Who here remembers blue’s clues ? My sister (10 years younger) obsessed over this god awful show . However, the mail tune is quite catchy …

Here’s the mail
It never fails
It makes me want to wag my tail
When it comes I want to wail
MAILLLLLLLL !!!!

Well, my tail was wagging when I heard this extra special ping hit my inbox !

As I have said before, I want to prioritize finding new authors and maybe even branch out from my favorite genre’s and try some new stuff!

I would like to give a BIG Thank You Meg Shaffer for honoring me the privilege to read and review her debut novel prior to it’s May 30, 2023 .

The Wishing Game, was everything I never knew I needed . My heart broke time and time again yet those broken pieces were also picked up and put together again. This story is straight up magic and I am confident in saying this is a book that will be well loved amongst the bookish community .

Teaser :

Make a wish. . . .

Lucy Hart knows better than anyone what it's like to grow up without parents who loved her. In a childhood marked by neglect and loneliness, Lucy found her solace in books, namely the Clock Island series by Jack Masterson. Now a twenty-six-year-old teacher’s aide, she is able to share her love of reading with bright, young students, especially seven-year-old Christopher Lamb, left orphaned after the tragic death of his parents. Lucy would give anything to adopt Christopher, but even the idea of becoming a family seems like an impossible dream without proper funds and stability.

But be careful what you wish for. . . .

Just when Lucy is about to give up, Jack Masterson announces he’s finally written a new book. Even better, he’s holding a contest on his private island where four hand-picked readers will compete to win the only copy. At age thirteen, Lucy fled her unhappy home and showed up on Jack Masterson’s doorstep, hoping to live with her favorite author. Thirteen years later, a sky-blue envelope arrives with Lucy's name on it, postmarked "Clock Island."

For Lucy, a chance to read the first Clock Island book in years is a prize worth fighting for, but the possibility of winning, selling the manuscript, and securing a better future for her and Christopher means everything.

But first, Lucy must contend with ruthless book collectors, wily opponents, and the distractingly handsome (and grumpy) 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.

. . . You might just get it.

What a great story about a mysterious, eccentric, and reclusive children’s book author who suddenly announces a new book after many years. But, there will only be one copy of his new book published, and to find out it’s recipient he devised a game with special invitations sent out to a handful of people. Sound familiar? This story has a Willy Wonka quality to it, with games, riddles and a lovable cast of characters.

Thank you @netgalley and Ballantine Books for this advanced copy of #thewishinggame to be published May 30, 2023.

Themes: 🏝️🗿👩‍👦🪄📖🧩

My feelings: 😀😎🤩🥳👍🏻

#netgalley
#readmorebooks
#readmorebooksbywomen
#goodreads
#readersofinstagram

This book will go down as one of my favorite books I’ve ever read. This book is just so fun. Yes it pays homage to Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory, another great book, in that there are 4 people competing for the only copy of the final book of a famous children’s author. The Mastermind tells them there will be games and challenges. Oh my gosh I couldn’t wait. I seriously felt like a kid waiting to be thrown the first riddle or game. The creativeness it took to imagine this book - I want to know what the author’s office looked like - were there drawings of the island? Clocks all over depicting the “right” time. I want to see this in film as a movie. This book has it all - such a great plot, so darn creative, the riddles and puzzles are so smart, yet created with kids in mind, the sadness, the happiness. I’m telling you this book is fascinating and fantastic. I wanted to race through it to see what happened but at the same time I never wanted it to end. Please can there be a sequel? A million thanks to NetGalley and Meg Shaffer and Random House Publishing for the early ARC and for allowing me to go back in time when I was a kid who only wanted to escape to every place in every book I read. This book is a winner!

This book intrigued me at first, but ultimately the storyline fell flat for me. I had a hard time connecting with the main character, Lucy.

Thank you so much for this ARC!

Wow. Wow. Wow. I absolutely loved this story start to finish. It brought me back to the feelings I had when I was little escaping into fantasy books.

Hugo, Jack, Lucy, Christopher- I loved all of their relationships and storylines.

Watching Lucy being able to revisit Clock Island and that world of whimsy that she grew up with was simply magical.

And then to see Lucy be able to introduce the next generation to Clock Island and see the magic exist all over again.

Consider me a Meg Shaffer fan from here on out!

I enjoyed this! It took me a little while to get into - I just could not figure out who everyone was and what they had to do with each other - but it really came together for me about a quarter of the way through. The plot was fairly predictable, but I loved how imaginative the world was. My only quibble was it got a little repetitive on some of the main plot points.

Thank you to Random House - Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What a fun book! The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer is an amazing fantasy novel. Even though there wasn't "fantasy" in the strictest sense, it felt like pure wish fulfillment to me, which is why I'm categorizing it as fantasy. The story revolves around Lucy, who enters the competition of her favorite children's book author and ventures to the famous Clock Island of his book. If she wins the competition, she can obtain a life-changing amount of money - enough to adopt Christopher, a foster child living in an unhappy family situation.

Here is a magical excerpt from Chapter 1, when Lucy and Christopher talk about Clock Island:

""Is it really Clock Island?" he asked, scrunching his face at the map. "Is there a train and unicorns there?"
"You mean like in the books?" Lucy asked. "Well, it's pretty amazing there, I hear. Did you know some people think the Mastermind and Jack Masterson are the same person?"
"But you said you met him."
"I did meet Jack Masterson. A long time ago. He, um, signed a book for me."
"He wasn't the Mastermind, right?"
...
"No, he didn't look like the Mastermind when I met him.""

Overall, The Wishing Game is a fantasy novel that will appeal to fans of Willy Wonka or Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. One highlight of this book is how it felt like a war hug in book form. The book is truly a love letter to children's books. It will awaken the imagination and childlike wonder of all adult readers. Another highlight of this book is how the ending made me tear up. I basically never cry over books. For all the reasons mentioned above, I can totally see this book becoming the next big bestseller. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of fantasy books in general, you won't regret checking out this book when it comes out in May!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this ARC!

Favorite Quote: Wasting talent like yours is like burning a pile of money in front of a poorhouse. It’s cruel and it stinks.

Synopsis: Lucy works as a kindergarten teacher’s assistant in California. When one of her students, Christopher, tragically ends up in foster care, Lucy becomes determined to adopt him. Just when Lucy thinks her dreams are shattered, her favorite childhood author invites Lucy and three others to his private island on the coast of Maine for a game. The objective: compete against one another and the winner will receive the only copy of the last book of his famous children’s series. The winner can sell the rights, auction it, burn it - whatever he or she wants. But to do win, all the participants must answer riddles, deal with the whims of a writer, and face their fears.

The Wishing Game is a lovely work of contemporary fiction. It’s warm, lighthearted, and whimsical. The characters are complex, but the plot isn’t slowed down by their arcs. I took a chance on requesting The Wishing Game as an ARC and I’m glad I did. Shaffer did a great job with this debut novel!

Rating: 5/5

A gem of a novel, enjoyable from the first chapter. Hard to put down with its wonderful characters and storyline.
A series of children’s books impacts the lives of the children who read them. The author is reclusive on his island in Maine. For four children, the island and the stories represent a way to have their wishes granted and they travel alone to the island. Now as adults, they are called back to the island for a game and a chance to win the first book in six years. The riddles in the books are modeled in the game and each player has the opportunity to win. Each one has current problems that the money from the sale of the book would solve.
The story is really about Lucy and her wish and her deepest desire as an adult. It is just a lovely novel.
I voluntarily read an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own,

This was a fun book that I got from NetGalley and read in one shot last night. I realize that it’s not YA but somehow, it just read immature. Maybe the characters were a little underdeveloped or too simple, maybe the challenges were too easy. I love stories that appeal to a children’s love of books or an innocent sense of wonder but this felt a little off. I also didn’t love that the little center romance felt a little off, as Hugo is a fair bit older than Lucy and met her as a child. That being said, this is heartwarming and sweet and would read other books by this author.

This is a delightfully earnest and incredibly charming novel. While the author cites Willy Wonka as a core influence for the story, it also has a dash of The Westing Game and a sprinkle of Matilda.
There are so many delightful details that it also gave me a little hint of what I loved about my all-time favorite book, The Night Circus. The descriptions are whimsical and magical, and capture the sort of clever ideas that spark joy in the parts of us that love to believe that the well-loved places from our favorite childhood books are somewhere we can really visit.
It’s a book for adults, but the style and content of the story makes it a great read for a wide range of readers.

*Thank you to Ballantine via NetGalley for the ARC recommendation*

The Clock Island book series was a lifeline for young Lucy, whose loneliness and neglect led her to run away to the real life namesake island in search of a purpose: to be the “sidekick” of renowned Clock Island author, Jack Masterson. Years later, as an adult, Lucy is invited back to compete for a chance to win the only copy of the last Clock Island book. Lucy returns to the island with a different purpose in mind: winning that book to sell it for enough money to officially adopt an orphan, Christopher, as her son before he’s placed with a new family.

When I first started The Wishing Game, I thought it was going to be a fun, whimsical read, something I could even possibly read aloud to my kids. There’s snippets of the Clock Island books interspersed throughout the story and pages and pages of descriptions of this magical island, which felt like it was perfect for young readers with big imaginations. But it eventually does deal with heavier topics such as CW: death, mentions of abuse (mental/sexual/medical), child illness, along with depression, which makes me question who the intended audience for this book is. Nevertheless, it was well-written and I actually really enjoyed the Clock Island stories within the story. Shaffer did an incredible job creating another universe, but unfortunately, the current world (aka Lucy’s “real life”) felt repetitive and too juvenile at times. The balance just felt off for me and I struggled to relate to Lucy.
I also didn’t feel as much as I’d hope given so many sentimental moments. The only part that stuck out to me was the dedication Hugo gave to his brother, but everything else that might’ve left others teary-eyed didn’t stir much emotion in me, sorry.
Overall, I gave the book 4/5 stars. The Wishing Game publishes in May 2023.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. This has to be one of the absolute cutest premises for a book I've read in YEARS. I was pleasantly surprised by this debut, and loved it with every inch of my heart. I loved the story, the pacing was perfect and engaging, and the characters were people that I felt connected with the whole way through. Meg Shaffer is now on my radar, and I can't wait to see what else she publishes! A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

I adored this book & it was a pure delight!!

Think Willa Wonka, with books instead of candy!!

Lucy is a young Kindergarten teacher's aide & she mentors a little boy in her school who is in foster care. Lucy introduces Christopher to a series of children's books which helped her through her difficult childhood.

This book series plays an important part of this story. The author, Jack, has his own island & has become somewhat of a recluse over the years, but he breaks out with a surprise which tips the children's literary world on its head.

I loved most every character in this book-Lucy & Christopher & of course Jack, but there's Hugo, the cover artist for the books....Just loved this story so much!! I read it in one day as I could not put it down.

I did receive this book as an advance copy, but my opinions are my own -thank you Penguin Random House & Net Galley!

Wow. This book was special. After finishing it I had to sit with it to really feel the full weight this book had on me. It is perfect. The line "Always remember that the only wishes ever granted are the wishes of brave children who keep on wishing even when it seems no one is listening because someone always is" absolutely broke me. As someone who loved Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as a child, this book is the perfect adult version while being aware that it is not trying to be that book but instead give homage to it. The ending of this book was one of my favorite ever. For anyone who has ever felt saved from their love for reading, this book is for them.

The second I read the description for The Wishing Game, I knew I had to request it. A book with a mysterious Willy Wonka-esque male character, riddles, and magic? Sign me up! I'm happy to say that this book lived up to all my expectations. It was unique, well- written, and clever. I adored the way Meg Shaffer described the island and the riddles in this book in a way that made the book feel so magical. Additionally, the characters were all well fleshed out and felt like real, authentic people. All in all, this was a perfect low-stakes magical fantasy book that feels like a warm hug and begs to be turned into a movie. One of my favorite reads of the year!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Meg Shaffer’s debut novel “The Wishing Game”. It was upbeat, easy to read and quite entertaining. Well Done Ms. Shaffer. I look forward to reading your future books.,

An author I have not read before with a whimsical story incorporating serious life lessons about strength, wishes, dreams and possibilities. I wasn’t immediately sure the genre was something I would enjoy. As the concept became clearer I couldn’t wait to see how it played out.
A story to remind us what it’s like to be a child, the power of reading books, the magic of being transported from hurtful situations and cruel adults. The wonder and innocence of a child’s belief in magic, happy endings, fantastical places and possibilities.
Jack Masterson is the famous author of children’s Clock Island books. His residence in Maine is meticulously elaborate and magical. Hugo is his talented illustrator also living on the island. The story follows the central character Lucy and the lifelong effects of reading the series. It leads up to the grand finale devised by Jack, a new book and a life altering final game. The contestants include Melanie, Andre, Dustin and Lucy. They must solve riddles and bizarre puzzles to win a priceless prize. All have backstories with emotional reasons for not just wanting but needing to win. I wished for them all to win the contest.
I’m so happy I ignored my initial misgivings and completed reading the story, it was very memorable. I recommend to anyone and everyone who believes in the power of books to change your life.
I received a digital advance reader copy from NetGalley of “The Wishing Game” by Meg Shaffer, published by Random House, Ballantine Books. It is expected to be on sale May 30, 2023. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
Review for Amazon

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer is a phenomenal read with many thought-provoking and humorous moments. Lucy is a teacher’s aide who wants nothing more in the world than to adopt a little boy named Christopher. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have the financial stability to be able to do so. While she scrimps and saves every penny, she and Christopher make use of the time they do get to spend together by reading the Clock Island books that Lucy has loved since she was a child.

One especially rough day, Lucy faces the bitter reality that she will never be able to afford Christopher’s adoption. It is right as she is letting go of this dream, this wish, that she receives an invitation to participate in a contest being put on by Jack Masterson, the author of the Clock Island books they so dearly love. Winning this contest would change Lucy’s and Christopher’s lives forever, so she jumps at the chance.

I loved this book so much. Shaffer took me down a path of whimsy and hope, while facing the harsh realities that many children face. She masterfully explored the ways that people cope with difficulty and how your past affects you as an adult. I appreciated Shaffer’s willingness to face how our own lives and perspectives change how we perceive others. The depth of the characters shined on every page, and the riddles and the games were clever, yet simple. Truly phenomenal read.

Such a unique story! Great writing but not my usual genre. I’ll give it three stars and I would read it again. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy for the purpose of this review.