The Wishing Game
by Meg Shaffer
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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.“Clever and hopeful . . . a love letter to reading and the power that childhood stories have over us long after we've grown up.”—V. E. Schwab, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie show more LaRue
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, who was 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 at his home on the real Clock Island, and Lucy is one of the four lucky contestants chosen to compete to win the one and only copy.
For Lucy, the chance of winning the most sought-after book in the world means everything to her and Christopher. But first she must contend with ruthless book collectors, wily opponents, and the distractingly handsome (and grumpy) Hugo Reese, the illustrator of the Clock Island books. Meanwhile, Jack “the Mastermind” Masterson is plotting the ultimate twist ending that could change all their lives forever.
. . . You might just get it.. show less
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DNF at 80%. I feel gross listening to any more of this. At first the age fetish hints were subtle but they really ramped up in the second half. It was the reveal of a past trauma for our MC that finally convinced me I should’ve DNF’d back around the 10% mark when those feelings started.
Lucy is obsessed with a 9-year-old, and wants to be his mother. She is 26. She was intensely attracted to a 21-year-old artist when she was 13. She was even more attracted to said artist when they met again 13 years later. That now-34-year-old didn’t find it weird that he was amicably attracted to the no-longer-13-year-old. Lucy’s ex-boyfriend was her college professor. And there’s SA discussed with minor characters… who are also minors.
Actual show more quotes from this dumpster fire:
“Guess I’m just a big kid…” [said flirtatiously]
“Sorry that [moan] was a little pornographic…” [said after a spoonful of soup]
“No! You look *good* ‘bizarre’ [without your glasses]. Like, really young.”
Just watch Willy Wonka. Or read Mr. Lemoncello’s Library. Both are far superior works surrounding adults making a game surrounding kids that isn’t disgusting. And one of the adults was clearly disposing of the losers along the way. show less
Lucy is obsessed with a 9-year-old, and wants to be his mother. She is 26. She was intensely attracted to a 21-year-old artist when she was 13. She was even more attracted to said artist when they met again 13 years later. That now-34-year-old didn’t find it weird that he was amicably attracted to the no-longer-13-year-old. Lucy’s ex-boyfriend was her college professor. And there’s SA discussed with minor characters… who are also minors.
Actual show more quotes from this dumpster fire:
“Guess I’m just a big kid…” [said flirtatiously]
“Sorry that [moan] was a little pornographic…” [said after a spoonful of soup]
“No! You look *good* ‘bizarre’ [without your glasses]. Like, really young.”
Just watch Willy Wonka. Or read Mr. Lemoncello’s Library. Both are far superior works surrounding adults making a game surrounding kids that isn’t disgusting. And one of the adults was clearly disposing of the losers along the way. show less
I'm not surprised that some readers love this book. However, I am surprised at the lack of critical reviews. For some, this book may be triggering. I DNF'ed at 25% in and had BIG FEELINGS.
Lucy's motivation for entering and winning the Willy Wonka-esque competition the plot revolves around is to get the money she needs to adopt a 7 YO boy and "save" him from the foster care family he's been placed with.
She carries the scars of emotional trauma and neglect from her own childhood and is now a kindergarten aide and part-time tutor. She has fixated on this particular child and has told him his greatest "wish" is to be his mother as soon as she's saved enough to cover the adoption fee. Never mind that she lacks income stability, housing, and show more general readiness to be the primary caretaker of a child.
Lucy fervently believes that 'no one could love him like she can,' and worries that her window of opportunity to "save him" is closing. This is despite that the child is placed with "one of the best foster families." He has stability, food, shelter, is encouraged to do his homework, and has made huge developmental strides in school and beyond. Those kind of families are GOLD in the foster care system, but that's not good enough for Lucy, despite the fact that she has never had the responsibility for caring for anyone but herself.
The plot hinges on Lucy being likable and well-intentioned. But there's another interpretation of her: from a distance, she's judged the foster family as unworthy and is convinced she knows better what the child needs. She is inappropriately attached to the child (borderline grooming) and projects her own emotional needs onto him. She would benefit from therapy to work through her past, not to mention, you know, maybe getting some practice parenting or fostering prior to jumping into adoption?
Not to say there aren't real issues with foster care or adoption, but this book gets a lot of things wrong including insinuating that money makes for happy endings to unhappy childhoods. Hard pass. show less
Lucy's motivation for entering and winning the Willy Wonka-esque competition the plot revolves around is to get the money she needs to adopt a 7 YO boy and "save" him from the foster care family he's been placed with.
She carries the scars of emotional trauma and neglect from her own childhood and is now a kindergarten aide and part-time tutor. She has fixated on this particular child and has told him his greatest "wish" is to be his mother as soon as she's saved enough to cover the adoption fee. Never mind that she lacks income stability, housing, and show more general readiness to be the primary caretaker of a child.
Lucy fervently believes that 'no one could love him like she can,' and worries that her window of opportunity to "save him" is closing. This is despite that the child is placed with "one of the best foster families." He has stability, food, shelter, is encouraged to do his homework, and has made huge developmental strides in school and beyond. Those kind of families are GOLD in the foster care system, but that's not good enough for Lucy, despite the fact that she has never had the responsibility for caring for anyone but herself.
The plot hinges on Lucy being likable and well-intentioned. But there's another interpretation of her: from a distance, she's judged the foster family as unworthy and is convinced she knows better what the child needs. She is inappropriately attached to the child (borderline grooming) and projects her own emotional needs onto him. She would benefit from therapy to work through her past, not to mention, you know, maybe getting some practice parenting or fostering prior to jumping into adoption?
Not to say there aren't real issues with foster care or adoption, but this book gets a lot of things wrong including insinuating that money makes for happy endings to unhappy childhoods. Hard pass. show less
Lucy is a kindergarten teacher's assistant who is desperate to adopt a traumatized little boy, if only she could afford to do it. Then she gets an invitation to a game being held on the private island of her favorite children's book author, featuring a prize that could make all her dreams come true.
This sort of seemed like it should be up my alley, as someone who very much appreciates the spell woven by the books we love as kids and the effect they can have on our lives. But, well... I am absolutely certain that this one will be someone's ideal feel-good read, but I'm afraid I can't say it's mine. It's a bit hard to say why. The only way I can think of to put it is that, even while I was reading, it never seemed true. Everything about show more it: the characters' various sad backstories, the sweet little kid, the blossoming romance, the writer's bits of verbal whimsey, it all just felt so carefully, conspicuously crafted to evoke the right kind of sentiment that it got in the way of me actually feeling the right kind of sentiment. I also just can't quite sink into the wish-fulfillment fantasy of an eccentric but lovable rich person swooping in to solve one's problems, being far too keenly aware of how much that doesn't happen in reality. It might be appropriate that I read this over Christmas, because I can't help feeling that the novel reminds me of nothing quite so much as a Hallmark Channel movie. At least, I think it does. I haven't actually watched those much, because they're really not my kind of thing.
Which isn't to say it was bad, really. There were things about it I appreciated. The ending is predictable enough, but it manages to avoid feeling too cliche in the process of getting there. I really like the fact that the romance subplot wasn't forced or speedrun, which I fully expected it to be. And even my apparently cold, dead heart responded a bit to the themes of found-family parental love. Still, overall, it wasn't really what I was hoping for. show less
This sort of seemed like it should be up my alley, as someone who very much appreciates the spell woven by the books we love as kids and the effect they can have on our lives. But, well... I am absolutely certain that this one will be someone's ideal feel-good read, but I'm afraid I can't say it's mine. It's a bit hard to say why. The only way I can think of to put it is that, even while I was reading, it never seemed true. Everything about show more it: the characters' various sad backstories, the sweet little kid, the blossoming romance, the writer's bits of verbal whimsey, it all just felt so carefully, conspicuously crafted to evoke the right kind of sentiment that it got in the way of me actually feeling the right kind of sentiment. I also just can't quite sink into the wish-fulfillment fantasy of an eccentric but lovable rich person swooping in to solve one's problems, being far too keenly aware of how much that doesn't happen in reality. It might be appropriate that I read this over Christmas, because I can't help feeling that the novel reminds me of nothing quite so much as a Hallmark Channel movie. At least, I think it does. I haven't actually watched those much, because they're really not my kind of thing.
Which isn't to say it was bad, really. There were things about it I appreciated. The ending is predictable enough, but it manages to avoid feeling too cliche in the process of getting there. I really like the fact that the romance subplot wasn't forced or speedrun, which I fully expected it to be. And even my apparently cold, dead heart responded a bit to the themes of found-family parental love. Still, overall, it wasn't really what I was hoping for. show less
Oh how I loved this one! It's been a long time since I read a book in one day because I couldn't put it down. Lucy Hart wants to adopt an orphaned boy who was one of her students. The eccentric author of a beloved book series offers his favorite readers the chance to win an unbelievable prize if they compete in his Willy Wonka-style contest. Hart finds herself traveling to Clock Island off the coast of Maine where the author lives with his irascible illustrator. The book was so charming and lovely. It deals with some dark issues like addiction and parental neglect, but does so gently without making them the main focus. I loved the world created on the island and the unexpected sweet romance. The whole book just made me smile. I have a show more feeling you'd need to be in the right mood to read it, but it hit the spot for me. show less
(I picked this up on impulse while visiting the library, then came to find it's already on my to-read shelf. Yay.)
About 1/3 in. So far so charming. Kind of like a [b:Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library|16054808|Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library (Mr. Lemoncello's Library, #1)|Chris Grabenstein|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1379335670l/16054808._SY75_.jpg|21839952] for adults or new adults, especially those of us young-at-heart who treasure memories of favorite childhood books.
" the house was a grand Victorian, the house of someone too rich and a little bit wacky. Turrets and towers and stained-glass windows, oh my."
" *hope is the thing with feathers,* the lovely Miss Emily Dickinson once show more wrote. Well, if that's the case, then a wish is a thing with *black* feathers.... black feathers, a sharp beak, and talons. Dangerous things, wishes."
I'm beginning to think that the main theme of the book is that being brave, being hopeful, and working hard will make wishes come true.
---
There are some dark bits, including child abuse. If I'd known ahead of time, I'd've skipped the book. But I sense a happy ending coming, so now I have to finish.
---
"Hate is a knife without a handle."
"... the supposedly great but mostly incomprehensible Søren Kierkegaard..."
(Insert several famous writers or artists there; I'm glad someone else is willing to admit that they can't see the supposedly fine clothes on the emperor.)
If I were discussing this in book club, I would ask why her favorite sweater is one that Sean (her ex, an arsehole) gave her. When I break up with someone, I don't want reminders of them around at all. Do you?
---
Done. Yes, more dark bits, but a happy ending. show less
About 1/3 in. So far so charming. Kind of like a [b:Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library|16054808|Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library (Mr. Lemoncello's Library, #1)|Chris Grabenstein|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1379335670l/16054808._SY75_.jpg|21839952] for adults or new adults, especially those of us young-at-heart who treasure memories of favorite childhood books.
" the house was a grand Victorian, the house of someone too rich and a little bit wacky. Turrets and towers and stained-glass windows, oh my."
" *hope is the thing with feathers,* the lovely Miss Emily Dickinson once show more wrote. Well, if that's the case, then a wish is a thing with *black* feathers.... black feathers, a sharp beak, and talons. Dangerous things, wishes."
I'm beginning to think that the main theme of the book is that being brave, being hopeful, and working hard will make wishes come true.
---
There are some dark bits, including child abuse. If I'd known ahead of time, I'd've skipped the book. But I sense a happy ending coming, so now I have to finish.
---
"Hate is a knife without a handle."
"... the supposedly great but mostly incomprehensible Søren Kierkegaard..."
(Insert several famous writers or artists there; I'm glad someone else is willing to admit that they can't see the supposedly fine clothes on the emperor.)
If I were discussing this in book club, I would ask why her favorite sweater is one that Sean (her ex, an arsehole) gave her. When I break up with someone, I don't want reminders of them around at all. Do you?
---
Done. Yes, more dark bits, but a happy ending. show less
4.25 stars
I love a book that can highlight the power of a good read while still giving you a full-fledged journey of its own. So meta, but so perceptive. There are some stories that we live in, some that feel lived in, and some that come to live with us, and this is one of those rare books that gave me a taste of it all. I may have left Clock Island when I turned that last page, but there are lessons I learned & there is magic I found there that I will always carry with me.
The Wishing Game was a cosy, wrenching, whimsical read with some fun banter and a whole lot of heart. I think there was a good balance between "life is crap and crap is hard" but also, we wish & we hope & we dream till we find the silver linings that make it all show more worth staying the course.
The writing had a very atmospheric quality to it which wasn't something I was expecting going in, but which I ended up noting & enjoying consistently. Lucy and Christopher's bonding won me over from the start, and there are not enough words I know to describe the absolute joy it was getting to know Jack and Hugo. They were profound in their emotion and relatable in their mannerisms in a way that spoke to my soul, and I distinctly remember annotating about my love for Hugo several times so...do with that what you will.
As for things that could've gone a bit better - Theresa was a terrific friend, and I wish that both her & Lucy's sister had gotten more airtime. Those were two important but severely underrated relationships that I would have loved to learn more about. Also, Lucy was mildly annoying on and off, but the supporting cast was SO good that it didn't distract too much from the overall charm of the book.
All in all, this was a wonderful, well-written, quotable gem of a book that I would happily recommend to anyone and everyone that could use a reminder to keep an eye on those silver linings we're all so frustratingly keen on forgetting about.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine Books & NetGalley for the DRC! show less
I love a book that can highlight the power of a good read while still giving you a full-fledged journey of its own. So meta, but so perceptive. There are some stories that we live in, some that feel lived in, and some that come to live with us, and this is one of those rare books that gave me a taste of it all. I may have left Clock Island when I turned that last page, but there are lessons I learned & there is magic I found there that I will always carry with me.
The Wishing Game was a cosy, wrenching, whimsical read with some fun banter and a whole lot of heart. I think there was a good balance between "life is crap and crap is hard" but also, we wish & we hope & we dream till we find the silver linings that make it all show more worth staying the course.
The writing had a very atmospheric quality to it which wasn't something I was expecting going in, but which I ended up noting & enjoying consistently. Lucy and Christopher's bonding won me over from the start, and there are not enough words I know to describe the absolute joy it was getting to know Jack and Hugo. They were profound in their emotion and relatable in their mannerisms in a way that spoke to my soul, and I distinctly remember annotating about my love for Hugo several times so...do with that what you will.
As for things that could've gone a bit better - Theresa was a terrific friend, and I wish that both her & Lucy's sister had gotten more airtime. Those were two important but severely underrated relationships that I would have loved to learn more about. Also, Lucy was mildly annoying on and off, but the supporting cast was SO good that it didn't distract too much from the overall charm of the book.
All in all, this was a wonderful, well-written, quotable gem of a book that I would happily recommend to anyone and everyone that could use a reminder to keep an eye on those silver linings we're all so frustratingly keen on forgetting about.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine Books & NetGalley for the DRC! show less
4.5⭐ ( rounded up..can't stop thinking about this one!)
“I want to live on a magical island with my favorite author and be his sidekick……”
Who wouldn’t want that? Twenty-six-year-old Lucy Hart, remembers the time she ran away from home at the age of thirteen to meet Jack Masterson, a famous children’s book author whose Clock Island series captured the hearts and imagination of generations of readers. She did meet the author, though her plans to stay with him didn’t quite pan out. The series remains her favorite and she shares that love with seven-year-old Christopher a student of hers, recently orphaned and now in foster care. Lucy carries the pain of an unhappy childhood and cares deeply for Christopher. She dreams of show more becoming his foster parent and eventually adopting him. However, her meager income as a teacher’s aide and less than suitable living arrangements make her an unsuitable candidate for the same. When her favorite author invites her to participate in a contest to win the only copy of his new manuscript, written after an almost six-year hiatus, Lucy jumps at the opportunity to visit Clock Island, Masterson's private island in Maine that is modeled after the setting for his books. Not only is she excited to meet her favorite author once again but winning the contest would greatly improve Lucy’s financial situation and thus, her chances of being approved as a guardian for Christopher.
“What did the kids in the books have to do to get their wishes? First, they had to make a wish. Then they had to get to Clock Island. After that, they answered riddles or played strange games. Then they had to face their fears.”
On Clock Island, Lucy meets her co-contestants – three others like herself who had once run away from unhappy situations at home when they were children to meet “The Mastermind” who they believed had the power to make their wishes come true. Now as adults, they are back at Clock Island and they all have their reasons for wanting to with the contest. Lucy also meets Hugo Reese again, the illustrator for the series. Jack’s contest consists of a series of games and riddles and ultimately just like the characters in his books, a special challenge wherein they would have to face their fears. But news of Jack Masterson’s new book is making waves and there are scheming lawyers, book collectors and publishers to get their hands on that coveted manuscript. Lucy has a lot on her plate –dodging shady people with their shadier offers, her dynamic with Hugo, the stress of winning the contest and securing a future for Christopher and herself- and it’s not going to be an easy ride.
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer is a beautiful story. Remember Willy Wonka? Instead of a chocolate factory, here get to have a look at Masterson's “writing factory” fully equipped with a huge collection of typewriters and his raven, Thurl Ravenscroft,also his “co-writer”. The narrative is shared for the most part from Lucy’s perspective and a few chapters from that of Hugo with excepts from one of the Clock Island books interspersed throughout the narrative. Jack Masterson is a quirky character with a heart of gold. Lucy Hart is endearing and I was invested in her story from the very beginning. Her journey is one of catharsis and growth. The dynamics between the Jack and Hugo and Lucy and Christopher - the friendship, concern and empathy and sense of family will touch your heart. Christopher did seem a bit mature for his age but his reservations can be explained by the trauma he has endured. I also liked that the author also looks at the potential perils involved when impressionable minds are influenced to embark on risky ventures. Some moments will break your heart and others will have your heart singing with joy. Overall this a lovely story that touches on themes of family, childhood, loss, kindness, love and sacrifice.
As an introvert who grew up with her nose always in a book (Enid Blyton books, The Trixie Belden series, and The Chronicles of Narnia were among my favorite childhood series) and an adult who struggles to keep from squealing with excitement every time she visits The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Disney World (I read the Harry Potter books when I was well into my twenties), I was captivated by this story and the idea of Clock Island as the reclusive author’s not—so—humble abode. Meg Shaffer does a brilliant job of highlighting the role that books play in the lives of children (and adults) and the refuge they provide and in doing so reinforces the fact that books remain your constant companion through the darkest of times. Though not fantasy per se, this story is magical in its own way. Read this book with your heart and you won’t be disappointed!
Many thanks to author Meg Shaffer, Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine and NetGalley for the much-appreciated digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
“The stories write us, you see. We read something that moves us, touches us, speaks to us and it … it changes us.” show less
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Awards
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Wishing Game
- Alternate titles
- Het verlangen van Lucy Hart
- Original publication date
- 2023
- People/Characters
- Lucy Hart; Christopher; Jack Masterson; Hugo Reese
- Important places
- Clock Island
- Dedication
- This book is dedicated to Charlie
and to all of us who are still looking
for our golden tickets. - First words
- Every night, Hugo went for a walk on the Five O'Clock Beach, but tonight was the first time in five years his wandering feet spelled out an SOS in the sand.
- Quotations
- Jack chuckled. “The book exists. And there is only one copy of it in the world. I typed it up and hid it away.”
“And you're seriously going to entrust it to some stranger?”
“No, but I shall whimsically... (show all) entrust it to some stranger.” - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)When you gotta scream, you gotta scream.
- Blurbers
- Schwab, V. E.; Picoult, Jodi; Albert, Melissa; Allen, Sarah Addison; Henry, Patti Callahan; Bond, Gwenda
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