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melissaslibraryy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5 trillion stars all around for this beautiful novel that had me crying tears of joy and sadness from beginning to end. I’ve heard such amazing things about this book so I had no choice but to read it myself, and it’s a decision I’ll always be grateful for.
Our main character Lucy is a kindergarten teacher who is trying to foster then adopt one of her orphaned students Christopher, who she has formed a wholesome bond with over the past two years but is facing some financial setbacks that is stopping her from meeting the requirements to foster her baby boy. She would read her favorite childhood book series to him whenever he needed comforting from his trauma of finding his parents passed away and it was an outlet that helped him heal, so when the author of said series who has been on hiatus for years suddenly posts about a challenge to solve various riddles for a shot of winning his newest book Lucy has no choice but to accept his invitation.
This was a beautifully written story about family, heartbreak, and finding new love in the most unknowing situations. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in reading it or to those who’ve never heard of it, and definitely see myself rereading this eventually bc yes it is just that good❤️
Our main character Lucy is a kindergarten teacher who is trying to foster then adopt one of her orphaned students Christopher, who she has formed a wholesome bond with over the past two years but is facing some financial setbacks that is stopping her from meeting the requirements to foster her baby boy. She would read her favorite childhood book series to him whenever he needed comforting from his trauma of finding his parents passed away and it was an outlet that helped him heal, so when the author of said series who has been on hiatus for years suddenly posts about a challenge to solve various riddles for a shot of winning his newest book Lucy has no choice but to accept his invitation.
This was a beautifully written story about family, heartbreak, and finding new love in the most unknowing situations. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in reading it or to those who’ve never heard of it, and definitely see myself rereading this eventually bc yes it is just that good❤️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy
ixris's review
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A very easy read, which would not be a bad thing except that the writer will repeat herself sometimes on the same page, sometimes in the next sentence. The amount of things I had to stop and reread because surely the redundancy was a misread on my part (it wasn't) was more than I care to admit and made the reading unpleasant at times.
The plot focuses on a woman who (to me, a person who spent nine years as a childcare aide) is the least believable depiction of a struggling poverty class worker let alone a childcare worker and how she is enamored with the MPDG of an old man who invites her to return to his Defunctland vibe private island and falling in love with his grumpy live in illustrator (Sorry she's not sunshine tho).
A lot of this was really trite to me but maybe I'm not the right audience. It was a coherent plot and structurally sound, and I quite liked the flirting scenes - our FMC and her MLI really had a good vibe overall.
You could spot this plot from space though.
The plot focuses on a woman who (to me, a person who spent nine years as a childcare aide) is the least believable depiction of a struggling poverty class worker let alone a childcare worker and how she is enamored with the MPDG of an old man who invites her to return to his Defunctland vibe private island and falling in love with his grumpy live in illustrator (Sorry she's not sunshine tho).
A lot of this was really trite to me but maybe I'm not the right audience. It was a coherent plot and structurally sound, and I quite liked the flirting scenes - our FMC and her MLI really had a good vibe overall.
You could spot this plot from space though.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Terminal illness, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Third act trauma dumpaprilb_reads's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Addiction, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Minor: Child death and Incest
bookcheshirecat's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
3.0
“The stories write us, you see. We read something that moves us, touches us, speaks to us and it…it changes us.”
➽ The Wishing Game sounded so whimsical and magical, but in the end, I expected a bit more from it. I really liked the premise as we follow a young woman called Lucy, who participates in a game hosted by her favorite author. Jack Masterson wrote the famous Clock Island books but stopped writing for years. Now he's back with a new book and the four contestants have a chance of winning the only copy. I love books about books, so I loved getting to see the impact the Clock Island books had. For many kids they were like a safe haven, Lucy included, who grew up in a neglectful household.
➽ My favorite part of the book was the riddles and visiting Jack Masterson's home, an island reminiscent of the book series' main setting. I wish the game had started earlier, as it takes about 40-50% of the story to get to that point. I feel like the competition could have been a bigger focus, as it initially caught my interest. The first riddle was intriguing, but afterwards, we were simply told that they'd competed in the other games without seeing any of them. The final game was honestly a letdown, as it had nothing to do with cleverness or skill.It's literally 5 minutes to call someone and have them read you the words on a specific Clock Island book page. How is that a riddle or test of skill? In the end, no one gets it right because the time runs out, which feels like such a joke to me.
➽ For the most part I liked Lucy, a 26-year-old kindergarten teacher's aide who hopes to adopt a little boy called Christopher. She's trying to give him a loving home but has trouble saving up the money and getting a proper apartment/car for them. I understood why the social worker was sceptical, since Lucy's still living with college-aged people and doesn't have her own apartment. However, I could also understand Lucy's frustration that the system penalized anyone who is too poor. I liked how Lucy and Christopher connected to each other via the Clock Island books, but I felt like she was too intense about him at times. I know she cares about him, but she's calling herself his mother when by this time, she's still his teacher!
➽ I wasn't a fan of how Lucy's sister was handled. She was a sick, immuno-compromised kid and therefore got more attention while Lucy was neglected. However, Lucy still blames Angie for her childhood trauma, even though it was her parents who mistreated them. She doesn't even consider Angie's perspective and only finds out how she felt much later. Sure Angie said something hurtful in the past, but it didn't justify Lucy's years-long resentment, especially as she knew how sick her sister was. Parts of this felt so ableist and it annoyed me how Lucy made everything about herself. The ending also rubbed me the wrong way.Just when the sisters have reconciled, Angie falls ill again and only has a couple of months left to live. Lucy finally forgives her and includes her in her life again. I don't know why the author thought it would be a good idea to essentially use her disabled character to further the protagonist's character development only for them to die in the end.
➽ My favorite part of the book was the riddles and visiting Jack Masterson's home, an island reminiscent of the book series' main setting. I wish the game had started earlier, as it takes about 40-50% of the story to get to that point. I feel like the competition could have been a bigger focus, as it initially caught my interest. The first riddle was intriguing, but afterwards, we were simply told that they'd competed in the other games without seeing any of them. The final game was honestly a letdown, as it had nothing to do with cleverness or skill.
➽ For the most part I liked Lucy, a 26-year-old kindergarten teacher's aide who hopes to adopt a little boy called Christopher. She's trying to give him a loving home but has trouble saving up the money and getting a proper apartment/car for them. I understood why the social worker was sceptical, since Lucy's still living with college-aged people and doesn't have her own apartment. However, I could also understand Lucy's frustration that the system penalized anyone who is too poor. I liked how Lucy and Christopher connected to each other via the Clock Island books, but I felt like she was too intense about him at times. I know she cares about him, but she's calling herself his mother when by this time, she's still his teacher!
➽ I wasn't a fan of how Lucy's sister was handled. She was a sick, immuno-compromised kid and therefore got more attention while Lucy was neglected. However, Lucy still blames Angie for her childhood trauma, even though it was her parents who mistreated them. She doesn't even consider Angie's perspective and only finds out how she felt much later. Sure Angie said something hurtful in the past, but it didn't justify Lucy's years-long resentment, especially as she knew how sick her sister was. Parts of this felt so ableist and it annoyed me how Lucy made everything about herself. The ending also rubbed me the wrong way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Minor: Addiction, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Grief
ericj32's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-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? Yes
4.0
This novel taps into the special kind of excitement that many lonely kids feel about their favorite books as an escape to a place where they can imagine their wishes coming true. The structure of the plot and overall sense of childlike wonder feels very similar to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, except it revolves around an eccentric and mysterious author of beloved children’s books. The first few chapters felt disjointed and jumped around quite a bit, introducing a lot of different characters, but once I met the young orphaned Christopher, I was invested. There are some holes in the plot and not all of the details really feel very realistic but if you suspend a little disbelief, it’s an enjoyable ride. I felt like the book set reasonable expectations that it would be a loosely realistic near-fantasy, in the vein of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, so I didn’t get bogged down in the questionable ethics and legality of Lucy’s relationship with Christopher when she was promising to adopt him while still being a teacher’s aide at his school. The relationship between Christopher and Lucy made me tear up more than once. I was less invested in the love story and the subplot with Lucy’s ex. The subplot about Lucy’s own sister and parents was interesting, but felt a little underdeveloped. I also wish that there had been a few more puzzles and riddles in the book, as I enjoyed solving those that were included. I definitely felt a rush of anticipation as the contest began, and the contest wasn’t quite as involved as fun as I’d hoped it would be. But this was overall a very engaging read with so much heart that I can’t be too critical. There is more wisdom than you’d expect in this kind of book about what it takes to find happiness and be brave and what things are worth fighting for.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, and Drug abuse
clothildev's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
If you had a traumatic childhood and picked up reading as a coping mechanism, you are the target audience for this book lol
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Abandonment
keelirae113's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The author said it best, “this book is for you and all the kids who, in dark times, find a light shining from the pages of books.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Miscarriage, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Minor: Addiction, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
hilivingston7's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It felt like a warm hug. Willy wonka meets Peter pan with a therapist. Love the nuanced approach to dreams and encouraging children’s spirits, while not promising life is fair. The letters from Christopher to the mastermind had me 😭
I think the critique of Lucy’s relationship with Christopher is fair, but also think the difference of one person who really cares can make in a child’s life. I also didn’t like that her love interest meets her when she’s underage.
I think the critique of Lucy’s relationship with Christopher is fair, but also think the difference of one person who really cares can make in a child’s life. I also didn’t like that her love interest meets her when she’s underage.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
bluz19's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book by far gives “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” vibes! I think this book has a very whimsical feel to it and falls under the themes of quirky, puzzle, and an underdog story. Basically Lucy, a woman very down on her luck and with childhood trauma, has grow up and meets a kid that she knows she could give her love to but all that’s missing is the money to take care of him. She is given that opportunity when Masterson invites her to his island for a contest that if she wins she can sell the book and finally be able to adopt the sweetest and brightest boy Christopher. I liked the premise of the story, it was something that was a quick read and easy to absorb and fly through. There were some deep themes that this book tackled like child abandonment, feeling unwanted, running away, and the foster system, but there are lighter ones too. I don’t think this book was meant to be a lot of twists and turns, just a nice story about how we bring bad things from our childhood but also some good things that help us become who we are and who we’re meant to be. I think this book was very healing as well, it made me think back to the books that I read as a kid that fully changed me. i loved how this book shows that even adults get scared and have problems, and want to believe in magic. This book helps them to face their fears and see that there can be a light at the ned of the tunnel.
There were points in the story that I felt were unnecessary and forced but because of all the points I did love, I was able to overlook some of the not so wonderful parts. I think this would make a very relaxing read, there’s no real twists, no violence, no horror, just feel good vibes. The story is ultimately about a love and appreciation for books and their ties on people. The character have their downfalls, especially impulsive and stressful Lucy, but only because she wants to offer what she never had, love. I’ve read a lot of reviews of people who didn’t like the book simply because of the relationship that Lucy builds with Christopher but we also must acknowledge this this book is supposed to be the best case scenario of what is horrible circumstances.
I think if you enjoyed Willy Wonka, are looking for a more lighthearted story break, or you just love books, riddles, and writing then you would enjoy this story. I think I was pleasantly surprised with what I actually read because I didnt have high hopes for this book. It quickly brought me in and I flew through the book even if I could mostly tell the ending. This book made me want to live on Clock Island too!
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Death of parent
haileyhardcover's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The Wishing Game is perfection. A perfect blend of heartbreak and hope, wit and whimsy. I laughed, I cried. I raced to solve riddles and braved my own fears. I had so much fun on Clock Island.
I love stories that make you fall even more in love with stories. Books have been such an important part of my life, and I love when authors not only acknowledge what books mean to us, but write whole new stories just to honor and celebrate them! Who would we be without the books we’ve loved? I don’t care to know the answer.
The Wishing Game is like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory but for adults whose inner child is ready to come out. For a book set in the “real world” without any actual magic, it felt like I was reading a fantasy. Clock Island truly felt magical and is certainly a place where wishes do come true if you’re brave enough to ask.
I connected to this story personally on so many levels. You know a book was meant to find you when, halfway through, you’re already thinking about getting quotes and images tattooed on your body forever, because having them branded into your heart just isn’t enough.
The Wishing Game is perfectly paced and easy to binge-read if that’s your thing. It’s a quick read at just under 300 pages. Most of the chapters are quite short and even the longer ones move quickly enough that you don’t notice the difference. If you appreciate a good floppy paperback like I do, the publisher nailed this one - so easy to break in and then lays flat like a dream even from the first page! Also the cover?! Stunning! No notes.
In short, I highly, highly recommend The Wishing Game.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Outing