The Wishing Game is just a fun read! A best selling children's book author has a new book after many years and he's going to give the manuscript to one lucky contestant. The four people chosen to compete for the winnings are all adults who had found their way to the author when they were young and believed he could help them in their lives.

Lucy is currently working as a teacher's aide and has very little money but desperately want to adopt 7-year old Christopher. Winning the manuscript would mean she could afford to have the home she needs in order to foster and then adopt. The other three contestants also have interesting lives that we learn much more about but Lucy is the main character.

Jack Masterson is the author and a well-developed character in his own right. We learn why he has been a recluse for many years and what is finally pulling him out of himself. Hugo is the artist for the books and had met Lucy as a young girl when she first came to meet Jack. There is a spark between Hugo and Lucy but romance is not the main element of the book.

There are books within the book, a whole series by Jack and an island that he constructed to copy the one in his books. The characters are fully developed and fun to get to know. I know, I said fun twice, I just really enjoyed the book even though there is certainly sadness and struggles within the characters. There was some predictability in how things would pan out but not enough to take away from the read.

I would highly recommend The Wishing Game. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

In this novel, as a kid going through hard times, Lucy discovered the (fictional) Clock Island chapter book series. Now Lucy is 26 and a teacher’s aide, hoping to be able to foster and then adopt a former student whose parents died, and who she has helped through the trauma by reading the very same Clock Island series to him - but she just doesn’t have enough money. Then she hears that Jack Masterson, the reclusive author of the series, who hasn’t written anything in 6 years, is holding a contest for an exclusive copy of his new book, and she’s invited. The book alternates between Lucy’s perspective, and that of Hugo, Jack’s assistant and the artist for the series, who lives with Jack on an island off of Maine in fact called Clock Island, though not magical like the one in the books within the book. Think Charlie & Chocolate Factory crossed with Mr. Lemoncello’s Library with perhaps a dash of The Westing Game, but for adults.

I have mixed feelings about this one which makes it so hard to rate! I absolutely LOVE the concept of an adult version of those types of books - the problem is, although the characters are adults and there are some very adult problems introduced, the book still felt very middle grade fiction in its writing. Not that there aren’t wonderful middle grade books - but the writing just felt sort of strangely simple. That being said though, I really did enjoy it, and it was a quick light read.

3.5 stars

I requested the book because of the premise--a reclusive best-selling author offers the only copy of his latest book to the person who wins a series of games, which reminded me of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Westing Game--but this ended up veering into saccharine territory. There are also some characters I wish had been explored further--Lucy's sister, Hugo's brother, Christopher, even Jack--that made the story feel more surface-level. I did enjoy the games and wish more of those had been included, and I got a little emotional toward the end, so the story did work for me overall. I just wish it had been better executed.

If you’re looking for a book that combines a little bit of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda, The Wishing Game is it! A little bit of a literary competition with a prize and also a little bit of an unloved kid with a passionate teacher who wants him to bloom, Lucy wanted to adopt her former student, Christopher, and they bonded over Lucy’s favorite childhood books, the Clock island books.
The Wishing Game was cute, whimsical, and nostalgic.
Overall, I enjoyed the story, although part of me wished the POV was Christopher’s and the book was middle grade, but I did like Lucy’s growth and her ability to move on and overcome her childhood.

dnf.

the weird dynamic between the teacher and student really through me off and i couldn't get past it. forgive me for thinking teachers shouldn't be kissing their students, whether lucy (the teacher) wanted to adopt Chris (the child/her student) or not. while she is actively his teacher, she should not be behaving like that and the fact that it is probably supposed to be seen as cute, it isn't so.

5⭐️

As a child, Lucy Hart ran away to Clock Island. Lucy was more or less a forgotten child as the younger sibling of a sick sister and her one wish in the world was to move to the setting of her favorite book series and be the sidekick for the Mastermind. Jack Masterson, the author of the Clock Island books greeted her kindly but eventually sent her home with a promise that one day she could return to clock island.

Now an adult, Lucy is struggling to make ends meet. She wants nothing more than to be the mother to Christopher, one of her students who is in the foster care system. Just when she’s almost given up hope, Jack Masterson announces a competition. Four kids who had ran away to Clock Island have been invited back as adults to compete for a one of a kind edition of a new Clock Island book to do whatever they want with it and that’s all Lucy needs to change Christopher’s life.

I really enjoyed this. It gave Fillory from The Magicians vibes, but the author wasn’t a creep. I loved the children’s series that children could find safety in, especially kids that don’t have the best home life.

I also thought the lesson of not making promises you can’t keep and facing your fears is super important. I think sometimes people just tell children what they want to hear not realizing how much those empty promises mean. The Mastermind teaching the children to be brave and face their fears also played a big role and I like how even after years of writing books to help children be brave, Jack still struggles to take his own advice. This was a very sweet story with out being too cringey or cozy.

Thanks to Netgalley and Ballentine Books for providing this ARC to me!

All Lucy Hart wants is the chance to adopt foster child, Christopher. However, she needs a new place to live, a car, and a better job to make it happen. It seems impossible until one day she receives an invitation. She is one of a few lucky chosen to compete for an unpublished book by her favorite children's author and it could make her dreams come true.

What a lovely debut book. Honestly, if I hadn't read this was the author's first book, I wouldn't have guessed. Lucy was really someone you could root for. She was a victim of her circumstances but didn't throw pity parties. If she did feel down, she tried to envision ways to get her through it. She had a purpose, a great one, and was determined to see it through. I really enjoyed traveling to Clock Island with her. It was a magical place and who wouldn't want to visit the scene of their favorite book. (Unless maybe you're a Stephen King fan.) Hugo was the right amount of jaded and "tough" without being a jerk or needing a big moment to change him and/or show his soft side. Jack, sweet Jack, I loved who he was. He is being compared to Willy Wonka but he was so much more loving and compassionate. I felt backstories were explained well and every character's journey to where they are in life made sense. When the four contestants arrived on the island, I hoped it would turn out exactly as it did.

This is a fun, feel good novel. Tragic things do happen, mostly off page, but characters learn and grow from them. I think this is a good escape book, especially for summer. I read it much quicker than anticipated but I enjoyed it so much I wanted to see where it was going so I didn't put it down. I do recommend this book for those wanting to be transported and remember what it was like to be a child and how things seemed so magical and how we can still believe and hope for those things.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballentine for the ARC!

Lucy Hart wants nothing more than to be a part of a family. She was rejected by her parents, who poured all their attention into their other daughter, who suffered from several illnesses. Lucy is a teacher's aide who has met a young boy at her school, Christopher, who she would like to adopt. She is unable to be approved for his adoption due to her financial situation and living arrangements.

Along comes Jack Masterson, author of a children's series of books about Clock Island. The books were very successful but Jack hasn't added a book to the series for several years. He has recently written a new book in the series and is going to offer the book to someone who wins a contest he is sponsoring. Lucy is chosen as one of the contestants and travels to Clock Island to participate in the contest. If she wins, Lucy will finally be able to adopt Christopher.

The whole time I was reading this book, I got Harry Potter and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory vibes. The contest is very similar to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The Clock Island books are almost a cult type series, similar to Harry Potter. I am unsure if this book is meant to be Young Adult Fiction or not, but it is appropriate for any age level to read.

I received an ARC of The Wishing Game in exchange for an honest review.

When she was a child,Lucy ran away to meet her favorite author, Jack Masterson. When she arrived on his private island, he was very kind to her, but turned her over to the authorities who returned her to her grandparents. Now an adult, Lucy has one wish in life…to adopt young Christopher! When an opportunity arises to return to the island for a chance to win enough money to be able to adopt Christopher, Lucy jumps at the chance. Her stay on the island as an adult will help to heal her childhood wounds. This was a very emotional and heartwarming story! Really enjoyed it!

This was a quick and fun read. It lets you imagine if you ran away to meet your favorite author when you were a kid and actually succeeded in finding that author . . . only to be invited back for a special contest as an adult. I loved reading about the setting, the world within the world and all of the riddles. Plus the ending was good! I definitely recommend, especially if you like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or Ready Player One!

The Wishing Game comes out next week on May 30, 2023, and you can purchase HERE! I really liked this one!

"I love when the kids are still young enough that you can trick them into doing chores because they think they're playing." Theresa dug her purse out of the bottom desk drawer. "I told Rosa she couldn't mop the kitchen because that was for grown-ups, and she literally pouted until I let her do it."

"Is that what being a mother is?" Lucy asked. "Pulling a long con on your kids?"

"Pretty much," Theresa said.

4.2 Stars
One Liner: Beautiful but with a few teeny flaws

Jack Masterson, the best-selling children’s author of the Clock Island series, quit writing under mysterious circumstances. After years of silence and speculation, his announcement stirs the pot. He comes up with a one-of-a-kind game where four contestants participate in a series of challenges to win the only copy of the latest manuscript.
Lucy Hart is a 26-year-old kindergarten teacher with too many troubles. Growing up as an unloved and unwanted child makes her determined to give the seven-year-old Christopher a permanent loving home as a foster mother. However, her financial position is messy at its best. Lucy learned the hard way that wishes don’t come true… but maybe they will.
Lucy is one of the four participants who go to Clock Island for a week to compete for the prize. She knows it’s her only chance to make things happen and adopt Christopher. However, she has to deal with dangerous book collectors, other participants, and of course, Hugo Resse, the brooding painter and illustrator of the Clock Island books.
What does Jack Masterson, the Mastermind, have in mind this time?
The story comes from the third-person POV of Lucy and Hugo.

My Thoughts:
I went into the book with high expectations after reading fabulous reviews from friends. And… luckily, I enjoyed most of the book and even got teary-eyed at a couple of places. That’s satisfying, isn’t it?
The pacing is slow in the beginning but gains momentum after a couple of chapters. Then it sustains almost throughout. There are a few scenes from the book written by Jack Masterson, which align with the MC’s character arc. I loved how this is done.
Lucy, Hugo, and Christopher are pretty much who they are, while Jack has a bit of mystery (but is actually a teddy bear). This suits the writing, which is just as straightforward.
While we get Lucy and Hugo’s POVs, I wish at least one chapter had Jack’s POV. It would have enhanced the story. An issue with Lucy’s POV is that she sounds like an unrealistic overemotional girl in some scenes. She knows her reality, but the impression we get contradicts this. I put it down to a character flaw as she realizes things towards the end. After all, do we project our vulnerabilities on others in one way or another?
The book deals with plenty of themes and some of them in passing. There could be triggers, too- parental neglect, child abuse, alcoholism, running away, bullying, etc. None of it is graphic or overwhelming.
However, the emotional quotient gets too high at the end. It feels like the author tried to create a balance between reality and HEA by adding more elements to the already-heavy themes. Also, certain revelations feel more like an easy way out to deal with a complex issue. Since we don’t get the other party’s perspective, I didn’t really connect with the whole thing.
The romance isn’t really romance in this one. It is squeaky clean and chaste. I understand the reason for most of it and appreciate the move to keep the focus on the core plot. However, I wouldn’t have minded a bit of it at the end.
The other contenders are also good people with issues of their own. I like this approach, though it dims the intensity of the game. But the intent of the game goes beyond winning. It’s the Mastermind’s plan, after all!
Three things I love about the book are the role of fiction in people’s lives, our wishes can get fulfilled in different ways, and the reaffirmation that money indeed buys happiness.
As a writer who prefers reading lighthearted fiction with HEA (I didn’t say I write it too!), I know how much hope a happy ending in a book can give a reader. We see that here multiple times, and it makes me so so happy!

To summarize, The Wishing Game is a beautiful story about hope, loss, longing for a family, love, and the power of fiction. A book isn’t just a bunch of pages. It’s a support system that keeps the tiny flame of hope alive despite the adversities.
Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

***
P.S.: I think it helped that I didn’t read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (yes, I know!) and could be free of its influence (and avoid comparisons).

The Wishing Game
By Meg Shaffer

Is this a children's book for adults or an adult book for children? Or perhaps it is a book for all of us who have experienced situations – especially during childhood – where we can do nothing but wish for something better.

Jack Masterson is a famous author of children's books who tries to convey to his young fans that, if they are brave and face their fears, then their wishes may come true. Jack lives on an island off the coast of Maine – which he has named Clock Island and designed it to be like the island in his Clock Island book series.

Hugo Reese is the English illustrator of Jack's books. He was selected via a contest to be Jacks illustrator and has worked on Jack's books ever since.

They were an excellent team until tragedy struck and Jack stopped writing. For six years Jack has sunk into depression, and Hugo has come to live on Clock Island to save Jack from himself.

Lucy is a kindergarten teacher's aide who longs to adopt Christopher, a wonderful little boy she has taken under her wing after he has experienced great tragedy and trauma. Unfortunately, Lucy does not have the financial wherewithal to qualify. But she and Christopher have promised each other that they will become a family.

One day, Jack comes out of his funk, writes another book, and stages a contest on Clock Island. The contest is by invitation only and the prize is the only copy of the new book. The contestants are all adults who, as children, have plucked up their courage and made their way to Clock Island. Lucy was one of those children!

This is a wonderful book. It looks candidly at many of the dark episodes children experience, especially in the foster care system. These children feel powerless to improve their situations. But Jack's books give the kids hope and help them to be brave in the face of their fears – and then, just maybe, their wishes will come true. Whether a story for children or a story for the children inside of all adults, this book gives us hope that a Clock Island really does exist out there somewhere if we are brave enough to find it!

Thank you Meg Shaffer for this book!

I needed a book to get lost in after some very dark, intense reads, and The Wishing Game was like a warm, comfortable blanket on a winter day. It wrapped me up tightly and held me close until the end. As a child, I was a big fan of Charlie and the Charlie Factory, and while I was reading this I couldn't help but think that Clock Island was Willy Wonka, but with books instead of candy/chocolate.

There's so much nostalgia mixed with magic and just a fun, sweet story that I think readers will fall in love with this book, and with Lucy when they read it.

4.5/5⭐️

Lucy Hart is a teacher’s aide whose one wish is to be able to afford adopting 7-year-old Christopher. As a child being raised by emotionally abusive parents, she is taken in by her grandparents with hopes of being loved and wanted. She knows what it’s like to be lonely and left behind.

Growing up she had a brief personal connection with the mega popular children’s series author Jack Masterson known as the “Mastermind of Clock Island”, a literary persona who guided children in making their wishes come true.

Lucy is one of four contestants offered the chance to win the rights to Jack’s long-awaited Clock Island return. As she competes to answer Jack’s riddles, she also learns that she needs to be brave and face what scares her the most to be able to win what she truly wishes for.

There’s much more here, but I won’t go into everything. Suffice it to say, this is a sweet and poignant story that brings to mind the world of Willy Wonka and the Magic Treehouse series but centered around books. The moments between Lucy/Christopher are touching, and there’s an endearing curmudgeon of a cover artist to provide humor and sparks.

But it’s the magic and nostalgia around Jack and Clock Island itself that makes the story a truly special one. There’s a bit of a sugary sweet ending and some over-the-top moments from Lucy, but it’s utterly worth the ride.

Now MY fervent wish is for an invitation to Clock Island.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing the free early arc of The Wishing Game for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

What an interesting plot! "A reclusive mega-bestselling children’s author quit writing under mysterious circumstances. Suddenly he resurfaces with a brand-new book and a one-of-a-kind competition, offering a prize that will change the winner’s life in this absorbing and whimsical novel." This was a quick cozy read and a great debut!

What a fun, interesting book this was. The author of a well-loved children's book series, after a multi-year hiatus, announces he has written a new book but he is holding a contest at his home and only one player will win the book. The contest is by invitation only and 4 people who ran away to his home as children are the invitees. The game is conducted using a series of riddles that the players must solve to earn points. Those players who are well versed in the books (40 of them) are at a definite advantage. It was fun watching them solve the riddles and see the outcome of the contest.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for book lovers.

Jack Masterson is the most famous children’s author alive. His series The Clock Island Adventures has captured decades worth of readers. Except, he hasn’t written in years and no one knows why.

Hugo Reese is a world famous illustrator and lives on Clock Island with Jack. He wants to help Jack but he doesn’t know how. And then one night he sees the lamp on and Jack furiously typing.

Lucy Hart is barely getting by with her kindergarten aide position. She shouldn’t still have roommates but she can’t afford to live on her own or get a second job because then she wouldn’t be able to tutor Christopher, a foster boy at her school she’s trying desperately to adopt.

And then the announcement comes. A contest for the rights to the new book by Jack Masterson, the long awaited sequel. Who will be invited to attend? What kind of games will need to be won? And why is a raven like a writing desk?

Best book I’ve read this year. READ IMMEDIATELY.

. Beloved author of the Clock Island book series, Jack Masterson, is having a contest to give away his unpublished latest book. The winner will be able to sell the book for enough money to make their greatest wish come true. Lucy Hart's greatest desire is to earn enough money to adopt Christopher, a young foster child whom she has become attached to. She knows firsthand what it is like to grow up without parents who love you, and she wants to make sure Christopher doesn't suffer the same fate.

This is a beautiful heartwarming story full of good-hearted loveable characters. The character of Jack Masterson is reminiscent of Willy Wonka and the entire book is reminiscent of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. However, Masterson doesn't have the cruel streak that Wonka sometimes displays. On the contrary, his heart is always in the right place. The competitors are much more likable than the golden ticket winners in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as well. They are not spoiled children too interested in their own immediate gratification to keep their eyes on the big picture, but rather adults who have experienced life and know what really matters. The book is so full of good and pure characters with noble intentions that you will want to root for them all. If you want to recapture the wonder of childhood and the believe that wishes really can come true, you are definitely going to want to read this book.

Lucy wants nothing more that to be a mom to Christopher, a boy she met at school where she is a teachers assistant. But Lucy doesn't qualify to foster him much less adopt him. She doesn't make enough money to have the proper home and all the other things that come along with parenthood.

Growing up wasn't easy for Lucy and for many of the other characters.

Children's author, Jack has announced he will be having a contest on Clock Island. If Lucy can win this contest, she will have enough money to adopt Christopher.

I felt heartbroken for the children who are now adults that had such difficult upbringings. Even though I wanted Lucy to be the winner, I couldn't really dislike it if someone else were to win. They were all so deserving each in their own way.

I would recommend this to anyone who wants to read a feel good story. Although there are parts that don't feel good, it just makes the story even better.

Thanks to net galley and Ballantine Books for the arc.

This was a heartwarming story that reminded me of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. There were some really sad parts but overall an endearing story of love, hope, friendship and found family. This was a great cozy read.