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kpflea's review
- 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
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Child death, Drug abuse, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Cancer, Death of parent, and Drug use
Minor: Miscarriage
yarnarh's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
- The way Lucy was so obsessed with Christopher. It doesn’t scream I love you, more like I’m obsessed and I can’t live without you.
- The age gap between Lucy and Hugo. 8 years age gap is quite a lot. I mean it make sense that Hugo have to be 21 to make his own decision and live on an island with an old man. But 13 and 21 feels like a huge gap.
- luring kids to his clock island. He is an adult. He should know how gullible and naive little kids are. And if a Hogwarts letter come to my house as a kid I would have do whatever I can to get there.
Other than that, I love the book. Heartwarming, and magical
Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Cancer, Chronic illness, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, and Terminal illness
Minor: Incest
kitausu's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Self harm, Rape, Pedophilia, and Medical content
louisekf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Child abuse, Child death, Miscarriage, and Terminal illness
jaimee_reads's review against another edition
Minor: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Adult/minor relationship
gholdreith's review
- 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
Minor: Chronic illness, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Death of parent, Child death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Incest, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Death, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
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
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.
Moderate: Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Bullying, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Abandonment, and Homophobia