, Random House, for the gifted copy of this book {partner}

Genre: Fiction
Trope: A book about a book
Format: 🎧
Audiobook Narration: ☆☆☆.5
Pub Date: 5.20.2023
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆

"Sometimes the thing we want most in the world is the thing we're most afraid. And the thing we're most afraid of is the thing we want most."

The Wishing Game is one of those books that feels like one giant hug throughout the story. Sure, it may have moments of sadness or tension, but overall it's one of those testaments to the power of love and friendship. Plus, you know I love a good found family story.

I especially loved how the author drew attention to the foster care system and how skewed/heartbreaking it can be. I know there are lots of people all around the country who are in Lucy's shoes and children who are in Christopher's positions- it's heartbreaking. This aspect of The Wishing Game reminded me of TJ Klune's The House in the Cerulean Sea (without the fantasy aspect).

Only a few things about the book irritated me, and that's the narrator's imitation of a child's voice - for some reason, this always gets on my nerves (in all audiobooks). But don't worry, Christopher is not a big part of the story. Then, I struggled with the age gap between Lucy and Hugo — how much older is he than her? I need an answer to this! Then, parts of the story seemed a little far-fetched to me, which ultimately gave me the YA vibe. Not deal breakers by any means, just things that I wish had been different.

🍫 Charlie & the Chocolate Factory vibe (just not as dark)
✨ Positive message
👧🏽 Felt a little YA in places
🥰 Found family is the best

I recommend reading The Wishing Game if you enjoyed Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or The House in the Cerulean Sea.

REVIEW FOR THE WISHING GAME

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars

Happy #pubday to The Wishing Game! Thank you to @netgalley, @randomhouse - Ballantine Books, and Meg Shaffer for the gifted copy!

𝕊𝕐ℕ𝕆ℙ𝕊𝕀𝕊:
For the past 6 years, Jack Masterson disappeared from the writing world. Famous for his Clock Island series, he just…stopped writing. Until now. One last book up for grabs in the form of a contest - winner gets only copy of book and can do whatever they would like with the sole copy. As a fan of the books as a kid, Lucy Hart needs this opportunity. A struggling 26 year old teacher’s aide with dreams to adopt a boy from her class, she needs money to set her life straight. Battling it out with 3 other contenders and dealing with a surly illustrator, Lucy is fighting for her future…unless the Mastermind has other plans.

𝕎ℍ𝔸𝕋 𝕀 𝕃𝕀𝕂𝔼𝔻:
• easy read that flowed beautifully
• trauma rep and recognition that it comes in a multitude of shapes and sizes, and all of those are valid
• magic within reality- a fictional island made real
• grumpy/sunshine of romance subplot
• witty dialogue

𝕎ℍ𝔸𝕋 𝕎𝔸𝕊ℕ’𝕋 𝕄𝕐 ℂ𝕌ℙ 𝕆𝔽 𝕋𝔼𝔸:
• I felt overall Lucy was very naive. Some comments were made and it just didn’t seem like she understood the gravity of requests and situations.

𝕆𝕍𝔼ℝ𝔸𝕃𝕃 𝕋ℍ𝕆𝕌𝔾ℍ𝕋𝕊:
I found this book super endearing and imaginative. It reminded me of a few items from childhood- the game like Willy Wonka, the books like The Magic Treehouse Series, Wizard of Oz vibes - and was just full of nostalgia. It wasn’t overly mind blowing, nor was it the best written book. But it was so imaginative and I loved following Lucy’s story.

What childhood book series do you love so much that you wish the world was real? I absolutely loved The Magic Treehouse and wished I had one so I could go anywhere and to any time period!

Not all books written for an adult audience would be appropriate for a YA audience. But this one is. I got swept up in the story, rooting for the main character, admiring her unselfishness. I hope this finds a wide audience because the story is terrific. Thanks to #NetGalley and #TheWishingGame for advanced digital copy.

The Wishing Game is a delightful story of children's wishes and dreams becoming adults' hopes and fears come to fruition. Through the magical world of The Wishing Game, which takes inspiration from Willy Wonka and his Chocolate Factory, four adults who once believed in the magic of Clock Island as children in the books of their youth get the chance to win the most awaited sequel to their beloved series. Lucy, who is desperate to win and adopt Christopher and start for them both the simple life they deserve, returns to Maine to begin the contest with the hopes and dreams of her childhood again renewed. Will anyone win The Wishing Game, or will Clock Island prove again to be made of hopes and dreams alone?

I really wanted to love this book - especially considering all of the rave reviews I am seeing on Good Reads, but I simply could not get into it. Rather than spending more time on this one, I plan to pick this back up when I'm in a different mindset. I really couldn't tell what genre this is supposed to be – YA, fantasy, or something else entirely? I think the premise has a lot of promise and the characters are endearing!

What a fantastic, magical tale that sweeps you into the world created by the (fictional) author Jack Masterson. His Clock Island series has gone quiet for quite a long time. Super fan Lucy Hart is now a twenty-something teacher who wants to adopt one of her students who lost his parents. Christopher is also a fan of the Clock Island series. Lucy is thrilled to find out Masterson is writing one more book and has a contest in store to win the one and only copy. This could be her chance to fulfil her fantasy and secure funds to adopt Christopher.

Meg Shaffer dedicates this fantasy to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. While you can see similarities to that story, the Clock Island contest is rife with mystery and adventure. This story captivates your heart and soul, bringing that childlike wonder back in such a fantastical way. There's not so much silliness like in the Chocolate Factory, but you feel the dreams and desires of those who love to escape in books such as this deep down to your core.

This is one tale you'll want your kids to read and that you'll want to read over and over! It was definitely hard to put down, and definitely worth the reading!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

Jack Masterson, the author of the beloved Clock Island series, quit writing years ago without explanation. He had a huge fan base and children would write to him telling him their wishes. His beloved books were missed by all, but now he has a new book coming out! Imagine the excitement felt by fans worldwide when they learned about the new book. But there is a catch, isn't there always a catch? He is holding a contest at his home on the real clock island, and he is inviting a select few to participate. The winner will receive the one and only copy of the book!!!! woohoo.

Lucy has loved the Clock Island series since she was eight years old. She even ran away once to Masterson's house on Clock Island hoping to be his sidekick. She has never lost her love of reading and works as a teacher's aide and wants nothing more than to adopt seven-year-old Christopher Lamb, who became an orphan after tragedy.

Back on Clock Island, Lucy meets Jack Masterson and his assistant, Hugo. She also meets the other contestants, and the competition begins. Not only are they competition against each other, they must contend with a lurking attorney who wants to bribe contestants to sell the book to his client if they win.

This was such a delightful book full of beautiful passages. I hung on to the words and as I was drawn into the story. I have been a bookworm since childhood and loved how the author showed the characters’ love of books and how books take readers on journeys and have impacts on their lives. I also loved the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory feel. I watch Gene Wilder version every year.

Reading this book was like a big warm hug. The book touches on family and what makes a family, love, wishes, generosity, kindness, books, facing your fears, dreams and finding your home. It was lovely, moving and thought provoking. I loved the characters and their backstories. There was so much heart in this book.

Well written, moving, and hard to put down.

This was such an amazing book!
I loved how the author balanced whimsy with some darker concepts. She did a great job of showing the dark and light to each of the characters which made them seem so real.
I also loved how the book highlighted the impact childhood stories can have on kids well into adulthood. I feel like it's a part of reading that is often over looked when it is really so influential in growth and development. I enjoyed the game and the riddles and challenges that were shown. Again, it added a lightness to the story to balance out all the darker undercurrents and challenges.

Overall this was such a unique and beautiful story that was fun and sad, heartwarming and heartbreaking. It really pulled on all the heartstrings and everyone should read it!

I enjoyed the Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer. The story and characters are wonderful. Happy reading!
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**

This book took me to a place I haven't been for a long, long time. It took me to the imagination of a much younger me. I really felt like I was being transported back to my youth. A place where "a peculiar little man sold storms inside jars. Or storms in bottles. Boxes of hail."

It takes place in a place called Clock Island where a man has written the series of Clock Island books that give kids courage to deal with the hard things in their lives. He has written the final book in the series and invited four people who showed up on his island when they were kids. They are to play games to try to win the only copy of the last book. They may have had issues as kids, but they now have grownup issues.

A good part of the book is devoted to Lucy, one of the four. She wants to adopt a little boy, but her situation in life prohibits it. She is there to hopefully win, sell the book and be able to go through with the adoption. She discovers many things on this journey, one being the handsome illustrator of the books.

This was a lovely, debut novel. I was entranced and could not put it down. My heart was eager for each new word.

Thanks to Random House Publishing/Grand Ballantine and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

This was an unusual book for me. I knew nothing about it but “wished” for it in NetGalley and my wish was granted. A beautifully told story, this is a book about books with hints of Willie Wonka. Children’s book author Jack Masterson sets up a contest for 4 adults who had written him letters when they were children, and had tried to runaway to his Clock Island. Now back on Clock Island, they have a week to unravel his games and riddles to win his only copy of his newest book: his first in several years. There are many layers to this story, and I must say it kept my interest. There are several themes in this story…parental neglect, and foster care to mention a few but mostly I loved that this was a love story about childhood books and how they can affect children and adults alike. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Wishing Game is beautiful and uplifting. It’s filled with the trials of life while wishing for dreams which seem unattainable. But, throughout is acceptance and love and well, magic!

Jack Masterson is the Mastermind in a collection of children’s books, although he has not written one in decades. He lives on an island, the real Clock Island which his stories are based on. So popular were the books that children from all over would write to him with their wishes and some even tried to get to his Island. The books are loved by all, but Jack has been unable to continue them. He lives on the secluded island with the illustrator of the series, Hugo Reese who is very worried about Jack. Hugo feels it’s time to move on but can’t leave until he knows Jack will be ok. Hugo knows all of Jack’s secrets which makes him even more worried about leaving.

Lucy Hart is a teacher’s aide. She loves her job and especially one of her students, a young boy named Christopher Lamb whose parents died tragically and is in foster care with an overwhelmed couple dealing with their own children. Lucy desperately wants to foster him or even adopt Christopher, but she is monetarily in no position to do so. Although she has parents and a sister, she left them years ago as her childhood was filled with always feeling left out of her family and very unimportant to them. Her sister, who had been very sickly was most important to the family and Lucy was an afterthought, being shuffled to live with her grandparents. The only thing which got her through these times were the Clock Island books by Jack Masterson. And she has passed her love of these to Christopher in hopes he too can feel the love which exudes from the stories.

And then to everyone’s surprise, it is announced that Jack Masterson has written another Clock Island book. Not only that but he is having a contest and is inviting five lucky people to the Island to play some games, and the winner will get the only copy of the new book to do with what they wish.

And Lucy gets one of the coveted invitations! Now, she and Christopher may actually have a chance of becoming a family!

As the games immediately start, the contestants begin to learn more about Jack and his Island, but they also begin to learn more about themselves. With each person desperately wanting to win, tensions run high, and each challenge becomes more stressful and personal as they reach deeper into the contestant’s own childhoods, much to Lucy’s angst.

So, Lucy’s dilemma becomes one of heartache. Does she revisit her sad and lonely childhood or does she challenge herself in hopes of adopting Christopher. But her one fear is she will never be the mother he truly needs because of her own past.

Sometimes it’s the personal challenges one must overcome in order to win, even if sometimes the material prize is lost. Who will win? And what is Jack Masterson’s real prize?

The Wishing Game is masterful, full of charm, difficult issues and uncomfortable decisions, but in the end just as in one of the Clock Island books, a lesson to be learned.

Thank you #NetGalley #BallentineBooks #TheWishingGame #MegShaffer for the advanced copy.

A book about books! Just what every reader loves. This was a fun albeit predictable story. If you like Willy Wonka, you will enjoy this book. I enjoyed trying to solve the riddles along with the players of the game. I think we all have books we read as kids that we wished we could visit. Lucy gets to do just that on Clock Island. Overall a fun, heartwarming. Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine and NetGalley for an eARC of this book.

The Wishing Game is a sweet and whimsical story about hope and chosen family, and more importantly, the affect that a good book can have an a reader down the road. I found it to be quite entertaining, easy to read, and just a feel good book. Lucy Hart gets a once in a lifetime opportunity to go to Clock Island, the setting of her favorite childhood books, to participate in a contest hosted by Jack Masterson, the reclusive owner of Clock Island and writer of said books. The goal for Lucy is to the win the contest so she can get some money to help her adopt Christopher, a student who she fell in love with as a teacher's aide. To win, she has to compete against other superfans, and solve the riddles presented by Jack.

This is a true heartwarming story that doesn't have any crazy plot points or fluff that a lot of books have these days. I found myself smiling while reading the book, and in love with the character development. I found the side characters of Hugo, Jack's cover illustrator, was one of my favorites as well. While the ending was easily predictable, I still felt satisfied when I finished reading. This was a beautiful debut novel and I feel fortunate to experience a snippet of time on Clock Island. It seems like such a magical place.

Thanks so the publishers and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

If you could have any wish, what would it be? For twenty-six-year-old teacher's aide Lucy Hart, her wish is to adopt her former student, Christopher. Sadly, she doesn't have the financial resources to make it happen. Lucy wants to give Christopher, who tragically became an orphan, a better childhood than she had. To deal with parents who didn't pay any attention to her, Lucy escaped into the books of Jack Masterson. His Clock Island series was her refuge. Jack, who had stopped writing his books, choosing to live on his secluded real-life Clock Island, emerges from retirement announcing he has written a new book and has created a contest to give away the only copy to one of a few lucky readers. When Lucy is invited to the island to try and win, she hopes she can walk away with the prize and the money it would bring. All of the people invited to participate in the contest are adults who had childhood hardships and are equally motivated to win. The seemingly fun and difficult contest takes on a more serious meaning as each of the superfans of Jack's books are forced to deal with their childhood trauma.

It's hard to categorize The Wishing Game, which has a Willy Wonka feel. There's no actual magic in Meg Shaffer's book, but it has a whimsical, magical sense. I found the book to be incredibly creative and heartwarming although it was very sad at times. I love books about storytelling and this one was extremely satisfying. While geared to adults, it will bring out your inner child. I highly recommend it.

Between my epistolary reading challenge and my love for books, I've been reading a lot of "books about books" lately. (So much so that I've added a new tag just to track all my metafictional adventures.) It should come as no surprise, then, that I've been excited to read Meg Shaffer's The Wishing Game since I first heard about it. The story follows a former fan of a children's book series who's invited to participate in a literary puzzle hunt dreamt up by the author. Can you say book-lover wish fulfillment? And so, when I was lucky enough to get a gift copy from Ballantine, I couldn't wait to get started.

I'll preface these thoughts with my expectations going in. I loved so many series going up; participating in a book puzzle hunt held by any of the authors would have been a dream come true. In fact, many of my favorite stories involve a puzzle hunt, from The Westing Game to The Twyford Code. So I was really looking forward to that element, as well as the wish-fulfillment of fan-author interaction. That said, puzzle hunts can be tricky to write - especially if the puzzles are weak - unless there's some other compensatory factor. I'm a bit picky - but was really hoping The Wishing Game could fill the puzzling hole in my recent reading...

Come for the puzzles?

The Wishing Game promises a literary scavenger hunt from any book nerd's dreams. Its main protagonist, Lucy Hart, grew up loving a series of children's adventure books, Clock Island. A decade or so later, she's passed on her love for the series to her student, Christopher, who she hopes to adopt. Unfortunately, adoption is expensive and, despite years of saving, Lucy hasn't been able to save enough. So when the author of the series invites Lucy and four other fans to his private island for the chance to win a final manuscript, it's pretty clear that she'll go.

What follows is a puzzle hunt that feels thematically somewhere between The Westing Game and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Jack Masterson, the author, is very much alive, and hopes to share the manuscript with a deserving fan (much like Wonka).But here, deserving means, at least in part, "able to solve the most puzzles". Masterson has also included tests of character and moral fiber to ensure that the manuscript goes to a deserving winner.

Based on the above description, you'd be forgiven for assuming that the book is chock-full of clever, twisty puzzles. But Shaffer's puzzle hunt is honestly a little lackluster, mixing familiar puzzles with those requiring physical presence or fictional context to solve. Based on the publisher's descriptions, I'd come in excited to read and solve new puzzles - so reader beware on that front.

Stay for the found family

But the lack of puzzles was more than mitigated by a heartwarming story - actually, two parallel stories. Shaffer's novel explores the idea of found family through parallel arcs: Lucy and Christopher, and Jack and his protégé, Hugo Reese. Lucy loves Christopher deeply, and the novel centers her willingness to fight for their relationship. Similarly, Jack clearly adores Hugo, and their relationship serves as almost a foil - an exploration of the risks and rewards of choosing to expand your family.

The two arcs are heartwarming and comforting, with just the amount of predictability I wanted while reading. Sometimes, you just need that gooey, cheesy story to remind you there's good in the world. Here, Shaffer creates a cozy fable, a story to curl up with. (It's particularly comforting for those who want or need a validation of found families. I read this at a tricky time in relation to my own family, and curling up with The Wishing Game, a blanket, and a mug of tea was as good a balm as any.)

Reader's notes & rating (⭐⭐⭐)

I picked up The Wishing Game at the just the time I needed it - at a time when things were stressful on a personal front. If you're looking for the literary equivalent of a warm hug - particularly in the family context - I cannot recommend this enough. If, however you're excited about the puzzle hunt aspects of the premise, I might give this a pass. Three stars.

Read this if...

You're in need of some family-based Chicken Soup for the Soul

You love reading about found family

The aesthetic vibe of "mysterious island author" sounds intriguing

Skip this if...

You're excited for Puzzle Hunt Mania

You get irritated with sincerity, sometimes bleeding into cheese

You're looking for something suspenseful rather than comforting

The Wishing Game was published on May 30, 2023.