Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, and Meg Shaffer for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Wishing Game follows Lucy Heart, a twenty-six year old who loves reading. She loves reading so much that as a kid she ran away from home to Meet Jack Masterson, who wrote the children's series Clock Island. Now as an adult Jack has started a contest and if you can solve the riddle you are invited to his island and if you win, you will receive the only copy of his new manuscript.

This book has Charlie and the Chocolate Factory magic in it and I loved it way more than I was expecting. It is not a fantasy novel, but is definitely magical.

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer was pure nostalgic fun! A mix of Charlie and the chocolate factory, but with books! This was a sweet read and I absolutely loved it! Recommend!

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very sweet, light-hearted book about what we wish for. I really loved all the characters and the setting of clock island. Highly recommend if you're looking for a book to give you all the good feels!

Out of the literally thousands of books I have read, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” still tops my list. It started my love of reading and has stayed with me all of these years later. This book has so many similarities to Roald Dahl’s classic that I just wanted to hug it when I finished. I absolutely loved it.
Lucy Hart grew up lonely with terrible parents. She sought refuge in books, namely the “Clock Island” series by Jack Masterson. Now a kindergarten teacher’s assistant, she is able to share her love of reading with young students, namely a seven-year-old orphan named Christopher. He has stolen Lucy’s heart. Lucy wants to adopt Christopher but she needs money and a house. When things seem hopeless, along comes a contest held by the reclusive author, Jack Masterson. Lucy answers a riddle that gives her a ticket to the actual Clock Island to try to win a prize that can help her fulfill her dream of being a mom.
I just reviewed The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer. #TheWishingGame #NetGalley

Stop what you are doing, put the current book you are reading down and seek out The Wishing Game immediately! This is a five star read filled with compassion, hope and whimsy. Meg Shaffer has made her debut novel one to remember, that is for sure.

The Wishing Game tells the story of Jack Masterson, a reclusive children's author who decides to get back into writing with his wildly popular Clock Island series. He begins a puzzle/riddle game on the internet and one of the participants is wishing to win above everyone else. Lucy Hart desperately wants to foster to adopt her 7 year old student, Christopher, but she does not have the fund or the stability that is needed for the match to occur. Working together, Lucy and Christopher are strong team, but Lucy is going to need a little magic in order for everything to fall into place.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballentine Publishing for my opportunity to read this novel. I can not wait to see what Meg Shaffer comes up with next!

The Wishing Game is a big cozy hug in book form! Full review coming soon.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, and Meg Shaffer for providing an eARC!

Just the right amount of whimsy and emotional connection. I feel like those who loved Harry Potter and hold a soft spot for being a fan of children's books will enjoy this story about what happens to a handful of fans when they grow up. I liked the romantic interest and the drive behind the plot. However, I felt like the relationship between Lucy and Christopher could have been fleshed out a little more. I also felt like some of the backstory of Lucy and her relationship with her sister/family was a bit rushed. Some of it seemed more told for progression of the plot than actual story telling...like they needed to make up a reason for Lucy to have ran away as a child and so it was more of an afterthought. I did like the Charlie in the Chocolate factory-Harry Potteresque vibes.

I seriously loved this book so much! It was so nostalgic and fun.

A best-selling children's author - think Harry Potter level of beloved series, starts a competition wherein he will offer a prize that will change the winner's life! Sort of like Charlie and Chocolate Factory, contestants are chosen to come to his private island and compete by solving riddles.

This book has everything - nostalgia, heartwarming backstories, and cute riddles to solve. I loved CATCF and this was sort of a modern take on that old classic. However, this one is more of a feel good tale. I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a whimsical, fun read for all ages.

Special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Ballantine Books, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pure Magic!

I thoroughly enjoyed Meg Schaffer’s debut novel. She has created a magical story. The cover is beautiful, the story is a celebration of the love of reading, the magic of wishes, and the love of found family.

Totally agree that The Wishing Game is a “love letter to reading and the power that childhood stories have over us long after we grow up”

Thanks Random House Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

My heart feels full after finishing this book. The simplicity of making a wish as a child and believing it will come true because you have people in your life that care about you is the purest thing. <i>The Wishing Game</i> is about heartache, unconditional love, imagining the impossible and meeting your deepest fears head on.
I started this book thinking it was like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but as it was said in the book, that story is about torturing young kids. <i>The Wishing Game</i> is about giving kids at their lowest point the strength to keep going because someone is on their side hoping they succeed.
This is a adult version of a kid's book and I loved every part of it. Do yourself a favor and read this one.

Can a review simply be “I loved this Book!”?

“Places were times. Times were places. Confusing at first. Then charming.”

An island, a writer, a Mastermind, a keeper, a painter, a teacher’s aide, an orphan - an extraordinary story is about to unfold.

“SOS. Save Our Sanity.
SOS. Save Out Stories”

Riddles abound - “Two men on an island and both blame the water………”
“The only wishes ever granted - - - are the wishes of brave children who keep on wishing…”

The Wishing Game has everything - simply wonderful characters, snappy dialog, meaningful inner thoughts, emotions and more that tear your heart into tiny little pieces, and challenges that have you thinking and wondering and burning your gray matter until you can smell your smoking brain.

I ask you can a review simply be “I loved this Book!”?

So many thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for a copy.

So, here's the thing. If you love a feel good book that follows a predictable but heartwarming story arc and ends with the conclusion you saw coming - all while providing tons of times that you feel warm and fuzzy inside - this is the book for you. I can completely understand the appeal of this book for others who have raved about it.

But, it's not for me. I need more than a warm fuzzy tale to rave about a book, and my tastes tend toward something with a bit more conflict. Also, the portrayal of a teacher's aide who has a student sit on her lap, tells him that she is working to adopt him and be his mother, buys him gifts, hugs and kisses him, etc., was just too much for me to get over. I understand that the purpose is to develop a deep bond between the two characters, but regardless of whether a student has a supporting and loving family, or is a foster child who could use a bit more love, the behavior of a school employee should not cross the lines that are crossed in this book. It gave me the squinks.

Overall, this book is primarily lovely, and I enjoyed the descriptive language and following the author's journey. I just need a bit more of a mystery to hold my interest.

THE WISHING GAME by @meg_shaffer

Yesterday I finished what will most likely be my favorite book of 2023.

I reluctantly (I didn’t want it to ever end!!!!) finished this gift of a novel with tears streaming down my face.

Whimsical, love-filled, delightful , magical, and tender—this book will heal your inner child and mend your adult soul.

It’s perfect. Truly. This is a short review because I truly can’t find the words, but believe me when I say

YOU NEED TO READ THIS. NOW.

It’s a gift and a joy and an absolute triumph, and I’m a better person for having read it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this. It was such a cute little story and it was so heartwarming in the end. One of those books where you start it and you really, truly know where it’s going to go, but you’re happy to go along for the ride. Just cheesy, magical goodness. The characters really grab you, and the setting is just perfect.

If you need a lovely book to finish your summer or start your fall, I suggest THE WISHING GAME by @meg_shaffer. I loved this ARC so much that I needed the @bookofthemonth copy for my library. This is a book I would reread so that’s my review. Five stars! It was heartwarming and just lovely with all of the Willy Wonka feels. My favorite message was being brave enough to reach for your dreams and being brave enough to let some wishes/dreams go. And books about books always gets me! Not only did I love the characters and the entire story, but it made me want to read the fictitious Clock Island series that doesn’t even exist. I want to read books that don’t exist because I read this book!

I really love the setting of this book, with an author that writes for children creating a competition to launch a new book. I wanted to know more about the fictional stories of the books of the clock island so it would be nice to have those books in the future, it seems like a pretty nice idea. Anyway, the competition is very focused on what you wish for, a theme that also appears on the children’s books. And it worked really well, I like the message that we sometimes can get what we wish but in a different way.

This title wasn't something I could get into, so I won't be finishing it. I really hope that others enjoy it.

For those of us who loved to escape into books as a child, wishing we could visit the places we read about, and, now as adults, still have those wishes, here is THE WISHING GAME, the debut novel by Meg Shaffer. THE WISHING GAME is a feel-good novel that has the reader wishing for their own Golden Ticket! Full of quirky characters, including one contestant deserving of good fortune, this novel will have you wiping happy tears from your eyes as you close the book with a smile on your face and in your heart. It was a wonderful escape for me.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the novel. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#THEWISHINGGAME #MEGSHAFFER #BALLANTINEBOOKS

Thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for a review.

I must be an outlier on this one because I didn't love this book. I thought it was just fine. I've seen some reviews take issue with Lucy's inappropriate relationship with Christopher, but I didn't take too much issue with that. But I was expecting this book to have a bit more whimsy to it. I was expecting a girl to meet a Roald Dahl/Willy Wonka hybrid and this just wasn't it. Maybe I'm not the right audience for this one, I'm not sure. 2.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Ballantine books for this advance copy of The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer - this one is available now and is also a selection through Book of the Month!

I absolutely ate this one up and I was so thrilled that my hospital book club chose this as its August choice, delaying my read until now. A modern-day Willy Wonka feeling gives this one a whimsical feeling and I just fell in love with all of the side characters, particularly Lucy and Christopher's journey. It was so easy to read and really stresses the importance of how books and childhood memories can shape a journey well into adulthood. I also found the "gaming" aspect to be really fun to read. Definitely recommend this one as a book club pick as there is a lot of great discussion points.

Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC - go check this one out today!