Oh my goodness, this was lovely. Meg Shaffer’s debut novel “The Wishing Game” is everything I want from a story: heartwarming and thoughtful; themes of forgiveness and facing your fears; a book about books; clean without being cheesy; and incredibly pro-family. I love it and would heartily recommend to pretty much anyone.

This book is trying to be charming, about people whose lives need change and are invited by their favorite childhood author to take part in a game that would give them the money they need to make those changes. But it's not charming; it's two-faced and cynical. On one hand, it condemns capitalism and its vicious denial of human needs, and at the same time, has a happy-ever-after ending brought on by, you guessed it, loads of money, given by a single, ultra-rich White man. Ultimately, The Wishing Game tells readers, you need to be very wealthy to be happy in America.

Oh my. What a pleasure it was to read The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer!

When I was a child and I was worrying or having trouble sleeping, my Mom would tell me close my eyes and create a wonderland. What could I see, feel, touch, taste? Of course my mind would immediately go to Willy Wonka and when the children first saw the inside of the chocolate factory, with the toadstools and flowers and everything edible and magical and wonderful.

The Wishing Game brought me right back into that headspace, with a mix of Willy Wonka (the nice parts, anyway!) and Enid Blyton's Faraway Tree and Wishing Chair books. Maybe a touch of the magic of Mrs Piggle Wiggle too. Just those lovely, fantastical books that created lands and escape.

I am so glad to have had the opportunity to read a galley of this book courtesy of Ballantine Books and Netgalley. If any of the above types of books appeal to you and you want to visit your inner child, I strongly recommend you pick up a copy upon its release!

I enjoyed The Wishing Game very much and think it has something for everyone, especially people who love to read. Lucy is a 26 year old teachers aid who’s a bit stuck in life and desperate to adopt 7 year old Christopher. They’ve healed each other through past traumas — which are slowly revealed — by reading The Clock Island book series. Lucy has loved the books since she was a kid and ran away to the author’s private island when she was young.

But now she’s been invited back along with a few others to compete to win the latest book in the series. A win would mean everything to her and prove her suitability to adopt Christopher. Also on the island is Hugo a very handsome British artist who paints the book covers for the series and has his own demons.

This book is sweet and lovely a a quick read. It’s about the family you choose, redemption, love and most importantly, being brave. I’d say some plot details strained credulity for me a bit, but that’s a minor nitpick in an otherwise terrific book.

I love this book. It's like a cross between Willy Wonka and a non-fantasy version of Cerulean Sea. I have no idea why this is listed as fantasy, actually, other than maybe because of the book within the book aspect.

An author (and an illustrator) lives on a private island in Maine. Over the years, several children have turned up there, looking for the Mastermind (narrator of the books). The author invites them (now adults) back to the island to play a game. The prize is the new book he has written.

It's lovely and it warmed my heart. I highly recommend it. I'm predicting that it will be the hot book in the second half of 2023. But you should read it and decide for yourselves.

Lucy Hart hasn’t had the best time of it. Growing up with a sister with special health needs, she was mostly forgotten. So at thirteen, she ran away. To a place named Clock Island. Owned by a reclusive author, Jack Masterson, the island is off-limits to people but Lucy is bound and determined to live there with Jack. Sort of a sidekick she thinks.

That did not happen. Now Lucy is a teaching assistant who has fallen in love with a foster child. Christopher lost both parents and he wants Lucy to be his mom as much as Lucy wants it. But finances and stability are things she needs if that is going to happen. On the verge of giving up, she learns of a contest.

Jack is writing again. With a twist. It is a contest. Four hand-picked readers must compete to win the only copy of the new book. And you must solve a riddle.

When Lucy is invited, she hopes and wishes it could lead to a way for Christopher to finally be a part of her family.

But you just know there will be disreputable people doing all types of nasty business in order to win. Lucy has the illustrator on her side but there will be a twist no one saw coming and I absolutely loved it!

This was a tale full of hope, determination, and love. It was so lovely I read it twice. And cried.

NetGalley/ May 30, 2023, RHPG

I really enjoyed this book! I was intrigued with the cover and hooked by the blurb and it did not disappoint. The idea of a world famous reclusive author inviting a few fans to his private island for a chance to win the only copy of his newest book was brilliant. The characters were very relatable and easy to love. This was a feel good story and a real page turner. Full of positive messages from overcoming fears to fighting for your dreams. If you like heartwarming stories with found family then this is the story for you. Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

From the publisher: Years ago, 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. Be careful what you wish for. . . you might just get it.

This lovely little novel will appeal to any reader who wanted to escape into a children’s book. If you wanted to attend Hogwarts, or visit Narnia, or live in a boxcar, or travel space and time with Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, you might want to check out The Wishing Game.

At its heart, this book is the story of a foster kid and the teacher’s aide who wants to adopt him. Christopher found his parents dead of an overdose; Lucy doesn’t even qualify to foster him, much less adopt him. As an unhappy child, Lucy ran away to the reclusive island home of Jack Masterson, author of the entrancing Clock Island series. She was not alone in wanting to live on his island; his 60-book series appealed to many children. The books featured unhappy children who wished for something and were willing to do the work to make their wishes come true.

Now an adult, Lucy is one of four lucky contestants invited to Jack’s home. After a long barren stretch, he has written one last novel. The four contestants have a chance to win the sole copy and do whatever they want with it. Each of the four contestants has a wish they hope they can fulfill by winning the contest. Also on the island is Hugo, the handsome artist for the series book covers.

Jack, middle-aged, single, childless, and gay, has his own regrets as he realizes that “the amount of sand in the top of my hourglass is far less than the sand in the bottom” (chapter 15 of the advance reader copy). He is mysterious and a bit mad. He has had tragedies in his life, and he has always felt the deepest connection to the children most in love with his books.

This story moved me, touched me, made me laugh, made me cry. Ultimately it is an uplifting read and a story of found families. It reminded me of the best parts of Roald Dahl’s Matilda. In the right hands it will make a terrific movie. I’m definitely putting it on my list to read with the library’s book club after it comes out.

I read an advance reader copy of The Wishing Game from Netgalley. It is scheduled to be released on May 30 and will be available at the Galesburg Public Library.

Most everyone remembers a book or series from childhood that "saved" them-- drew them into a new world and helped them learn to hang on or allowed them to "escape". Jack Masterson was that author for a generation--and for Lucy Hart--until he quit writing. Yet, Lucy has continued to plod through life and wants to adopt Christopher to complete her life. Yet, social services doesn't agree that her teacher's aide salary and lack of a house and car make her fit. Then she receives an invitation to Clock Island--to win the rights to Jack's new book. Meg Shaffer knows how to draw readers in, keep them guessing, and pull on the heartstrings as Lucy competes to win the manuscript and the real hope of adopting Christopher. Every book lover, teacher, reader, child, and person will find someone to root for and to love in these pages. You will continue to think of the characters long after the last page!

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Wishing Game" and all opinions expressed are my own. An interesting story and entertaining. A bit predictable but overall good. A little slow at times but picked up. Sort of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory type of story.

I don't often read contemporary fiction, so I wasn't sure what to expect from The Wishing Game. What I got was a very pleasant surprise - a book that pays homage to eccentric children's literature and its importance, filled with whimsy and found family and a dash of romance. Something about this book also felt markedly cinematic, in that while reading I kept imagining it as a movie. Specifically, the kind of movie your parents would buy on VHS and that you would watch over and over as a kid and then half-forget as an adult.

The good: The main characters felt believable and very likable. I completely believed Hugo and Lucy's chemistry (even if I did roll my eyes a little at the inevitable discussion of cookies vs. biscuits) and I thought they played off each other very well. I also really liked Jack and found him to be a good depiction of an eccentric mastermind who is ultimately just a guy seeking connection.

The less good: The other competitors in the game felt markedly less development than Lucy, although they got a couple of nice moments. Hugo's whole thing about his tattoos representing paint and pain because that's the life of an artist was a little cliche. But this book can kind of get away with cliche, I think.

Overall I think this book could be an enjoyable read for anyone who's ever had a favorite children's book series, or anyone who's ever dreamed of meeting their favorite author. I liked it. I teared up.

4.5 stars
This book is an homage to the mid grade books you read and re-read and wanted to live in as a child. It's poignant and whimsical without ruining your childhood as so many of these throwbacks are wont to do.
The ending gives you hope.
Only quibble, and perhaps unavoidable, is that being so deeply connected to the mid grade genre the writing occasionally sounded mid grade, which I don't think was the author's intent.
Still, recommended for anyone who loved Nancy Drew, or Goosebumps, or Narnia, or just wanted their favorite books to be real growing up.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lucy is a kindergarten teachers aide. Christopher is a little boy in her class, who lost his parents. She is desperate to adopt him, but she’s also broke. She’s trying to save money penny by penny, but it seems hopeless.

Jack Masterson wrote The Clock Island books that she started reading while her sister was hospitalized as a child. She ran away to his home on Clock Island when she was young. He hasn’t written a new book in years. But, a contest is announced to win his newest book. The winner can do whatever they like with the book - keep it, sell it to his publisher, take it to auction. When Lucy receives one of the invitations to play, she sees it as her chance to get the money she needs to adopt Christopher.

She didn’t expect Hugo Reese, illustrator for the books, to still be on the island. She met him before when she ran away from home and he’s more handsome now than he was then.

I LOVED this book. It had all the Willy Wonka vibes. I want to go to Clock Island now, just like I wanted to go to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory as a kid. I loved the characters - Jack, Hugo, Lucy and Christopher had me hooked from page one. It was compulsively readable. I’ll be getting a copy of this for my shelves when it releases.

Serving up a delicious blend of Wonka and Wizard of Oz, readers meet the Mastermind, the wizard behind the Clock Island books. Those fortunate to receive Meg Shaffer's version of 'Golden Tickets' compete for the only edition of Jack's unpublished story.

Forced to face their fears, each contestant had reasons to flee to the Clock Island as children. Now it's their time to take control and winning will change their life. For Lucy, it's not the amount of money but its security to become Christopher's guardian. Growing up without love, Jack's stories provided a safety net and now it's her chance to be a child's north star. Is the game really about winning or is confronting the past and embracing the future, the real prize?

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #TheWishingGame in exchange for an honest review. I eagerly awaited reading this novel as if the five-starred reviews were any indication, I was in for a treat. Reality was even better than the hype.

Facing my own crossroads, I've spent months wishing for a job and after securing a position, a hiring freeze ripped away those dreams. While continuing to push forward, it's only recently that I've realized that I needed to confront my past and be open to new opportunities. That's the only way to be free and ready for what's ahead. As the characters in the book and stories are facing their demons, readers have the opportunity to extinguish their ghosts.

Living in fear keeps us trapped and unable to move forward. Confronting those demons and refusing to be hindered by the past is the only way to be free.

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
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#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.