This was just a wonderful book about the comfort and escape books can provide. The story focuses on a contest around a book series. Four fans of Jack Masterson's Clock Island series are summoned to his real-life Clock Island. The winner of this contest will win the sole copy of the long-anticipated next book in the Clock Island series. There are then a variety of challenges for the four. Along the way, what this series means to each participant is revealed with most of the focus on Lucy. This is where the true beauty of the story kicks in as those relationships and reading journeys are explored. This is one that I literally couldn't put down. I was so drawn into the people in the contest, and I had to know how it was going to end up as I was captivated by its beauty. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this May 2023 release!

A sweet book about healing our hearts and finding what is right for us, what risks we have to take to make our true wishes come to life.

The Wishing Game is the story of an author, Jack Masterson, who has written many children’s books about Clock Island. Clock Island is the island in Maine that Jack Masterson has bought and where he lives. In the past, children have run away to his island, and although he has always made sure they went home, he has invited 4 of them ( now grown up) to return to the island for a game to win the last book he has written. All 4 of them have a monetary need to win the book. Lucy Hart, the main character, wants to adopt a little boy from the school where she is a teacher’s aide.
The story centers around the game and its’ riddles and the fears that each person needs to face in life.
This is a heart warming story and an easy read. One feels like they really get to know the characters of Lucy, Christopher, Hugo and Jack.

When Lucy Hart was younger, she had a rough childhood and ran away from home. She ended up on Clock Island, home of the famous children's author Jack Masterson. Lucy is not the only child who ran away to Jack's island and when he is ready to give away the special edition of his last book, he invites the adult children, who came into his life years ago, to play a game to win the book.

Everyone needs the book to pay for something they find necessary and Lucy wants it most of all, so she can adopt a special boy. Hugo the illustrator also lives on the island and he and Lucy find a connection. Jack reminds me of a today Mary Pope Osborne (author of the Magic Treehouse Books) and all the characters are all intriguing.

This story was very cute and a fun, quick read. I enjoyed the storybook aspect with some riddles and games. The flow of the story was a little hard to connect with for me but glad I read it.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Are you looking for a heartwarming read that combines magical realism with a touch of Willy Wonka-style adventure? Look no further than Meg Shaffer's The Wishing Game, a novel described as "a love letter to reading and the power childhood stories have over us long after we've grown up," by V.E. Schwab.

Follow the story of Lucy Hart, a 26-year-old teacher's aide who has always found solace in the pages of the Clock Island series by Jack Masterson. Lucy's financial life is problematic, but mostly because it has become a hurdle to adoption.

You see, a student in her class, Christopher, has tragically lost his parents, and Lucy is the only one who understands his journey. So the two collaborate to save money for his adoption through alternative means, including knitting one or two scarves a week on Etsy and packaging these wares together after school, where Christopher sits as Co-President of her knitting company.

It's not just the current years of Lucy's life that have been difficult. Lucy's younger years were just as challenging with her parents and estranged sister. When she was young, she even ran away from home to head to Clock Island, where her favorite author lived to escape the realities of her life. The prolific children's author, Jack Masterson, made Lucy return home, but he has never forgotten her.

Admittedly, Jack Masterson’s life and writing also have taken a turn. In one sarcastic statement, his illustrator describes him as Dumbledore, Wonka, and Christ all rolled into one...with a side of depression and if they drank too much. He has not written a story in years, or that is what the world has thought. In truth, he's been scheming a brand new contest and book that will shock the world.

A public letter begins to go viral, sharing that a new book- A Wish for Clock Island- has been written and only one copy exists. Jack has plans to give it away to someone courageous, clever, and who knows how to make wishes. This invitation also says that you should check your mailbox if you know the answer to the riddle "Why is a raven like a writing desk?".

And Lucy just so happens to know that answer, as do a few other longtime readers that have had beautiful interceptions throughout their lives with Jack.

But the competition is fierce for these loyal readers, and Lucy must battle ruthless book collectors and wily opponents to claim her prize through clever riddles that only the most seasoned readers can solve. And with Jack Masterson himself pulling the strings and plotting a twist to the ending that could change everything, Lucy will be served up a few life plot twists that she could never expect.

Peppered throughout the story are chapters from the Clock Island series. The author even invented a title for 66 books in the series (added to the end) and some nonfiction and poetry selections for his writing history. If a fiction writer could be real, Meg Schaffer has put in the work.

Inspired by the real-life story of Andy, who ran away and showed up on the doorstep of his favorite fantasy author in Episode 470 of This American Life- "Just South of the Unicorns," the author shares that this book is dedicated to kids who, in dark times, find a light shining from the pages of books. This will, likely, transport you back to secretly reading books with a flashlight to escape those hard times when you were a kid too.

Full of heart, adventure, and just a touch of magic, The Wishing Game is a novel that will captivate and delight readers of all ages. I anticipate that this will be a big book this summer and has BIG contender energy for our 2024 book club year.

Just finished and I have tears. I wasn’t so sure if I liked it at the beginning. It seemed a little choppy and jumped around. But I quickly got caught up in this whimsical story. I loved the characters and everything about Clock Island! Im very stingy about my ratings but have to give this 5 stars!

I loved everything about this book! It feels like a children's book written for adults who loved books as children.
When a reclusive author suddenly writes one last book for his best selling series, the world is excited. BUT...only one copy will be up for grabs. Four lucky people receive invites to his island to try to win it. This had a very Wonka-esque vibe to it. I laughed, I cried, I couldn't put it down. All. Of. The. Stars!
Highly recommend this heart-warming novel when it comes out on May 30.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for an early copy for review.

Wow, just wow! This book was SO magical, heart felt and just great. I am so happy to have gotten a chance to read it early. This book is the kind of book that will stay with you. I am absolutely suffering from a book hangover. But it was so worth it!

Lucy grew up having parents who didn't care or truly love her. She ways felt abandoned by them and hated by her sister. She found a new world in the Clock Island book series. In the series she saw her self in the plots and she found an escape. Now she is all grown up, working as a reacher aide and trying to foster to adopt. Her former student Christopher is left an orphans after his parents passing. Lucy loves him and know she's his mom in all aspects but legally. She introduces him to her beloved Clock Island series. But they need a miracle or a wish granted to be able to be the family they want. Lucy finds her self an opportunity to read and own the rights to the latest Clock Island book. Plus she gets to come back to the island. Can she win the contest and get her wish granted?

What I loved:
- everything! Is that an appropriate answer? But really I LOVED so many elements in this book. The world building alone was wonderful and magical.
- All the characters pretty much. Lucy was relatable to every 20 something who is broke and trying to find her happiness. Hugo was a cinnamon roll. Christopher a sweet boy. Jack the author was who I want to be my grandfather! Everyone was wonderful. Even a couple other side characters.
- I wish the Clock Island series was real! I would have loved to read the series as a kid. I loved when we switched to excerpts of those books! I thought it was clever to weave it through
- This book was full of magic, heartache, heart warming moments, and just so well written
- I was very satisfied with how it concluded


I would love to go back into this world. I haven't read a book in a while that touched me like this one. I could write a whole essay on how much I loved this read. 5 stars out of 5! Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What a lovely, heart-warming, wish fulfillment story.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

This just didn't hit like I had wanted it to, unfortunately. Nothing against the book I think this was a "it's not you it's me" sort of situation

Who needs an adventure when you can have one in your hands? This book was clever and kept me very entertained. I appreciate the dynamics of the collectors and made me think back to the days of BEA/Book Con. I very much appreciated the opportunity to read this one!

I received a digital copy of The Wishing Game via NetGalley to read and review.

This is my favorite book I’ve read so far this year. 4 adults getting to play a game like the games in their favorite childhood books- it’s great. Especially when the adults feel defeated that riddles meant for children stump them (I was right there with them!). I loved the story and the ending is everything.

I absolutely love everything about this magical book.

Lucy is a single teacher's aide whose dearest wish is to adopt Christopher, a 7-year-old, traumatized orphan in the foster system, and the feeling is mutual. But Lucy knows that it will take at least two years to earn enough money to reach the first step-- a better apartment and a car to meet fostering requirements. So when she snags a coveted invitation to participate in a lucrative contest at Clock Island, the site of her favorite childhood book series, she sees a glimmer of hope.

Lucy yearns for a real family, having been ignored by both her parents and her chronically ill older sister, and she has a history with Jack Masterson, the books' author. But many puzzles and trials await her and three other contestants--all with ties to Masterson--and the island, though fantastical, is not easy to navigate. Along the way, she will have to face her worst fears.

There is so much to enjoy about this book, including: Jack Masterson himself (is he actually the Mastermind in his books, and why hasn't he written the 67th in the series?); the much-tattooed, handsome artist who paints the book covers and keeps a watchful eye on the author; the lure of the beautifully imagined island; Lucy's deeply-felt relationship with Christopher; and so much more. At the beginning of the book, I had the same glorious feeling I had when I read this type of fantasy/adventure series as a child, but as the plot progresses, there are more mature themes to ponder. The story evokes real emotion, bringing me to tears more than once. This is another book already heading for my favorite reads of the year list, and the impressive debut author is definitely one to watch.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

This story has an expected surprise element to it. There is a certain Je Ne Sais Quoi for the lack of a better saying. The story has a certain charisma and enigma from the characters to the setting. All of the characters are fully developed. Clock Island is so very magical by the descriptive way Meg Shaffer imagines it. It's a play on a modern-day Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (the original). Jack has a certain grandpa/quirky genius that helps me falls in love with the story. I wished that Clock Island's books were real because I truly wanted to read them for myself. Hugo's character has just the right touch of heroism, bad boy and genius vibe that I couldn't help but fall in love with. He's not overly done in any of those categories, just the right touch. However, Lucy's character lacks the same flair as Jack and Hugo. I wanted more for and from her. Perhaps a follow-up novel will fix that. It's an amazing debut of a novel from Meg Shaffer. I can't wait to read more novels from her.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for letting me read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

adored this sweet hug of a book. It’s magical, charming, and heartwarming. The story is a bit Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets The Great Gilly Hopkins. But it’s not a children’s book; it’s about the adults who loved a series of children’s books and the magic that lives on. It’s about love, wishes, loneliness, and second chances. The plot is unrealistic, but the emotions are relatable—hope most of all. Plus it was such a fun premise.
While the topics are heavy (foster care, neglect, fear, estrangement, death), the book is actually quite light and feel-good.
If you’re looking for a enchanting, comforting escape read, this book will fit the bill.
Thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

“Why do only brave kids get their wishes granted?” she asked.
“Because only brave children know that wishing is never enough. You have to try to make your own wish come true.”

“….Dangerous things, wishes. Sometimes they come to you when you call. Sometimes they fly away after biting you.”

To anyone who has ever read a book to get away from the real world for a while, this book is for you. To anyone who has ever had a wish and had that wish not come true, this book is for you. The whole premise of this book is a young woman getting the chance to compete in a contest that would, ultimately, fulfill her greatest wish. But beware: the book is not always a happy one, and sometimes a bit cliché: “Sometimes the thing we want most in the world is the thing we’re most afraid of. And the thing we’re most afraid of is often the thing we most want.”

“Two men on an island and both blame the water
For the loss of a wife and the death of a daughter
But neither ever married, and neither’s a father.
What is the secret of the girls and the water?”

“Always be quiet when a heart is breaking.”

I know this book is supposed to remind me of childhood, and to a point it did, but I honestly liked it best when it was speaking of adult issues and revealing the background of each adult character and everything they went through before they got to Clock Island. Real issues were explored: poverty, guilt, neglect, debt, death, alcoholism, fear – things big enough that, if overcome, could change your life, but also things that could crush you beyond repair. I applaud Shaffer for including all these issues and not just keeping the story light and breezy when it certainly could have been.

“God--or whoever is in charge of this planet--got drunk on the job one day and decided to give me the gift of writing. The way I see it, I have two choices. I can set that gift on a high shelf so it won’t get dinged up and nobody can make fun of me for playing with it.”…”Or I can have fun with it and play with the gift I was given until the engine burns out and the wheels come off. I decided to play. I suggest you do the same, young man. Go paint or draw or collage or whatever you want to do. Come back when there’s smoke coming off the canvas. And for God’s sake, go have some fun. Please?”

Who knew happiness was the best muse of all?

Jack and Hugo, the wonderful tortured artists of the story – you two were my favorite characters. I would kind of love to read a book about the two of you and your crazy adventures on Clock Island. Both were highly relatable and I loved their relationship and how open they were with each other. It took a while, but they made it known how much the other meant to them, and that can be rare today. Both were dealt crappy hands at times, but together, they won. And they reminded me to be grateful for my gifts and grateful to other artists who choose to share their gifts with the world. So figure out what gifts you have, and use those gifts to make your wishes come true.

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

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 rounded to 4.0.

A sweet and charming story that was just what the doctor ordered after reading two depressing novels prior to The Wishing Game! The novel is somewhat predictable but full of magic and riddles that will entertains the child within the reader. Overall, this was a quick, wholesome read.

The ending was buttoned up a little too quickly; i was hoping for more closure on the relationship between Lucy and Hugo. Still a cute read for those that grew up on book series. This is a contemporary Willy Wonka story for those that are young at heart.

What would it feel like to climb back into your favorite story book's as an adult and explore your past. This is what Meg Shaffer allows us to do when she gives us the story of Jack, the reclusive children's author, Hugo, a jaded illustrator, and Lucy, the grown-up child struggling to make her dreams come true.

When Jack comes out of retirement and offers his latest book as a prize to his most memorable fans, he sets in motion the wish of Lucy to finally adopt her favorite student and become the mother she never had. Meanwhile, Jack and Hugo need to settle their tormented relationship and move on from the past.

Like the Mastermind he always was, Jack has put together this contest to gather the childhood fans that meant the most to him, bring them to Clock Island with the promise of making all their wishes come true, just like the children in all his stories. One catch, you must solve the riddle.

I loved the whole premise of this story. Meg writes such engaging characters that you fall in love with, and a setting that you want to jump into the book and explore. If only this book could come true for all the kids that grew up wanting to leave their life behind and move into their favorite storybook!

If Willie Wonka had created stories instead of candy…

The Wishing Game feels like one of those comfortably predictable books, but some elements definitely took me by surprise. For the most part, it ended the way I’d expected it to, but I still found even the easily foreseen aspects to be touching.

I did like that, despite its fluff, the novel delved into some serious topics and explored aspects of trauma. I was especially impressed with the developments regarding Lucy’s family and how that was addressed in the last quarter.

I didn’t find the game component especially exciting, but I was immersed enough in all that was tucked in between to make up for that. I did, however, feel a bit frustrated with Christopher’s characterization. I am sure the author was going for a precocious, traumatized child, instead of a 40 year old man stuck in a 7 year old’s body. Unfortunately, I felt she accomplished the latter. I found it difficult to buy into his relationship with Lucy because I found it difficult to believe in him at all. I wish this hadn’t been the case, as this is such a fundamental part of the story and I loved the idea behind it.

The book’s a tearjerker, nonetheless, but in the best possible way. You won’t come out on the other end feeling sad! It’s a lovely story, balanced well with light and heavy, and sparkling with a bit of something magical!

I am immensely grateful to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for my review copy. All opinions are my own.

What a fun, sweet read! I don't want to say too much so others can have the joy I did but what a pleasure it was to read such a endearing book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication.