Jack, an author of children’s books, hasn’t written a book in five years. Hugo, an artist, stays on the island with the author, not wanting to leave Jack alone. Lucy, a young teacher’s aide, wants to adopt Christopher, a young orphaned boy, but can’t afford to meet the qualifications. And then the author invites four people to his island, to compete to win the only copy of the first new book in five years, something worth a lot of money.

I liked how Lucy worked so hard to make Christopher’s life better after he finds his parents murdered in their bed. She had her own traumatic childhood and wants to make everything better for Christopher. The problem is she just barely gets by on her own and can’t qualify to start the process to adopt Christopher. When she gets a letter from Jack inviting her to Clock Island, she sees her chance for a future with Christopher.

Jack tugged at my heart, the man felt so strongly about all the children who wrote to him, telling him of their problems and how Jack’s books helped them. But he is practically a hermit, cut off from the rest of the world. And Hugo, the way he struggled to care for Jack while wanting to return to the city and have a life of his own.
The Wishing Game tugged at my heart, it was just such a beautiful story, I didn’t want the story to end.

Thank you to Random House Publishing for this advance copy. This is my honest review.

Magical! Somewhere between Willy Wonka and Caraval. I’ve never had a desire to escape from reality and move to an island more than after discovering Clock Island. If you love reading and miss childhood and maybe grew up as a latch key kid in the 80s/90s (like myself) then you are probably going to love this book. It’s filled with magic and mayhem and delightfully good fun but also still has the edge of reality to help keep you grounded. One of the best reads of the year.

The wishing game review

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, and the agent who reached out to me to read this book, of course for an honest review.

5/5 ✨ - I tend to save my five star reads for books which made me cry- and yes this is one of them.

AHHH!!!! This book was so good!!!
- when you gatta scream, you gatta scream!

Oh my gosh did I adore this book! I found myself teary eyed for the last 30% of this book because the feels! I live for a found family troupe and all the things this book had. It was whimsical and magical! I loved Jack as the whacky writer, Hugo as our resident storm cloud, Lucy as our hopeful heroine, and of course Christopher!

I loved all the ways the author explored Lucy’s trauma and how, while she acknowledged it and got to work through a lot of it on her adventure, she still has work to continue doing. I also loved how the author explored Jack and Hugo’s back stories, giving us solid reasons as to why they do what they do.

Ultimately this had me teary eyed and I was really unable to put this down. I loved this book so much! I hope it gets a special edition because it is so wonderful.

I would recommend this book to any fan of TJ Klune. This will be right up your ally and a heart warming favorite!

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer was a novel with an interesting plot...an author of a highly successful series of children's novels stops writing and becomes a recluse for years, then suddenly announces a contest for the rights to his newest novel, and only four people have the 'golden ticket', those he met briefly as children. They must come to his island and compete and there will be one winner...if anyone wins. This novel kept me turning pages long after i should have been asleep to find out about the contest and whether the main character Lucy will win and get her heart's desire, the chance to adopt a young boy who she's become close to. A great novel!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

For lovers of Willy Wonka and a cozy mystery- THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU!

Read in one sitting. If you ever wondered what it would be like to return to the comfort of the books of your childhood as an adult with a hefty reward - read this book!

Loved the story and the character development. The perspective switching between the main characters enhanced the depth of the story. Teary eyes throughout.


Grateful for the ARC of this amazing book, already recommending it to all my bookish friends!

I started this book and instantly got vibes of The Westing Game meets Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets (one of my all-time faves) From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

By the end of the book, I learned that this was not one of those books. It’s in a genre, that while related, is all its own. The Wishing Game is for the kids that grew up reading those books and fell in love with reading. Those kids that fell in love with eccentric but warm-hearted characters, the type of wild adventures that can be found within your own town, and stories that challenged you to guess what could happen next. This book meets those kids where they’re at now: all grown up, still yearning for the magic of these books, grappling with what it means to be an imperfect adult trying to heal your own trauma while caring for the next generation. It’s about found families of all kinds, grief and healing, and the magic of stories that can make you laugh and cry and wonder even when you’re in the middle of dark times.

The Wishing Game made me laugh and definitely made me cry, I’m delighted and grateful to have been able to spend some time in the world of Clock Island and its mysterious Mastermind. Highly recommend!

Oh. My. God. This book! I can’t shut up about it, just ask my friends! What an amazing plot filled with interesting characters, puzzle solving and the world of books and reading. This is just a dream for librarians. Lucy is lovely with her quiet life and her love for a boy who’s been neglected. The author Jack and his reclusive world is charming and mysterious. The whole story is an amazing ride that has the perfect ending. I love when Jack says “Hugo, always be quiet when a heart is breaking”. I CAN’T WAIT TO BUY HARDCOVERS OF THIS FOR EVERYONE I LOVE WHO ARE BOOK FREAKS LIKE ME. My favorite book read in 2022.

I’m calling The Wishing Game the most unexpected, number one recommended book for 2023. Filled with whimsical writing, complicated and heart felt characters and an incredible storyline The Wishing Game was downright magical. Admittedly, I was a little apprehensive when I first received the ARC. The storyline sound complex and fantasy-ish. Famous author Jack Masterson hasn’t written a new book in his children’s series in years and has remained hidden on an island in Maine that was created around his stories, Clock Island. Jack resides with his author and friend, Hugo. Jack announces a contest of sorts, invitation only, where the latest book will be given to the winner of a reality-ish game that takes place on the island. Lucy, a broke teacher’s assistant in California is doing everything she can to adopt one of her students, Christopher. When she’s given the chance to play the game, she’s given an opportunity to turn her life around. I cannot say enough good things about the literal magic that surrounds The Wishing Game. It was fun, engaging, heart breaking and fulfilling all wrapped up in one incredible novel. Out at the end of May, The Wishing Game will make for a fascinating summer read.

A sincere thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this one it was a good whimsical read more about characters than plot but overall a good read .
Thanks for letting me review this book to Netgalley and the publisher

This book was not a genre I usually read but boy am I glad I gave this a chance . I laughed , I cried, I even wished at the end that there will be a sequel. These characters were amazing . I could picture them in my head and could feel the emotions they were feeling.I entered their world and didn’t want to leave. I haven’t felt this emotional about a book in a very long time. All the characters has some heartache to overcome and hoped they would win the Clock Island contest to fulfill a dream they had since childhood.. Jack, Hugo, Lucy and Christopher are characters I will not soon forget. This book was like a warm hug from a friend that you didn’t even know you needed.

Can wishes really come true? Clock Island is a magical place where children's author and master of riddles, Jack Masterson, takes children in their imaginations to face their fears and grant wishes. Characters Lucy, Hugo, Jack, and Christopher all in one way or another face fears and wrestle with wishes in the backdrop of the magical island. I thoroughly enjoyed this light hearted story, and highly recommend it.

To be completely honest, “The Wishing Game” would not be my typical “go to” book, but something about its “out of the box” premise really called to me, prompting me to take a chance. And despite a rather sluggish start, overall, I found this to be a fun, delightful read. It’s every bit magical and hopeful as it is ludicrous, boasting a charming appeal that I found difficult to resist.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for a free digital copy of The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book. It was whimsical and sweet and such a fun read. If you like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, then you'll enjoy this book. The premise - a famous children's writer, a contest on a mysterious island, a prize that could change your life, yeah, I was hooked.

A reclusive bestselling author of children’s books suddenly quits writing years ago without explanation. Suddenly he announces that he has written a new book. He decides to have a completion offering four hand-picked readers the opportunity to win the only copy. Lucy Hart is on of the four and wants to win and sell the book so she can adopt a foster from the school she works at. But she discovers that the others have their own reasons to want to win. They must solve puzzles and riddles to win points to win the book! Good book! The first book I have read from Meg Shaffer and I really enjoyed it.


Thanks to Meg Shaffer and Random House Publishing-Ballantine for the book!

This book will definitely take you back to the nostalgia of losing yourself in books as a child (especially if there was a particular series you were hooked on). I'm glad that this book wasn't written with the characters being perfect and sickeningly sweet, because it could've definitely went that way but it didn't. Instead, the characters have relatable flaws and aren't perfect. I was excited to see that this was a debut author and I hope she has more of her work published. A few things did bug me: <spoiler>Did we really need Alice sick at the end? Couldn't she and Lucy just have just met up for coffee or something to start rebuilding their relationship? And the declaration about Jack being gay felt like it was just kinda thrown in there?</spoiler>

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Wishing Game is a fast paced book to read. I was intrigued by the premise of a book contest. I felt excited and anxious as I was reading. I do recommend to anyone who loves books and reading and is OK with a little suspense and the dark side of competition!

This was like Willy Wonka but rather than chocolates and gobstoppers, it was filled with stories and books. When I first felt the similarities, I was a little put off, like how is this author going to recreate such a classic? But i kept going and loved everything about the book still, and then the author immediately mentioned that WW was the inspiration and I immediately felt better about that aspect, haha.

The Wishing Game has family drama, secrets, sorrow, hope. A tiny bit of romance. There are stories within stories and settings within settings. The characters are both believable and relatable.

I can't wait for this to come out so i can own the physical copy; this book feels like it should be hardbound on a book shelf, nor just locked in my kindle app. I wish the Clock Island books were real, I'd read those as well.


*received digital ARC from netgalley

I absolutely loved this book! While it’s been compared to Willy Wonka, I saw it more as an adult Mr. Lemoncello or Mysterious Benedict Society. Jack is the author of famous children series about Clock Island who invited several former child fans to his island for a contest. Lucy is one of the invitees. She needs to win because she desperately wants to foster and adopt a student at the school where she works. The Wish Giver is about family, bravery, forgiveness and the impact that books have on children’s lives. Highly recommend!

Absolutely LOVED this one— could not put it down—one of my favorite reads of the year!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Definitely recommend for 2023!

This book gave me all the feels! I was mildly skeptical to pick up The Wishing Game, thinking it would be just fluff. I wasn’t wrong about the fluff, but it was SO GOOD. I don’t remember the last time a book gave me happy tears more than once.

Lucy is a 20-something student teacher in California. Lucy is estranged from her nuclear family, so like most 20-something’s in a crazy housing market and saddled with college loan debt, she’s struggling to make ends meet. That wouldn’t be a large problem, except she has fallen in (motherly) love with one of her students, Christopher, who is bouncing between foster homes. Lucy is determined to adopt Christopher, but needs a stable home, vehicle, and income to qualify. When her favorite children’s author announces a once-in-a-lifetime competition, it seems Lucy will get the chance to make her and Christopher’s dreams come true.

Jack Masterson is a recluse. He lives on Clock Island in Maine, which he has modeled after his wildly famous children’s books. Other than his staff, the only other resident of Clock Island is Hugo Reed, the illustrator of the books’ covers. We know Jack has lost his way, but not why, and that Hugo is torn between getting Jack back on track or building his own life off Clock Island. When Jack announces this competition, Hugo is flummoxed and peeved, but also committed to staying on-island to see it through.

The Wishing Game is whimsical without being magical, which I found utterly delightful (and unique!). There is the right amount of love—nuclear family love, found family love, and romantic love—to hit every part of the heart. In many ways, the book is predictable, but there are surprises till the end (and sometimes predicting a happily-ever-after is perfect). I loved this. Highly recommend. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Favorite quotes:
“‘You don’t feel like shit. You are the shit, baby.’”

“‘Hate is a knife without a handle. You can’t cut something with it without cutting yourself.’”

“‘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.’”