The Wishing Game is a heartwarming and whimsical novel that combines elements of fantasy and self-discovery. It follows the journey of Lucy, a young woman who finds herself caught in the magic of an old storybook game. As she navigates her way through the game’s challenges, she learns about the importance of dreams, hope, and the power of human connections. Meg Shaffer crafts a tale that is both enchanting and thought-provoking, with a perfect balance of lighthearted moments and deeper emotional exploration. Fans of magical realism and feel-good stories will find this book delightful.

Growing up, Lucy found connection and adventure in the Clock Island series of books. Now, a teacher’s aide, she has a student who seems as lost as she felt growing up. She introduces him to the same books and he finds them as enjoyable as she did. Soon after, a contest related to the series is announced and the prize could dramatically alter both of their lives if only Lucy is brave enough to enter. Can revisiting her beloved series really shape her future or will looking at the author and series through adult eyes only crack the facade of perfection she had as a child? Thanks to Net Galley and Ballantine Books for the ARC. This is my honest review.

I just kind of loved everything about this book. It was like a grown-up version of Willy Wonka, for book lovers, minus Oompa Loompas. Definitely some suspension of disbelief (the teacher/fostering situation was especially head-scratching), but I was happy to go along for the ride. Feel good fun that I've definitely recommended to several reader friends! Thanks to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC.

I love a good found family story, and The Wishing Game did not disappoint. While it does not shy away from hard social topics, the ride is worth it, and wraps up with a feel good ending. A lovely book to cozy up with.

Lucy Hart works so hard as a classroom paraeducator so she can save enough money to adopt Christopher, but she never seems to be able to get ahead. Her heart is breaking as she realizes that she just doesn't have the resources to be the family he needs...but then she gets an extremely exclusive invitation from her childhood favorite author. Lucy, along with three others, has been invited to the home of the elusive Jack Masterson, who is hosting a contest for the rights to his final Clock Island book. Though full of mystery and tension, this book is entirely cozy. It feels like getting a hug from a dear friend.

This book is a beautiful tribute to stories and how they can change readers' lives.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

*** Thank you Netgalley for the E-arc in exchange for an honest review**


The novel is a simple, heartwarming story, one filled with lovable characters, fun riddles and games. There’s some light romance to it, too, and it has some of good moments involving friendship and family. It also has some serious subjects as well.

I was intrigued by the premise of an updated Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with emphasis on the plight of kids stuck in the fosterage system. As much as I was predisposed to like this book, especially in light of it earning “Best Book of the Year,” I found in it one disappointment after another.

First, the protagonist: Lucy Hart, rejected by her family in favor of her chronically ill older sister, ought to have been a sympathetic viewpoint character. She has gone from one miserable life situation to another. As a child, though, she had the gumption to run away to the island fortress (Clock Island, site of the eponymous, wildly popular children’s book series penned by the mysterious recluse, Jack Masterson) and demand to become his apprentice. Of course, this did not go well, although she, Jack, and gifted cover artist Hugo have never forgotten one another. At the opening of the book, Lucy is working at a dead-end job as a teacher’s aide. She’s barely able to make rent, let alone provide a suitable home for Christopher, the foster kid she’s determined to adopt. Herein lies my initial and enduring inability to connect with Lucy. She seems to be no more emotionally mature than an average adolescent, even more so when she decides that the only solution to her life problems is to enter and win a fabulous prize offered by Jack, the only copy of his unpublished next Clock Island novel. Her wish appears to be coming true when she is selected as a finalist and travels to Clock Island.

Aside from one writer to another: One copy?? Give me a break! No agent, editor, publisher, publicist, beta reader, copy editor, proofreader, online writers group, professional association, or trusted friend (looking at you, Hugo) would ever allow such irresponsibility as printing out one copy and then destroying all the files of the previous versions (or the equivalent typewritten manuscripts). (At the beginning of my writing career, I typed out drafts (at least three) with carbon paper and kept them all, using them as show and tell for school presentations.)
Second aside: many aspects of this novel read as if written by someone ignorant of the publishing business, yet Jack is a many-times-over best seller, supposedly with an agent and editor with whom he’s had a long relationship. It didn’t take long for me to suspect that the naïveté was on the part of this book’s author. I confess to a prejudice against “Creative Writing” folks who all too often have no clue about how genre storytelling works. I can’t think of another explanation for the prevailing ignorance.

These issues paled beside the huge red flags. Here are but a few: Lucy decides that the key to happiness is to adopt a kid. Other than the limited, structured interactions with students her job, she has no experience with parenting. Her interactions with Christopher come across as sugar-coated wish fulfillment (except for a few small afterthought details in the last chapter). There’s no chemistry between the two of them; their stereotyped interactions could have come straight out of 1950s family sitcoms. As Lucy’s history is revealed, it’s clear that because she felt unloved as a child, her solution is to shower another child with the love she never received. Not to resolve her own issues, not to learn to love (and forgive) herself, not to let go of her resentment of her sister and parents.

Second huge red flag: Lucy goes from one inappropriate romantic relationship to another. Her longtime, emotionally abusive, and much older boyfriend kept her dependent, off-balance, and doubting her self-worth. Never does she address the lingering trauma other than to “do a geographic” and leave town. She’s had a crush on Hugo since meeting him as a child, he being quite a few years older then, and neither of them sees anything untoward about being attracted to each other. Her relationship with elderly Jack is bizarre. In the age of #MeToo and better understanding of how women are manipulated, exploited, and gaslit, I’m appalled at how much of Lucy’s victimhood is rationalized, unexamined, and lacking in feminist context. Neither Hugo nor Jack is outwardly abusive, but the inherent imbalance in power in each of these relationships means there can be no true consent. Lucy has not become empowered by escaping her previous domineering romance, she has only run away. She is just as vulnerable to manipulation and exploitation as ever.

These issues are far less significant than the crucial problem: Lucy has no agency as a character. She never rises to the occasion to solve her own problems. Someone else, whether Hugo, Jack, or her co-worker, always steps in to fix things for her. In the end, after she fails to win the contest, Jack gives her the island (so she and Christopher have a place to live), Hugo gives her a painting worth a small fortune, and Jack’s attorney takes over the legalities of Christopher’s adoption.

The contest to win the unpublished manuscript includes a series of riddles, which were fun, but not amusing enough to cancel the serious issues I’ve raised above. Anyone looking for a story in which a character wrestles with their inner demons and rises above them, learns to act like an adult, and takes control over their destiny through their own efforts will likely be as disappointed as I was.

The premise of this book was attractive to me initially, promising a heartwarming story of found family for a young orphan boy, Christopher. While I found that general theme to be true, the delivery wasn’t as expected. I found the relationship between Christopher and Lucy, his teacher (the other main character), to be somewhat uncomfortable. The intention is clearly that Lucy cares about Christopher and wants to provide the love and affection he is missing from a family structure, but the fixation she has on adopting a student and the physical affection she shows him while at school is a bit overdone. Additionally, the feasibility of her adopting him while living with multiple unreliable roommates is unrealistic.

The island setting of the story is gorgeous and I really enjoyed the idea of the writing workshop and exclusive contest; it’s very reminiscent of Wilky Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and adds a a whimsical edge to the plot that satisfied my inner child. There are some unique characters that are fun to get to know and it tugs at your heart that Christopher eventually gets the family he deserves.

Overall, there were aspects of the book that I loved but others that felt awkward. Despite the early portion of the book striking me as a bit odd, I think the book has a good theme and a lot of heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

I really was looking forward to this read as I found the premise intriguing, but unfortunately I didn't like it by the end. Many of the relationships between the characters made me quite uncomfortable, including 1. the age gap between the protagonist and her love interest, who met when she was a teen and he was in his 20s, 2. Lucy's relationship with Christopher, promising him adoption when it seems near impossible, and 3. the way Jack interacted with children, which made me feel more creeped out than endeared. I do think the story showed promise and could have been written in a more enjoyable way, but unfortunately the characterizations prevented me from fully immersing myself / enjoying the story.

The Wishing Game was written for book lovers. It truly encompasses how important books are in everyone's lives and how a book can change a child's life. This was such an emotional and impact full read for me and it's a book that just feels like a nice big warm hug. It makes you smile and see the good in the world again. It's about found family, love, grief, and how magical books can be.

Lucy Hart is a struggling teacher who adores one of her students, Christopher, who is 7 and now an orphan. She would love to adopt him, but can't until she can show the courts she is financially responsible. She has to watch Christopher struggle with the grief of his parents and be in a foster home, when she would do anything to be his adopted mom. (Yes I cried from the first couple of pages)

Lucy's favorite childhood author, is hosting a contest and the winner will receive a cash prize. It seems like a dream come true when she gets picked to go to his house on Clock Island and compete to win the money. All she wants is to win so she can have enough money to adopt Christopher.

This book is full of magic and as a book lover makes you remember just how much you loved reading as a child and escaping into worlds. There is a dash of romance in this book which was done perfectly.

I rotated between laughing and smiling to crying every few pages. This truly is one of the best books I've ever read and it's just going to be one of those books that I hold near and dear to me.

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer is a captivating read for anyone who has ever found solace in the power of stories, especially those who have experienced the transformative magic of found family, foster care, and the unwavering hope that comes with chasing one's dreams.

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REVIEW: The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“The stories write us, you see. We read something that moves us, touches us, speaks to us and it…it changes us.”
― Meg Shaffer, The Wishing Game

The Wishing Game was such a fun and whimsical fantasy that tugged at your heartstrings. The characters are not realistic but they are super loveable. This book is a warm fuzzy fairy tale for adults. At times the book was a bit simplistic, but if you look at it more as a child-like view into fantasy, it will really draw you in.

I really enjoyed the riddles and puzzles of the competition. I also loved the themes of found family, chasing your dreams, and hope throughout the book.

I enjoyed The Wishing Game for its fantastical and heartfelt story. I cannot wait to check out more from Meg Shaffer!

Thank you, Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine , for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

The Wishing Game is a feel-good story brimming with amazing and generous characters, heartwarming moments, and a level of kindness that leaves you wishing for more of the same in your own life. I loved how this book warmed my heart as I read it. It reminded me of the incredible people I've met in my own life who have shown me that same kind of heartfelt love and compassion.

I thought I had reviewed this when I finished it but it must not have submitted! I liked this book. It had a good storyline although a bit slow in some parts. I liked it overall and recommended it to my sister. I would love to read more by this author

I love a book with a good game show twist, and part of my really wants to visit clock island! The riddles and puzzles were great and reminded me of the Westing Game in a way. I liked the dual narrators- going from the narration of a teacherwho wants to win a prize book, and use it to create the found family she's always wanted, to the perspective of an artist almost disillusioned by the author and creator of the contest. It's a nice take on fans of a series and how they grow up.

Books about books always catch my eye and the premise of this particular book sounded intriguing and slightly nostalgic to some stories or themes that I loved as a kid.

Unfortunately I found the beginning of this book slow and hard to attach to. I also found a few relationship boundaries (or lack there of) bothersome.

Overall the story flowed as expected, and was a bit predictable, by it worked for what it was.

I loved this book. It started off as a great, general book and then the contest came along. Everything changed, I loved it. I loved all the characters and the storyline was excellent. I would definitely recommend this book.

Loooooved this book! Kept my interest from the very start the perfect remix of magical realism and real life. It was such a fun read and I highly recommend!! 5/5 stars!

I loved the riddles and puzzles of the competition, but it was difficult for me to move past how unethical I thought Lucy’s situation with Christopher was. It seems so wrong to me for her to promise she’ll get enough money to become his mother. It felt like she was leading him on and making his life more difficult. It would have made more sense for her to be his support system and then offer to take him in once she was able to.

The received this from NetGalley. I liked a lot about this book- the characters, the book within a book aspect, realistic stories mixed in with feel good moments. It was creative and refreshing to read.