What a great book! So well written with a truly original story. The characters are very likeable and have interesting backstories. This is a book about dreams, redemption and forgiveness. I would absolutely read more books by this author!

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer has a fantastic premise: children's book author invites four fans to his private island to compete to be the first to win the first Clock Island book in years. That's interesting enough, but the author also came up with emotionally charged stakes: Lucy wants to read the book, but what she really wants is to sell the book so she can afford to adopt a recently orphaned seven-year-old boy, I loved everything about it—highly recommend!!

Oh my goodness but this was such a sweet and lovely tale... It was full of magic and heart and people who love books, and it was written in an engaging and easygoing style that had me flipping pages from start to finish. While I was fairly confident that everything would wrap up tidily, and - this isn't really a spoiler given the genre - it did, it did so in a way that felt authentic and like the kind of plausible that exists in the world you WANT to live in even if it doesn't exactly resemble the real world in very many regards.. I fell in love with the characters and the magic, both of which will totally send me in search of more by Meg Shaffer...

Meg Shaffer's 'The Wishing Game' is perfection! The story is engrossing and whimsical, the words are lyrical and the message of love and redemption is life-altering. I will not soon forget the emotions and lessons I learned from this brilliant story. I sincerely hope that Meg Shaffer has more to share with the world.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

When Lucy was 13 she ran away from home, and went to Clock Island, where her favorite author, Mastermind Jack lived, and he was looking for a sidekick. She believed he granted wishes. She didn't get to stay, and now she is all grown up, and she met a seven-year-old boy. Christopher, who lost his parents and was in foster care. He was struggling, and she shared her collection of the Mastermind's book. She tutored him in reading, and she wanted so bad to be his Mom, but, money was stopping that from happening. She learned that Mastermind Jack had written a new book and there was only one copy/ He was going to have a contest for the young children who ran away from home when they were young, and came to Clock Island.
Lucy receives her invitation to go back to Clock Island. She and Christopher have been playing what they called the Wishing Game, and they had both wished that they would get enough money for Lucy to adopt him. When she arrived at the island, she meets the other three contestants. As the contest is taking place, we see the people in the story begin to change. Clock Island is a small island but filled with so many unique things. The four contestants, were there as a child, when they were invited back as an adult, each time they learned many things,
Sometimes, instead of I Win, We Win, works out so much better. You will have to read the book, to discover why that is. I received an ARC from Ballantine Books through NetGalley.

The Wishing Game
Meg Shaffer
Ballantine Books
May 2023

“The only wishes ever granted are the wishes of brave children who keep on wishing even though it seems no one is listening because someone always is.” - Jack Masterson in a letter to Lucy when she was a child. He lives on Clock Island where he pens his Clock Island books for children.

Lucy ran away from home when she was 13 and ran to Clock Island because she believed her wish would be granted if she could only talk to the shadowy, mysterious, mystical, and magical Master Mastermind. You see, Mastermind granted wishes to brave children who earned their wishes.
There she discovered the answer to a question that he posed to her. The question is, “Why is a raven like a writing desk?”

If you knew the answer to this Wishing Game question, you might win a new Clock Island book, the first in six years, and the only copy! The competition is-by invitation only-to “Mastermind Jack’s” Clock Island home.

Lucy is desperately trying to adopt Christopher, a 7-year-old boy she met at the school where she works. She tutors him after school. But, she is single with little money and lives in an apartment she shares with three others. How they wish they could be mother and son. Lucy decides if she wins the competition, they will read the book once and then sell it for a lot of money so she could adopt Christopher.

Lucy and Christopher are at a computer station when a blue envelope is delivered to Lucy. It’s an invitation to the Wishing Game! Perhaps their wish will come true!

Lucy arrives at the island and meets her competition. There are only three other contestants. But, Mastermind has made the game difficult by extending the game over several days with strange puzzles to solve for points. Will Lucy win the game and have her wish fulfilled? You’ll have to read The Wishing Game to find out.

Shaffer has created an almost surreal setting for her characters to interact with each other: An isolated island, filled with twelve magical locations named after the hours of the clock, and fully realized characters to inhabit the space.

I love the character Mastermind. He is a delightful eccentric writer who devises the most bizarre riddles. Of course everyone will love Lucy and Christopher and their love for each other. Another favorite is the illustrator of the books: Hugo. I recommend The Wishing Game if you love love stories and riddles! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lucy Hart wasn't wanted. She had a mother, father, and older sister. The problem is that her sister is in the hospital constantly with an undiagnosed illness. Her parents focus all their attention on her sister to the point that Lucy has to be raised by her grandparents. Lucy finds a book in the Clock Island book series. While reading these books, she is able to escape from her troubles. Lucy believes these books have saved her. As an adult, Lucy has moved to California from Maine to escape a toxic relationship/breakup. She is delighted to hear that the author of the Clock Island series is finally writing another book. He will give this book to the winner of a contest that he is devising. How can Lucy get invited to participate?

This book has something you can't quite put your finger on. It is magical. Meg Shaffer is an excellent author with the ability to tell a fascinating story inhabited by completely relatable characters. She describes Clock Island so vividly that it is easy to picture in your mind. The main character, Lucy, is someone you would like to have as a friend. Life for her has been hard and readers will want her to have a good outcome. This story touched me and the pages seemed to turn themselves. This is Meg Shaffer's debut novel and I so thoroughly enjoyed reading this book that I can't wait to read her next book.

The opening felt extremely disjointed. We opened with a story about Hugo/Jack, then Astrid, then Lucy, and we are barely past the 3% mark. It felt quite disjointed and I contemplated stopping. I decided to continue because the premise really intrigued me.

I really liked Lucy and Christopher. They were sweet. At the end of chapter 1 (which was the start of their story, ~8%), I decided to continue. Then we switched back to Hugo/Jack for chapter 2 with another disjointed story but it felt very different from our opening which was Hugo/Jack. I realize it will all connect later, but it felt like too much for now. I stopped at 10%.

I feel like, as the reader, I need a more solid footing before we move to the fantasy. I don’t need to know how the clock island was named/built. Instead, I need to understand why I care.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Lucy is a teachers aid who shares her love of reading with tge students. When one of her favorite authors is having a contest, she is hoping tobwinbthe top prize if she can outsmart the other finalists. This book was a quick read.

This book is entirely charming, and so "Wonka-esque" that it's not even funny.

Like Willy Wonka, there won't be big surprises in this book. (No one goes into Wonky thinking, "I bet Charlie Bucket loses it all") but the journey presented here is still delightful.

I liked the characters in this story (though the book struggles to create a classic villain). I liked the challenges in the quest. I liked the relationships between the adult children and author (and why they've been invited to the island in the first place.) I liked the love story. I liked the idea of "meet me at 2:00 at 5:00."I liked the clockwork stories that open each chapter.

Overall this book is clever and goes down like hot cocoa on a cold evening.

Yes, it's a tad derivative, and the stakes never feel that high, but I appreciated that the book did have some darker elements to lend it gravitas. I liked that this "mysterious genius" was more fleshed out as a character.

Basically, if you're a book nerd, you'll likely adore The Wishing Game. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A delightful and charming story about 26 yr old Lucy who only wants one thing, and that is to adopt foster child, Charlie, becoming his mother. She knows what it is to feel unloved by her parents and sister, so much so as a thirteen year old she runs away to clock island hoping to become the sidekick of revered children's author Jack Masterson. His books have saved her time and again with the wisdom of make a wish for what you want but be prepared to be brave for it to come true.
Lucy is completely broke with no money to take care of Christopher, so when Masterson announces he has a new unpublished book and will throw a contest with select invitations, Lucy travels to Clock Island to see Jack and win the completion.

Every once in a while, you read a book that just stays with you. It affects the way you view life, family, love, friendships. This is that book. Beautiful, thought provoking and full of life lessons, this is a modern day Alice in Wonderland!

Lucy Hart spent her childhood unloved, in the shadow of her sickly older sister. She found comfort in the Clock Island series by Jack Masterson. In those books, she found the power of wishes and she wished she could have a family who loved her. Over a decade later, Lucy is living across the country, desperate to adopt 7 year old Christopher, one of her students at the school she helps teach at. Unfortunately, adoption seems out of the question as she doesn't have a steady income, a home suitable for a young child or reliable transportation.

Then she receives the invitation of a lifetime: a contest held by Jack Masterson on Clock Island. Taking a chance to win this contest could change her and Christopher's life. What she doesn't realize is how much it will change her.

Beautiful, moving, lush landscapes, quirky characters. This book was falling into my favorite childhood fairytale. Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC.

The Wishing Game is really unique, and it's well written. I'm not a huge fan of the sappy, perfect chick-lit-type thing, so this wasn't the book for me, but I did like how different it was.

The idea of Clock Island, and the books, was fun. However, the game felt a little silly, and I did not understand how Jack thought that no one could get 10 points. One of the challenges was literally monopoly. The love story was fine. The ending dragged.

Overall, just not my type of book.

Quickly! Mark your calendars and put this book on your TBR list! If you've ever been a kid and loved reading as a kid, you won't want to miss this wonderful debut novel by Meg Shaffer. It's like Willie Wonka for adults, except you'll be cheering for Christopher and Lucy, instead of Charlie and his grandpa, until the very end.

I was as excited as a little kid in a candy store while I was reading this story and I couldn't put it down. It's full of hopes and dreams and wishes, as well as riddles and games. Add in a reclusive author, a talented artist, a private island, a competition for a valuable manuscript, plus a little mystery and romance, and then you will have the recipe for this awesome novel.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for giving me the opportunity to read and review a digital ARC of this fantastic book. Publication date: May 30, 2023.

I absolutely adored this book! Everything about it was phenomenal. The writing, the characters and how the book tugged at your heart strings but still made you happy and hopeful. I loved that this was comparable to a modern day Charlie and the chocolate factory but with adults competing and the prize a book and a chance to change your life. Grab some tissues and grab this book when it comes out because you are not going to want to miss it.

(I will post review online 2 weeks before pub date)

The Wishing Game is the book I never knew I needed— and now that I’ve read it, I can't believe I was able to wait this long to read it.

I laughed. I cried. I texted my librarian aunt immediately upon finishing to make sure she had the book on her list. The book is a play on Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory for book-loving adults. Lucy loved reading Jack Masterson’s books as a child. Growing up with a sick sister and parents who didn’t love her, his mysterious character Master Mastermind, who lived on Clock Island, seemed far better suited to raise her. Unfortunately, her childhood attempt at moving in failed. Now, Lucy is all grown up, and she’s trying to adopt a child of her own. With insurmountable debt and a sub-par living situation, it seems like Lucy and Christopher will never be a family. Then, Jack announces an invitation-only game to win the sole copy of his latest book, and Lucy receives a letter from Clock Island. Can she beat the other child runaways for her chance at happiness?

Beautifully woven tale of heartbreak and the power of a magical world. I smiled and cried through most of the book! Heartwarming and wholesome.

I loved this book! This is such a clever, charming, well-written book. Lucy travels to a Maine island from California to enter a contest, which is put on by the famous and eccentric author of Lucy’s favorite children’s books.
Highly recommended!

I really enjoyed the Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer - her characters were well developed and I enjoyed the storyline. I loved the mystery elements of the book and I cried at some parts. At times it felt more YA than women's fiction, but I still enjoyed the book.



Thank you to the author, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for providing a copy to review!

What a sweet, sweet read! I am so, so impressed with debut authors these days. If your heart needs filling, pick this book up. It's a grown-up mash-up of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and the whimsy of The House in the Cerulean Sea. Jack Masterson is an odd author full of riddles. In his earlier years, he writes to the children who write him, and tries to help them. Years later, he is re-inspired after a creative drought and hosts a contests for the children he helped, who are now adults. The main character, Lily, is offered a spot to compete. She desperately wants and needs the winning pot to be able to adopt a foster child she teaches. Thanks for this ARC, NetGalley and Ballantine Books!