The Wishing Game
Ratings128
Average rating3.9
Such an incredible book. I've been on this streak of finding some amazing 5 star rated books lately. By halfway through this book I could not stop reading. The characters were all incredible and loved the whole thing. Its one of my top 5 books of the year
It was cute and a much-needed break from some of my recent reads. It was a good reminder:
1) You never really know what someone's going through or has gone through
2) Sometimes found family is 100xs better than blood family
I did get a little annoyed with some of the writing, but it was minor enough that I just rounded up to 5
The Wishing Game is my August book recommended by a friend. Although this may count as the most I have stretched to count a book as a recommendation?? Laura read this book a while ago, and if my memory serves, her review was not super glowing. BUT she compared it to The Westing Game, which is a book that holds a lot of affection in my heart, so I decided to count it as a recommendation and go from there. THEN, I was talking about books with the lovely Sarah, and she mentioned she owned this book, but could never really get into it and did I want her copy? So, despite a double lukewarm review, here I am, reading this book.
The premise of the book is fun - an eccentric, reclusive, author of an extremely popular series of children's books comes out of retirement and proposes a game to win the only copy of his latest book. Our protagonist is one of a lucky few invited to his private island to solve a series of puzzles/riddles to try to win the prize.
I saw a review of this book that called it “a middle grade book for grown ups,” and that is a really apt description. It reads young and whimsical but is clearly meant for adults? That style sat a bit oddly with me. Also, the lead-up/scene setting took way too long. Once everyone was on the island and the game was being played, I found the book pretty enjoyable and engaging. The ultimate outcome of the book was pretty clear about halfway through the book, but it was fun to read the twists and turns along the path to the ending.
A cute story, wholesome.
I liked the game, I liked clock island, I liked Jack.
I did not like Lucy, I didn't think it was realistic, and I did not like the romance.
That being said, I'm not a romance reader and I need a very fleshed out and textured relationship for me to fully enjoy romances in books.
But overall, I enjoyed most of it and I liked the authors writing style. Had some scenes that I felt pretty touching.
From the start, I've had an apprehensive relationship with this book. It caught my eye when it dropped as a Book of the Month selection. I ultimately passed on it because I couldn't determine if it would be something I would enjoy. I liked the premise but after seeing so many fantasy tags, I decided to put it on the back burner (and eventually bought the Kindle version). When a buddy read opportunity came up I figured I'd finally put my curiosity at rest. In the style of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Jack Masterson holds a contest at his home, Clock Island, which is the backdrop of his famed children's books. The prize is his newest book in the ‘Clock Island' series — the only copy. Four contestants all have their reasons for wanting to win, however, the story focuses heavily on the contestant Lucy Hart. She hopes to win the book especially for her young student Christopher. Though she knows it's merely wishful thinking, she hopes to adopt him. I feel like a lot of good intentions went into this book... but they came out in all of the wrong ways. Lucy's relationship with Christopher is unhealthy and, frankly, inappropriate. Not in an abusive sense, rather, she's imposed herself into his life, taking on the role of mother when she is hardly in a position to take care of herself let alone a child. Very much on the surface, it's a sweet bond, especially connecting through the ‘Clock Island' books, but when you look at the situation, it's unsettling, especially in today's climate. Another instance of this is with Jack admitting that he'd always wanted a child and was not in a time, place, or situation that would allow him. But it goes beyond that. This man received letters from children, many of them along with their wishes (as per the theme of his books). Sadly, many of these wishes centered around tragic home lives... to which Jack would reply with what many people would point out as a red flag in the real world. Despite that, we are left to assume his intentions were good-hearted. To go even further, we hear about an occurrence with one child who took up one of his offers to live with him on ‘Clock Island'. Were there some scenes I got sucked into? Enjoyed? Definitely. Did they matter in the greater scheme of the book? Sadly, no, and I can only recall the details of one of them due to it being a buddy read discussion. The book lacked direction as a whole. At the beginning of the book I thought it was going to be multiple POVs, then the focus on Lucy took over, and then the other contestants seemed to be mostly forgotten as Hugo and Lucy's friendship grew. (Some of that early stuff is likely on me as I was under the weather, but given how the book progressed, I stand by it.) On top of this, I found the characters superficial, albeit, not without potential. Unfortunately, those characters with the most promise have the major strikes against them that I've already mentioned. Lastly, there is a strong YA voice presented in the writing, which is fine and complements the plot, however, it's not being marketed as such. Even making Lucy say, 20, would explain the way she presents herself (to a certain degree). I'm also confused as to why this is being so heavily tagged as fantasy. I'd say there are whimsical elements at best but it is otherwise very much a piece of contemporary fiction.
I read this book thinking this was an adult mystery and very unhappy I didn't check what this was about. I think this could have been sold as a YA fiction book. The F word was used 3 times and all in one sentence, still a YA book.
I enjoy books when there is a lot of dialog between characters, only toward the end did this have the dialog.
Anyway I gave it a 4 rating as a YA book!! David N.
I liked it! It was a cute story. The ending had me tearing up when Lucy's wish came true. Becoming Christopher's mom and becoming Jacks sidekick. And of course the added bonus of falling for Hugo. I felt like there was maybe something missing I just can't place it. But still a ⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating.
The Wishing Game is a feel-good read without much drama. The book starts off slowly, then picks up pace and maintains a moderately slow tempo. The characters are intriguing and relatable. The focus is more on the protagonists rather than the game itself. It would have been enjoyable to solve the puzzles along with the characters, but that's difficult to portray effectively. I didn't notice any glaring grammatical or spelling errors. Readers seeking an intensely captivating or unpredictable story may be disappointed. However, as a comforting, predictable read between more suspenseful books, The Wishing Game delivers a cute and uplifting experience.
WHAT?! Did we read the same book? I'm so confused, guys. I had so many issues with this that I'm having trouble even clearly listing them out. I found this review and it sums it all up very well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiPZfS8-tnc
The Wishing Game is a delightfully cozy story about a contest to win the only copy of a book by a mega-popular children's author. A handful of contestants are invited to the author's private island to compete for the prize. Will one of them win? Read the book and find out. With themes of family, forgiveness, seeing others complexly, courage, and hope this whimsical novel is a delight for the young at heart. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll also be inspired. Lots of great quotes in this book and honestly just feeling really inspired to go live life and be brave and wish and work for my wishes. Definitely recommend. I’m not a big fiction reader but I loved this and will read anything else Meg Shaffer writes!
This was a fun read. I had a hard time putting it down and even found myself reading it aloud to my 2-year-old son during breakfast so I could find out what happened next! The Clock Island series mentioned in the book reminded me of all the different series I read as a kid that served as an escape from everyday life when I needed it most - The Boxcar Children, The Babysitters Club, Harry Potter, Nancy Drew, A Series of Unfortunate Events... Stories can be so powerful for children and adults alike, and this theme is prominent throughout the book. (Also, I would absolutely read the Clock Island series if they were real.) I was surprised by some of the heavier topics addressed that could be triggering for some readers. However, I appreciated the heavier parts and reminders that dreaming and wishing can be helpful and also harmful. That we each have a responsibility to be active writers in the stories of our lives and are not limited by how others may perceive us. Will definitely be recommending this book to others!
Lucy Hart grew up alone, her parents completely wrapped up in dealing with her sister's illness, and her one attempt at a grownup relationship ended disastrously. It was only the Clock Island series of books that gave Lucy a path. Lucy has come to care for orphan Christopher, and she longs to be able to adopt the boy, but she is without resources. Jack Masterson, the author of the Clock Island books, has come out of an unexplained retirement to announce a contest and the prize money could be substantial. Lucy is shocked to learn that she has received an invitation to be a contestant.
So many parts of this book felt like a children's book that had been pushed to be a grownup book, and I'm not sure how I feel about that...I kind of wish it HAD been a children's book. Still, it was a lovely diversion.
This book was absolutely delightful and heartwarming! It left me with a great big smile on my face!
A whimsical, feel good story about found family and beloved childhood books. This book may have been written specifically to make me cry. I loved it.
I also think this found me at the right time. I am ace/aro and I am trying to figure out how to have a child as a single adult in a responsible way. In some ways, I have never related more to a character than to Lucy.
Felt like a middle grade novel, writing and plot wise, and not because of the topic. Terrible representation of the realities of foster care as well.
TWs: Death of a child, trauma
When you gotta scream, you gotta scream.
4.5 rounded up; this was such a sweet story! I'm happy how it ended, although Angie's illness sadly is something Jack probably can't do anything (not all wishes can come true).
Compulsively readable and just barely avoids being unbearably twee. I was hoping for an homage to the classic children's book [b:The Westing Game 902 The Westing Game Ellen Raskin https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1356850909l/902.SX50.jpg 869832] with its riddles and puzzles, but the source material in this debut novel is more Gene Wilder's version of “Willy Wonka” and [b:The Wonderful Wizard of Oz 236093 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Oz, #1) L. Frank Baum https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1398003737l/236093.SY75.jpg 1993810].