What a magical and absolutely delightful book about wishes, books, family, and love. I loved this one so much and could not stop reading. The characters were all so lovable, and the story itself was so unique and beautifully written. It actually had me in tears in some parts. Maybe it was just what I needed to read at this moment. I highly recommend you put this one on your TBR list. Don't miss it!

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the review copy.

This was just delightful! I have not read a story so quickly in a very long time, and I did not want to put it down. I thought that it was heartfelt and sweet. Though the story did not contain magical elements except for the magic of books, it was an enchanting experience that every reader can appreciate. My library has already pre-ordered its copy. I will post my review to Goodreads on May 30, 2023.

Huge thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley!

I loved this book so much, it was such a beautiful story about how books can change the reader and I am a firm believer that books help people young and old. This book will resonate with Harry Potter fans (which I am not) who enjoyed that series as a kid (my kid did)...They'll have lots in common with Lucy and her love of The Clock Island books.

Many reviews have said this is more young adult fare but I didn't find it so. There is magic, romance and a difficult foster-to-adopt situation. Lucy also deals with having a limited income, so she does her job as a teaching assistant and supplements her income with her knitted scarves on Esty. I found those subjects a little too adult for this to be kids' fiction but I think kids could enjoy it too. Parts of this book broke my heart but it is ultimately a joyful story.

This was a truly unique book, even though it has remnants of Willy Wonka, but with the kids coming back as adults! I loved the characters, it sucked me in right away and I read it in a couple of sittings making this book perfect for readers young and old.

If you have ever dreamed of meeting your favorite author or had the privilege of doing so, curl up with a blanket, grab a cup of your favorite hot beverage, and have your collection of all those author’s books in view when you settle in to read this absolute gem of a novel.

While on the surface, this book is about childhood wishes, what it really highlights is the role books play in escapism and helping children and adults cope with the real world through fantasy, mystery, and adventure. The characters are both very real and very whimsical, wearing their faults and their dreams on their sleeves. The Wishing Game is an homage to Willy Wonka and every childhood series that we all read over and over, eagerly anticipating the installment.

Warm and cozy, with a sweet side romance, this book is for the childhood readers out there who are now adults still seeking that high of a favorite author releasing a new book and promising that all your childhood wishes will come to fruition. For fans of Roald Dahl and TJ Klune, do not skip this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Meg Shaffer for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

This book is beautiful, devastating, and a collection of other positive adjectives. This is not a fantasy book, but IS a love letter to the power of fantasy and children's literature. It brought me to the verge of tears more than once. What a book.

This book was something that caught my eye because of the books on the cover, and it’s turned out to be one of the best random finds I’ve made. I absolutely loved this. The mystery element is actually riddles, the competition is for the only copy of a book, and our main character Lucy desperately wants to win for all the right reasons. The acknowledgements mention Willy Wonka, and the book does give that impression of Charlie in the factory, surrounded by wonderful things and tested along the way.

Note: arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for honest review

This book reminded me a bit of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Lucy Hart didn’t have the best experience growing up and, more than anything would like to adopt a young orphan. However, she is not financially stable.

She has turned to the Clock Island series for comfort and has even met the author. When Lucy is at a shallow point in her life, the series author announces a contest in conjunction with his latest book. Winning the competition would enable Lucy to be financially secure and able to adopt the young child with whom she’s forged a bond.
Will Lucy win? Will her life change? Read and find out!
ARC Review: The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer, rounded up to 3.5 stars

*Will post on Instagram on 5/21/2023

Thank you random house Ballantine, The Wishing Game was a most welcome escape from my usual contemporary fiction reads. The ode to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is present but I also felt themes from such favorites as The Westing Game, From the Mixed Up Files of..., the movie Hugo and even a little of the wishful youthful optimism of Anne of Green Gables. I loved this story, it was dreamlike but also so loving of childhood and youth and books and dreams. The deft writing brings in riddles and magical feelings and an ever present sense of wonder, I was also brought back to how I felt when I read Klune's books as well.

This is a book for all ages and a wonderful option for caregivers/educators who read with children; a great library book club choice for summer readers, and what I hope will be a much loved book for readers who like a little magic in their books.

Books and stories are good for everyone but for the child stuck in an impossible place or time they are a way out, if only temporarily. The Wishing Game is a book about a series of children's books that made and continues to make life a little more bearable for the reader. Lucy Hart, now an adult, was such a child that fully bought into the magical series about Clock Island. Lucy has been reading and sharing the books with her student, Christopher, who currently is living in a Foster Home. When a contest is announced by the mysterious author of the book series that could make all their wishes come true, Lucy heads to the Real Clock Island in hopes of securing the future for her and Christopher.
Hard subjects such as loss of parents, drug use, foster system, and childhood trauma are touched on throughout but hope is also sprinkled liberally.
The Wishing Game shows how books are a kind of magic and all the readers say, "I win!" (IYKYK)

I give this 4.5 stars rounded up to 5

A heartfelt thank you to Ballantine Books for access to an early copy via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

With a nudge to “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” as well as “The Wizard of Oz”, this book is a magical story of children wishing for something to make their life better. Jack, a reclusive children’s author of the Clock Island books invites four lucky adults to his private world, the real Clock Island which is an escape from reality, to participate in a contest to make all their wishes come true. Having not written anything for six years, the prize is the only copy of his latest book, “The Secret of Clock Island”. Lucy Hart is one of the contestants, who as a child wrote many letters to Jack Masterson about her unhappy childhood, often ignored by her parents in preference to her older sister. When Jack responded with hope, she ran away from home to Clock Island to be Jack’s sidekick, wishing for a happier life, to be loved and wanted. Now as an adult, she just wants to be a mom to Christopher to foster-to-adopt him, but she needs a lot of money to provide a stable environment for him which winning the contest would provide. But Jack Masterson always said that wishes only come true to those who are brave and face their fears. He also said that wishes happen when you help make them happen. Lucy also meets Hugo, the crabby illustrator who lives on the island and looks after Jack. Lucy and Hugo had met as a child, but this time sparks are flying as she sees him in a new light. I love all the “games” and riddles reminiscent of Lewis Carroll, that are interspersed throughout for the contest as well as the poetry and the “cite your source” rule. As the story unfolds, the author keeps you guessing along with the characters and engaged in the game. One can’t but help comparing Jack to Willy Wonka, both eccentric characters. The ending is a surprise, and it’s nice to read something hopeful with a happy ending. This book is a delight and fun to read for both adults and YA. I rate it 4.5 rounded up to a 5.

Many thanks to #net galley #thewishinggame #megshaffer #ballantinebooks for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I devoured this book in one evening! The premise is just so wonderful - a book lover's dream. A famous children's author hasn't written a book in years when he announces a contest to win the only copy of his new book. We follow one of the contest participants through the process. It is so sweet - really an ode to the power of literature. Would definitely read again! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Wishing Game gave me nostalgia for my favorite childhood books, with allusions to Roald Dahl and Lewis Carroll, and the author’s nod to Charlie and the Chocolate factory in the acknowledgments.

Growing up, I was a huge fan of Roald Dahl and all the characters and adventures he crafted.
Shaffer creates such a tale herself, and does an amazing job of crafting this elegant ode to the joy of reading and the triumph of the imagination and “wishing”.

Every detail is so beautifully imagined, Clock Island is a creative escape for the characters in their difficult childhoods, but also is a setting where things come full circle in such a magical way. The characters of Lucy, Hugo, Christopher and Jack draw you in to their fractured but beautiful worlds, and the ending brought tears to my eyes!

I loved all the clever riddles and rhymes woven throughout, which reminded me of Lewis Carroll and Shel Silverstein, other childhood favorites. This could be suitable as a YA novel but truly enjoyable for any age. A favorite of the year so far for me!

I think the best way to go into this book is to think of it as YA and then you'll enjoy it more. This is a magical story featuring a reclusive and prolific children's book author, a grumpy illustrator, and four children who are now grown ups coming to an island to win the newest copy of the last book in a popular children's series. I enjoyed the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory vibes throughout the book. I think some of the characters were more developed then others but overall I enjoyed this quick and magical read.

I am rounding up from 3.5 stars to 4. Thank you so much to Netgalley & Ballantine for the advanced reader copy.

This book was a treasure in many ways. The characters are likeable, and the story is sweet. It's compared to Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, but I'm not sure why its tagged on Goodreads as Magical Realism and Fantasy, as it is neither of those things. It is, however whimsical and delightful, although written for adults. If you need a break from other "harsher" genres, this is a unique story about childhood wishes and the books that inspire us to hope for happy endings..

The clock is ticking as time moves forward in this book.

Jack Masterson purchased an island with 90 acres off the southern coast of Maine twenty years ago. This is where he built an inviting home and ingeniously fortress that related to the numbers on a clock.

Jack said places were times and times were places. He called this: Clock Island. Number 12 was the lighthouse, 5 was the beach, 7 was the guesthouse, 8 was the wishing well and so forth.

This is where Jack wrote best-selling children’s books. The appeal was trying to get the kids to understand about time and to face their fears in life. Consequently, some of the kids miraculously ended up at his doorstep running away from their homes as Clock Island felt safe. They were immediately sent back.

When four of the runaways became adults, they were invited to return to Maine to participate in a highly advertised contest. They would now have the chance to win the only copy of his next book which could be sold for five or six figures.

There were rules to this competitive game that was set up to figure out riddles from Jack, the “Mastermind,” that they all remembered well from the stories. They all had a wish from the past and now it was about money. They were determined to win.

The concept of the clock on an island was presented by Jack as a mystical fascination with the focus on time. But his books weren’t just about time but how one faces deep-rooted anxieties. The games in the story were fun although they could have been more challenging. It definitely can be thought-provoking and make an interesting book discussion. It also may be an inspiring, pick-me-up story for readers.

My thanks to Meg Shaffer, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy of the book with an expected release date of May 30, 2023.

I loved this book! Such a charming and magical story. It was very quick and pleasant to read. The characters were engaging and well thought out. More of these, please!

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of THE WISHING GAME by Meg Shaffer. I'm apparently a grouch because tons of people seemed to love this book, and I did enjoy The House on the Cerulean Sea which everyone compares it to, but this one came off as trying to be this weird mix of edgy and saccharine. Honestly, I found the characters lacked depth—everyone was black and white, good or bad. The MC was mostly a Mary Sue who could do no wrong with a creepy romance with an older guy who met her as a teenager. Even her relationship with her student felt so inappropriate to me—she wanted to adopt him, but at the moment he was her student she wasn't related to and acting like she was his mother felt wrong. The writing felt childlike and simplistic and I just never got pulled into the story. There were hints of this magical, inspiring story (which apparently everyone else enjoyed) but I never felt it and it took me a long time to get through this book as a result. It had flashes of good moments, but for the most part I found it disappointing.

A fabulous debut novel by Meg Shaffer. In one word- delightful.
Clock Island is a children’s book series, but also exists. Who wouldn’t want to visit this magical land? I want to go!
Refreshing and enjoyable. I didn’t want this story to end.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a cute story about a children's author that helps make wishes come true. Lucy is struggling to make ends meet and also wants to adopt Christopher, a young boy at the school she works at that lost both his parents. Lucy and Christopher have developed a deep bond rooted in the Clock Island books that were Lucy's favorite as a child. Although Lucy wants to adopt Christopher, she can't due to her unstable living situation. But when Jack Masterson, author of the Clock Island books, offers an opportunity to 4 people to win an unpublished Clock Island book, Lucy is excited to go for it.

This book will definitely remind you of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It's a sweet read with feel-good characters.

Do you remember your favorite magical book from back in grade school? Meg Shaffer’s debut novel captures the wonder of those amazing childhood reads & how they help us deal with the harsh realities of the actual world.

Lucy’s neglectful parents didn’t provide her with the childhood that she deserved, but Jack Masterson’s Clock Island series of books gave her some comfort & she carried her passion for the author’s work into adulthood. She now works as a teacher’s assistant & has connected with a young boy named Christopher; after the death of his family, Lucy shares her love of the Clock Island books with Christopher. She hopes to adopt him, but doesn’t have any family support & is short on funds so her foster-to-adopt applications keep getting denied. Lucy has almost given up hope on the dream of being Christopher’s mother when she’s invited by Jack Masterson himself to participate in a set of challenges competing for the only copy of the newest installment of the Clock Island series.

I loved this book!!! The cover is perfect, I enjoyed the influence that Charlie & the Chocolate Factory had on this story, the use of humor & a few choice curse words were just right, the map of Clock Island is so fun, & the excerpts from the Clock Island series scattered throughout the book are placed just right - the whole thing is catnip for book nerds. Jack Masterson is an eccentric & lovable character & his affinity for riddles is both infuriating & endearing. I found myself REALLY rooting for Lucy & Christopher, & Lucy’s flirtations with Jack’s illustrator, Hugo, made this story even better.

Thank you to NetGalley & Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.