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gkaltam's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse and Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse and Miscarriage
swell_gal's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Miscarriage, and Abandonment
Minor: Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
booklvrkat's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A mix between The Wizard of Oz, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and the Chronicles of Narnia. That’s where my mind went when we travelled to Clock Island, the home of reclusive author Jack Masterson, otherwise known as “the mastermind”. He has finally finished authoring a new book and has decided that he will gift the unpublished book to the winner in an exclusive competition. There are obstacles, riddles, and many clues that the contestants will have to solve in order to win. (This part gives me thoughts of the Inheritance Games Series).
Jack lives on a secluded island, a ferry ride away from the coast of Maine, with his book illustrator, Hugo. The four chosen contestants are all adults now, but when they were children, they ran away from their homes to the island in hopes that they could stay with Jack and the magical world he had created for them.
Lucy, a kindergarten TA, is desperate to adopt a young boy, Christopher. They connected through the Clock Island books when she read them to him during her short fostering of him after a horrible trauma in his life. Adopting him would be both their dreams come true. When the invite to participate in the Clock Island game is received, she knows that she has the will to win. You’re going to want to cheer Lucy on.
I adored this lovely, inspiring book. It’s written with heart, love and caring. While the story is mostly optimistic, there are some emotional, hard moments, which were unexpected, but made the story more genuine to me. Secondary to the main story is a small slow burn attraction between two characters that filled my heart to bursting. I’d recommend this story to anyone looking to get out of a reading funk, or just looking for that easy read that makes you happy.
Lucy, a kindergarten TA, is desperate to adopt a young boy, Christopher. They connected through the Clock Island books when she read them to him during her short fostering of him after a horrible trauma in his life. Adopting him would be both their dreams come true. When the invite to participate in the Clock Island game is received, she knows that she has the will to win. You’re going to want to cheer Lucy on.
I adored this lovely, inspiring book. It’s written with heart, love and caring. While the story is mostly optimistic, there are some emotional, hard moments, which were unexpected, but made the story more genuine to me. Secondary to the main story is a small slow burn attraction between two characters that filled my heart to bursting. I’d recommend this story to anyone looking to get out of a reading funk, or just looking for that easy read that makes you happy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, and Terminal illness
Minor: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Death of parent
bree_of_the_woods's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse and Death of parent
Minor: Miscarriage and Sexual assault
gholdreith's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Incest, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol
mjadeh's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse and Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship
laurenabeth's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I don’t have words for how much I enjoyed this book, but I will try. It feels like Willy Wonka and Nothing to See Here and The House in the Cerulean Sea had an eccentric lovechild.
Spellbound. I am spellbound. Giddy. Gleeful. Childlike. I don’t believe I have ever been childlike, but this book is that kind of transformative. It put fuel in my tank; it brightened my darkness; it lifted me from my misery. This is the most magical book that doesn’t include magic, the most whimsical book that I don’t think ever used the word “whimsy,” and the most gratifyingly crafted prose I’ve read in years.
I can barely contain my joy to review this, except to say it was un-put-downable. I timed my reading session, and I blew through this in 5.28 hours. This is the most valuable 5.28 hours I’ve spent in ages.
Teacher’s aid Lucy is selected with a few other strangers to play a game at the remote home of a reclusive children’s author and his despondent illustrator. Questions and riddles and mysteries follow, but there are bigger prizes at stake…
You love Lucy. You love Jack. You’re praying that Christopher gets what he deserves, and you hope that Hugo gets that too. This is a story about the power of wishes and the fact that wishes aren’t granted, they’re chased. They are breathed into life by the mind and then hunted down and made manifest by sheer force of will and determination. And even then, you don’t get what you wish for, you get what you deserve.
This is a book about books, about love and hope, about found family and the power of fantasy. It’s a story within a story maybe within another story, and each ending feels like the warm sun on your face after a winter of gloom.
Trigger warning for various forms of child abuse, neglect, illness, bigotry. But for the love of all things holy and unholy, read this. I burst into tears around page 245, and haven’t stopped crying since. It’ll be the fastest thing you’ll read, and the thing you put at the top of your re-read list. I never re-read anything, but I already can’t wait to read this again.
It’s not too heavy, not too light, and is as near to perfectly charming as a book can be. A million stars, a million likes, a million thanks.
Spellbound. I am spellbound. Giddy. Gleeful. Childlike. I don’t believe I have ever been childlike, but this book is that kind of transformative. It put fuel in my tank; it brightened my darkness; it lifted me from my misery. This is the most magical book that doesn’t include magic, the most whimsical book that I don’t think ever used the word “whimsy,” and the most gratifyingly crafted prose I’ve read in years.
I can barely contain my joy to review this, except to say it was un-put-downable. I timed my reading session, and I blew through this in 5.28 hours. This is the most valuable 5.28 hours I’ve spent in ages.
Teacher’s aid Lucy is selected with a few other strangers to play a game at the remote home of a reclusive children’s author and his despondent illustrator. Questions and riddles and mysteries follow, but there are bigger prizes at stake…
You love Lucy. You love Jack. You’re praying that Christopher gets what he deserves, and you hope that Hugo gets that too. This is a story about the power of wishes and the fact that wishes aren’t granted, they’re chased. They are breathed into life by the mind and then hunted down and made manifest by sheer force of will and determination. And even then, you don’t get what you wish for, you get what you deserve.
This is a book about books, about love and hope, about found family and the power of fantasy. It’s a story within a story maybe within another story, and each ending feels like the warm sun on your face after a winter of gloom.
Trigger warning for various forms of child abuse, neglect, illness, bigotry. But for the love of all things holy and unholy, read this. I burst into tears around page 245, and haven’t stopped crying since. It’ll be the fastest thing you’ll read, and the thing you put at the top of your re-read list. I never re-read anything, but I already can’t wait to read this again.
It’s not too heavy, not too light, and is as near to perfectly charming as a book can be. A million stars, a million likes, a million thanks.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Abandonment
Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Child death, Drug abuse, Incest, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, and Abortion
katiemack's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I requested the book because of the premise--a reclusive best-selling author offers the only copy of his latest book to the person who wins a series of games, which reminded me of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Westing Game--but this ended up veering into saccharine-yet-tragic territory. There are also some characters I wish had been explored further--Lucy's sister, Hugo's brother, Christopher, even Jack--that made the story feel more surface-level. I did enjoy the games and wish more of those had been included, and I got a little emotional toward the end, so the story did work for me overall. I just wish it had been better executed.
I requested the book because of the premise--a reclusive best-selling author offers the only copy of his latest book to the person who wins a series of games, which reminded me of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Westing Game--but this ended up veering into saccharine-yet-tragic territory. There are also some characters I wish had been explored further--Lucy's sister, Hugo's brother, Christopher, even Jack--that made the story feel more surface-level. I did enjoy the games and wish more of those had been included, and I got a little emotional toward the end, so the story did work for me overall. I just wish it had been better executed.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Abandonment
Minor: Drug abuse and Terminal illness
goldenbeebookshop's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
This is a delightfully earnest and incredibly charming novel. While the author cites Willy Wonka as a core influence for the story, it also has a dash of The Westing Game and a sprinkle of Matilda.
There are so many delightful details that it also gave me a little hint of what I loved about my all-time favorite book, The Night Circus. The descriptions are whimsical and magical, and capture the sort of clever ideas that spark joy in the parts of us that love to believe that the well-loved places from our favorite childhood books are somewhere we can really visit.
It’s a book for adults, but the style and content of the story makes it a great read for a wide range of readers.
There are so many delightful details that it also gave me a little hint of what I loved about my all-time favorite book, The Night Circus. The descriptions are whimsical and magical, and capture the sort of clever ideas that spark joy in the parts of us that love to believe that the well-loved places from our favorite childhood books are somewhere we can really visit.
It’s a book for adults, but the style and content of the story makes it a great read for a wide range of readers.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
lastblossom's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
A sometimes tragic, mostly hopeful story about the dreams we had as kids, and the courage it takes to make them come true as adults.
Thoughts
When a mysterious reclusive author invites people to his remote island to compete for a prize, the first thing my mind conjures up is backstabbing, cynically evil people, and a murder or two. And at first, it seems like we might be heading in that direction, but the Wishing Game willfully chooses a more hopeful voice. The competitors are all flawed, but sympathetic, with difficult (sometimes traumatic) and relatable histories that make it very easy to wish the best for everyone involved. The game creator in particular is incredibly human, and potentially the most sympathetic of the entire cast. I normally have a clear favorite character, but I found myself invested in everyone on the island. Hugo the artist perhaps squeaks out as my fave, but only because I have a soft spot in my heart for grumpy rebellious artists. The plot is fairly straightforward - a chocolate factory-esque competition, but for adults (or perhaps for kids who simply got older), and I appreciated the perspective of people who have lived long enough to understand what's really at stake. With the addition of some light romance and a few fun puzzles, this was far from the dark cynical book I expected, and I am immensely grateful for it. Strong recommend for anyone looking for an honest, but hopeful take on being an adult and making your wishes come true.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advance copy. All thoughts here are my own.
A sometimes tragic, mostly hopeful story about the dreams we had as kids, and the courage it takes to make them come true as adults.
Thoughts
When a mysterious reclusive author invites people to his remote island to compete for a prize, the first thing my mind conjures up is backstabbing, cynically evil people, and a murder or two. And at first, it seems like we might be heading in that direction, but the Wishing Game willfully chooses a more hopeful voice. The competitors are all flawed, but sympathetic, with difficult (sometimes traumatic) and relatable histories that make it very easy to wish the best for everyone involved. The game creator in particular is incredibly human, and potentially the most sympathetic of the entire cast. I normally have a clear favorite character, but I found myself invested in everyone on the island. Hugo the artist perhaps squeaks out as my fave, but only because I have a soft spot in my heart for grumpy rebellious artists. The plot is fairly straightforward - a chocolate factory-esque competition, but for adults (or perhaps for kids who simply got older), and I appreciated the perspective of people who have lived long enough to understand what's really at stake. With the addition of some light romance and a few fun puzzles, this was far from the dark cynical book I expected, and I am immensely grateful for it. Strong recommend for anyone looking for an honest, but hopeful take on being an adult and making your wishes come true.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advance copy. All thoughts here are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Racism, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
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