Do you remember reading your favorite childhood book for the first time? It felt like the author had written the book solely for you. For me, that book was Alice in Wonderland. The Wishing Game gave me that same feeling.

Thirtysomething Lucy has a favorite childhood book series called the Clock Island mysteries. Unfortunately, the author retired to an isolated island and stopped writing the series years ago. However, he has just announced a competition pitting his four biggest fans in a puzzle competition to win the rights to his new unpublished book. Lucy desperately wants to win so she can legally adopt one of the children in her school. However, the other three contestants also have compelling reasons for their drive to win.

I really enjoyed feeling that rush of reading a book that brought back all my memories of my childhood reading favorites. But that is not to say the book is without flaws. Lucy’s magical thinking of “I want it so it must come to pass” is a bit grating on my, perhaps jaded, adult mind. The plotting had no true surprises, which is consistent with children’s rather than adult fiction. Still, I enjoyed reading The Wishing Game. If you loved Alice or Willy Wonka books as a child, you will enjoy this book as well. 5 stars!

Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I loved, loved, LOVED this book! It was everything I never knew I wanted or needed out of a story! There were moments where I found myself smiling and laughing one minute, and utterly distraught the next. The story was so engaging and you couldn’t help but to route for all the characters fon the island! It gave me a sense of nostalgia for the children’s books I use to devour when I was younger and read until the spines wore out. I can’t recommend this enough!

It's not often that a book leaves me utterly speechless, but The Wishing Game did exactly that. In the best way possible. I've read a lot of truly wonderful books, but this gave me the same kind of whimsical feeling The Starless Sea gave me. I wanted to savor every word, every page, and every moment of this lovely book.

For anyone who has grown up reading, and had those favorite series they adored as kids, you will enjoy this. If you love whimsical reads, you will enjoy this. If you love how books transport you to other worlds, you will enjoy this.

The bottom line, read this. And I hope you love it as much as I did.

Thank you Random House/Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

The Wishing Game is such a beautiful book - heart wrenching at time but so uplifting. I absolutely loved it.
As someone who found a love of reading very early in life - this is a moving love letter to the magical power of reading and books and how books can affect one's life. Such a sweet and charming novel - perfect for the young and young at heart.
Thank you to Random House, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the chance to read this novel.

I requested an ARC for this book entirely because of the cover, and I’m very thankful the publisher “granted my wish”. However, the tags on NetGalley are very confusing: Science Fiction/Fantasy and Women’s fiction? The blurb, on the other hand, hints at mystery and romance. Who knows what this book is?

Beware: grief; death of parents; alcoholism; chronic illness; terminal illness; miscarriage; drug abuse; child sexual abuse; child drowning; narcissistic parent; emotional abuse; Munchausen syndrome by proxy.

Apparently this novel is a debut, but you wouldn’t know it from the writing, which is very polished and engaging; the publisher uses the word “whimsical” to describe it, as there are riddles, games, and puzzles, as well as quotes from books that only exist in-universe.

However, as you can see by the list of content warnings, there’s a lot more going on in the story, and while I read this book very quickly, I am not sure it really worked for me–but also, I’m not sure it didn’t? Allow me to elaborate.

The narrative alternates mostly between Hugo’s and Lucy’s points of view, with the latter getting the lion’s share, especially after they are all on the island; and despite Hugo, Jack, and Christopher, being key to the story, only Lucy feels like a fully realized character.

It is, really, her story.

(Which for my money, makes the novel fully ‘women’s fiction’)

Hugo is basically a good guy with a difficult childhood, but despite some lip service, he doesn’t really change much from the first page to the last. Meanwhile, Jack is like a more benevolent, intrinsically good version of Dumbledore–one without all the ulterior motives.

There is a lot of heart in this book, and most of the characters are good people, just trying to live their lives in an unkind world. The author doesn’t shy from presenting the reality of life in 2023 in the U.S.; that is, anything but charmed.

Without naming political parties, there are mentions of banned books, bigotry, cruelty, greed, and more, that are part of the current landscape of the country.

The hopelessness of Lucy’s and Christopher’s situation, and the coldness of a system that it’s supposed to help children but most often doesn’t, is heartbreaking. When Lucy quotes from the “Foster Facts” brochure, the terrible reality children ‘in care’ suffer hit me so, so hard.

Whatever happens with, and to, the adults, children are always at the mercy of people and institutions that, while claiming to exists “for the best interest of the child”, rarely care about them as individuals.

So while there’s a plot, and we see Lucy grow as she faces her fears; and while there’s a sweet nascent romance, and also a lovely–one could say fantastical–resolution at the end, I struggled to enjoy the whimsy of the surface while being so viscerally aware of the pain and suffering beneath.

Lucy’s visceral feeling of abandonment, her believing herself unlovable, her aloneness, her financial struggles; Christopher’s loss and grief and trauma; alcoholism; the crushing weight of student debt; the despair of working oneself to the bone and knowing it won’t be enough to succeed; the fear of a beloved parent’s life-threatening illness; living with terminal illness; losing a sibling.

All of these and more are part of the characters’ stories, but the nature of the story means most are not explored. No book can cover all the ground, after all, and Lucy’s character arc is well done; the passages from the fictional children’s books are intriguing, and the literary allusions dropped throughout the text often made me smile.

And yet, I feel dissatisfied. Given Lucy’s and Hugo’s and Christopher’s and Jack’s backstories, I wanted more substance than the book gave me.

Nonetheless, I will keep an eye for more from Ms Shaffer.

The Wishing Game gets 8.25 out of 10

Lucy Hart grew up with the Clock Island series by Jack Masterson, finding solace in the books when life was hard. Now she hopes to share that love with seven-year-old Christopher Lamb, who she would love to adopt after the tragic deaths of his parents. Without funds, it's an impossible dream. Jack Masterson announces a new book and a contest on his private island to win the only copy. Winning and selling the manuscript would help her secure a better future, but she isn't the only one who wants it. Lucy is up against ruthless book collectors, wily opponents, and Hugo Reese, illustrator of the Clock Island books and Jack’s only friend. Meanwhile, Jack “the Mastermind” Masterson is plotting the ultimate twist ending that could change all their lives forever.

We meet Lucy immediately and our heart can't help but go out to her. She's a kindergarten teacher's aide living with roommates and doesn't have a car, making her have no chance whatsoever of becoming a foster mother. Anyone who's dealt with the system will know how much it's set against her. The book series had been important for her as a child, and it's a way she bonds with Christopher. She and three other adults are brought to the island; they had all run away and come there as children, so they're considered Jack's special sidekicks, and the only ones he wants to offer the chance of earning his final manuscript. Despite her hardships, Lucy retained her hopeful and good nature, and can still think like a child. Every challenge is full of riddles, and it's not meant to be easy. When we get to the end of the contest, I was in tears, and the ending is such a good one.

The riddles of the challenges definitely force you to think outside the box if you try to play along. So often, as we grow up, our thinking gets more rigid and conforms to society's rules, whether we like it or not. Children still have unbridled creativity because they're not afraid to be wrong, and they don't know that their ideas won't fit. Lucy is still able to put herself out there, push herself when she thinks she's a coward, and stand up for what she believes is right. That's an amazing trait we need to see more of in fiction.

This book #TheWishingGame was completely nutty , absurd, & so far fetched but I ABSOLUTELY LOVED it !!!!
It gave me total Willy Wonka , Alice in Wonderland, Disney,& Michael Jackson vibes !
I mean who wouldn't want to read a book like that 😍
In this day & age everyone , adult or not needs a book like this to take them somewhere magical for a little awhile .

Thank u #Netgalley for this fantastic Arc! ⭐

This is a heartwarming story that still has some bite to it. Every character in this has a past and something they are running from and/or towards, and their stories have various degrees of weightiness. There is enough whimsy in this to balance the dark, and enough sentiment to the power of stories to please readers.

I loved this book. It was so fresh and fun, but so meaningful.

This is the story of Lucy Hart. She grew up in Maine and once ran away to the private island of the world's most popular children's book author, Jack Masterson. Of course she is there for mere hours but that has a lifelong effect on her. As an adult Lucy is a teacher, and really wants to adopt Christopher, a student at her school who has had a very tragic childhood.

I don't want to give it all away, but this book is so special, and sweet, and honestly, it draws you in from the start and you may or may not neglect any life duties you have until you turn the final page. I did! Or, I tried really hard to do that.

Read this book. You won't regret it.

I DEVOURED this book!

I want the Clock Island books to be real I want Clock Island to be real I want a sequel to this book oh my goodness!

This one is a quick read but I swear you will not want to put it down.

The riddles were so much fun to try and figure out alongside the characters.

Hugo also = swoon worthy. I loved that man.

Lucy and Christopher’s relationship was adorable and I wish there were more interactions between them as mother/son oh my goodness.

I’m truly speechless because this book had me hooked from page one and it was the most magical thing I have read in a while.

I will be getting myself a hard copy ASAP because it will be one I will forever want to reread over and over again.

I have been on a real good streak of reading stunners lately. The Wishing Game is no exception. I think it's best classified as part magical realism, part romance, part adventure. It's definitely a book about books which I know some readers will love just based on that fact alone. I thought the characters and the island scenes were particularly well done. I was very excited when I saw this will be part of June's BOTM box choices because I think that will get this charming, eclectic novel in front of many more faces, as it should! Pick up THE WISHING GAME now for your big-hearted book of the summer!

Have you been looking for a book that really makes you feel like you have gone back to your childhood again? I read this last month but am late on reviewing my fav book for the month of May:
Childhood Books - Our main character Lucy is a teacher’s aide who’s favorite childhood book series is the Clock Island books
Clock Island - in fact the author, Jack, lives on Clock Island along with his illustrator, Hugo
Runaways - and just like the children in his books, kids runaway to clock island to get their greatest wish
Contest - Jack is getting older and decides to hold a contest for those kids who once sought to find him
Wish - Can Lucy win her greatest wish - to adopt a boy and become his mom?

I have to saw that this book really caught me off guard. I thought the summary looked cute but this ARC wasn’t one I pushed myself to read until pretty close to it’s release date. Then, the Book of the Month picks came out, and at only 25% of my way through the book, I knew I had to get this as a physical copy for my collection. And I wasn’t wrong, this book was my only 5 star read for the month of May. It was magical, whimsical, nostalgic. It’s compared to if Willy Wonka lived on an Island and wrote books. And yes that is exactly right. This book doesn’t explain everything away, and it definitely makes me want to read more by this author, especially if it’s in the same universe.

This book… how do I write down my emotions about this book. We all had those books when we were kids that we wished we could run away to. They were our safe places. The Wishing Game wrote about that feeling and it hit me in the heart (I was crying the whole last 80 pages). I cannot rave about this enough.

I wish I had known going into this how much it would make me feel, but that probably would have taken some of the magic out of it.

There were some conceptual aspects that I questioned but I genuinely love this read.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for this digital ARC

This was a book that I couldn't put down. I enjoyed the snippets from the children's book Clock Island & the "real" story that was happening with Lucy and her fellow contestants. Lucy is a teacher's aid in California that gets invited to participate in a lucrative contest that would help her on the path to foster and adopt Christopher, the boy that she had helped after he lost his parents suddenly. In this contest, she gets to go back to Clock Island and compete against three other people for the only copy of the most recent novel in the Clock Island series. Highly recommend this book and reading what happens to all of these interesting characters.

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for free copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Lucy, a teacher's aid and her salary was quite low. Her goal was to adopt Christopher, a seven years old boy who was her student. It was him that Lucy wanted to adopt. Lucy believed that Christopher deserves a mother; however, her income makes adoption difficult.

‘Who does love a book about a book?’

Jack Masterson the author of the Clock Island series, which was a much loved children’s book series. As a young person, she wrote a secret letter to Jack Masterson, her favorite author. Eventually, she shared this with Christopher.
The characters were engaging and the writing kept my attention throughout the novel.The book was labeled fantasy, but I believe this limits the reading pool.
Thank you Meg Schaffer, Ballantine books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

There is so much heart in this story. It essentially about love in all its incarnations or its lack.
Lucy found the Clock Island books at a critical point when she felt unloved. As an adult, the love of those books gives Lucy the chance to return to Clock Island and strive for her biggest wish - adopting a boy named Christopher. That is the big picture. There are so many wonderful building blocks that go into making this a story I will remember.
I like how this is a puzzling sort of mystery rather than featuring a murder mystery.
I like Jack and Hugo all their great characteristics and their flaws.
I love a happy ending that is really a bright beginning.
Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the chance to read The Wishing Game.

The Wishing Game is pure magic! Reminiscent of Willy Wonka, Shaffer takes us on a journey filled with hope, dreams, acceptance and most of all love. With a cast of delightful characters, this story was uplifting and utterly charming. Schaffer’s clever debut will touch your heart and might just prove that sometimes dreams really do come true! Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Lucy Hart, a kindergarten aide, befriends a small child, Christopher, who was orphaned in a most tragic fashion. Lucy became his foster mom for a very short time and she resolves that she will adopt Christopher and raise him as her own. Unfortunately, she has very little income, no car and lives in a house shared with two roommates. Nothing will work out even for her to foster this child. Lucy shares with Christopher her love of The Clock Island series by Jack Masterson. She shares that once she even ran away to Clock Island and begged to live with Masterson.
A rumor circulates that there might be a new Clock Island book coming out, this after a long absence since the previous book. Lucy receives one of four invitations to come and spend a week on Clock Island, take part in a contest to determine the winner of the one and only copy of the newest work. Lucy knows this is her chance. If she wins, she can sell the manuscript and make a lot of money - problems solved for her and for Christopher.
While on the island she meets Hugo, who she met on her first trip to the island. He is the long-time illustrator of the books. The contest commences and Masterson's riddles have everyone wracking their brains to figure them out - and, oh yes, there are points for the winners. Will Lucy be able to win the contest? If she doesn't where does she go from there? What will happen to Christopher?
If you read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or the Wizard of Oz, you will probably enjoy this book. All children have fears; all children handle their fears differently. The author, Sheffer, has done a wonderful job of creating a fantasy world and contest, but firmly grounded in the reality of being a child in an uncertain world.

This was a fun book to read. The reclusive, eccentric author of a best-selling series of 65 children's books, Jack Masterson, has not published a book in 6 years. When he offers to give the one and only copy of his new book to the winner of a competition, social media lights up with the news and he selects 4 people to participate in the all expense paid trip to Clock Island - the setting for the series, where he lives.
The main character/competitor in this story is Lucy Hart, who grew up on these books and ran away to the island when she was 13. Now she is selected to be one of the 4 competitors. She is a teaching assistant at an elementary school in California, where she tutors a 7 yr old boy Christopher, who is in the foster care system. Both Lucy and Christopher read the Clock Island books, and dream of becoming a family. This is not possible for Lucy though because of her living situation and lack of a stable financial base.
I thought that this story was beautiful and heartwarming. The main characters - Lucy, Jack, and Hugo were realistic and played off each other to advance the plot. The other competitors were not as well developed but lent an interesting element to the story.
The author brought into play magic, a little romance, and the hurdles of the foster care system. She described the child hoping and wishing for love and a forever home in a heartbreaking way without dwelling on it.
I think that the plot twist was unnecessary, and a little forced, but it did stress facing what one is most afraid of.
The core message of hope and the fact that wishes can come true were ultimately the heart of the story.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I recommend books often but it's rare for me to beg people to read a book. The Wishing Game is a must read for any book lover. It perfectly captures how reading is instrumental in our lives and if you place the right book in a child's hands, a story and characters they connect with, it can be a game changer. Please read this book. It's a beautiful story.

Jack Masterson is the author of a best selling children's series but hasn't come out with a new book in a long time. That is until now. He offering a unique competition in which the prize is something that could change the winner's life.

Twenty-six year old, Lucy Hart, is a teacher's aide and a big fan of Masterson's Clock Island series. Her dream is to adopt her former student and now orphan, 7 year old Christopher but her money situation is extremely tight at the moment. Being a contestant in her favorite author's competition might help her financial situation in a big way.

This was one of those hand to the heart type reads in which I'm alternating between smiling and crying throughout this lovely story. Reading is a positive outlet for so many of us, whether you are a child or an adult. You can pick up a book and just escape into a different world and forget about your troubles for awhile. The story really struck a chord in me and brought back fond memories of all those books and authors and the value they have brought to my life.