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A review by booklvrkat
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
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 He has finally finished authoring a new book and has decided that he will gift the unpublished book to the winner in an exclusive competition.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