The Wishing Game Meg Shaffer

by Meg Shaffer
The Wishing Game Published by Random House Publishing Group on May 30, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Family Life / General, Fiction / Fantasy / Action & Adventure, Fiction / Women
Pages: 320
Find the Author: Website, Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram
Goodreads

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • 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, dark, 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 LaRue

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Washington Post, She Reads, Bookreporter

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.

Review:

I picked up The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer for the Book Girls Guide challenge. The character becomes part of the story. That means stories like The Story Thieves or Off The Page, where characters go into the book. The Wishing Game, though, takes that concept in another direction, which is not a bad thing. It’s just not what I was expecting. The story is all about a young boy named Christopher who finds his parents dead one morning, and he associates their death with a phone call that came in the exact moment he sees their bodies, so this is a distraught child. Lucy is a teacher and is desperate to adopt Christopher but lacks the funds and means to qualify to foster him. Lucy is connected to a book series called the Clock Island series, which has over 40 books. She also suffered from trauma in her childhood as her sister had been sick her whole life, and she was only born to be a lifesaver if her sister ever needed it. Lucy and Christopher belong together, and I wanted them to be. The path to how they get it is unconventional, with the addition of a contest to win the latest Clock Island book, which would solve anyone’s money problems to an extent. During the contest, hearts will heal, trauma will be examined, and tears will undoubtedly fall. While this wasn’t quite what I expected, it was still a good story.

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