The Wishing Game: A Novel

This is the best book I have read in a long long time. I wish there were more authors who wrote like this.For a while now I've been worried that I'd accidentally finished all the good books in the world, got to the bottom of the well of talent, and now all that's left are the dregs. This book gave me hope again.This author is exceptional in every way. Don't be fooled by the initial child-like feel of the writing or the characters, the story goes into some very deep and complex themes, like hope. Something tragically beautiful and painfully romantic. The soft wide-eyed portrayal of hope makes the dark moments of this book even more heart-rending. The writing is inspirational and the story is deeply satisfying.

I found The Wishing Game in hardback, and yes, I judged the book partially by its cover. The colorful, almost sparkling bookshelf pictured is one I wish I had. So, with that in mind, with the blurb tickling my brain, and in the interest of saving money, I purchased a Kindle copy. But with a big TBR pile, I didn't get to it until recently. As with many books like it, my reaction was, "What took me so long?"The Wishing Game is, first and foremost, an enchanting book. My inner preteen, the one who used to love roaming the halls of Misselthwaite Manor, dodging cruel orphanage personnel, figuring out Sam Westing's riddles, and more, woke up and was entranced. She wanted to play and I let her. The Clock Island setting hits the perfect mix of cozy and mysterious. On the one hand, it's home to any kid or grown-up kid who needs it, the kind of place you could sit by the fire with a cup of cocoa and your favorite book and doll or plushie and feel safe. On the other, it's a mysterious, almost spooky entity full of unfinished park plans, deserted shops, and dark secrets. It's delicious, and if you know my reviews, settings don't often impress me. Thus, when they do, they *really* do, and Clock Island is in my top five.I also loved the characters and the interplay between them. I could relate to Lucy and her struggles; although we have led very different lives, we have fought to find our places and battled feelings of being unwanted. But I could also relate to Jack, Hugo, and even Christopher, and characters who maybe weren't on the page. Everyone in the book reads like a person you could meet in real life, but also probably have. They're your kid's favorite teacher, your coffee barista who plays in a rock band or draws detailed doodles on the napkins, your introverted neighbor sorting through their past and present. Watching them embrace Clock Island and all its challenges swept me away and made me think.As for the plot itself, I loved it. As I hinted, I love a plot with a game and a mystery; for instance, The Westing Game was one of my favorite books in middle school. I was thrilled when I knew the answer to the first game right away, but then pleasantly stumped later. I cheered for Lucy, and then my heart broke for her. I rooted for Lucy and Hugo, and Lucy and Jack, to find themselves and each other, and become an unconventional "family" of sorts. I worried for Christopher, but also saw a bit of myself in him and thought, "You know what, this kid's gonna be okay." And while The Wishing Game has no breath-stealing twists, thrilling action, or deep psychological intricacies to probe, the secrets of the characters, Jack especially, made me sympathize and empathize with them, and love them, even more. Plus, the "twists" Jack threw at Lucy especially, caught me off guard but left me satisfied, in that I loved watching her work through them and appreciated, nothing was tied up in a pretty bow.The characters can lean a shade two-dimensional at times, and I wondered if some elements, such as Lucy's contact with Sean or Dustin's decisions in the game, were necessary. I didn't mind Davey having Down Syndrome, and he didn't need to be "representation" in this book. But especially coupled with Angie's chronic illness and Lucy's associated history, plus the fact that Hugo still thinks of Davey as a "kid" and treats him as such in his mind, I wondered if Down Syndrome was the right arc for Davey. (Although, as a Newsies superfan, I appreciated the presence of both a Jack and a Davey in the story)! ;) Besides that, I feel it fair to warn you that if language isn't your thing, there is some profanity, including a couple F bombs.That said, The Wishing Game is still a beautiful book. My inner kid and current grown-up still want to visit Clock Island. I am thrilled that Meg has another book coming out soon and will snap it up. In the meantime, this book doesn't get a wish for you to read it. It gets my solid recommendation.

Lucy has always wanted to be a momma since meeting Christopher and tutoring him, as a foster care kid he's the best of the best, lovable and smart, and they share a love of clock Island since she started reading it to him, new game and winner takes all, once she's back on the island with three other kid's who'd ran away actually as kids to the island for the mastermind to help them, anyway tons of fantasy, and intrigue, suspense and thrilling, love and despair, faith and forgiveness, I absolutely loved this story, to the family we make, my first book by this author but I love her books by her pen name, so here's to wishes, thank you, Dana Zamora

Never judge a book by its cover or its title- I did exactly that with this book and I was wrong. What an amazing book! One of my favorite reads so far this year. Favorite quotes are: “We tell people to follow their dreams. We tell them that they won’t be complete until they do, that they will be miserable until they start reaching for that brass ring. They never tell you how good it feels to give up on a dream.“ “Hate is a knife without a handle. You can’t cut something with it without cutting yourself.”

This is my first Meg Shaffer book but won't be my last.The Clock Island books saved Lucy when she was alone in the hospital waiting on someone to tell her how her sister was doing. The book provided a place to go where if children are brave enough their wishes can come true.When she is a little older she runs away to Clock Island. The author wants to help but the law takes her back.As an adult she's fallen in love with a boy she tutors who loses his parents. She's a kindergarten aid and her salary is too small to have a home or car of her own, let alone foster a child. She starts reading the Clock Island books to help him with his grief.When the author decides to hold a contest on the island for the four children who ran away all those years ago, Lucy hopes winning will give her the means to foster Christopher.As adults, the riddles of the game are challenging, to say the least. I enjoyed the complex characters and imaginative situations mirrored in the books. The story was moving.

The book lacked detail and plot in my opinion

This book was magical, touching, heartbreaking, funny, and smart! I loved every character so much, and it transported me back to childhood, when magic was so much more real. Meg Shaffer has a reader for life in me - I can't wait for the next one.

I’m struggling to understand the rave reviews about this book. Poorly written, ludicrous plot, unbearably cringe, and dunked in about 3 litres of syrup. Every character is one dimensional with a sob story and the dialogue is atrocious (for some reason all the characters do away with a subject at the start of every sentence). I love a feel good ending but this was feel good, with sweets and ribbons, tied together with honey and bashed over the head with a golden sugar brick. A bit much. I was very glad to get to the end of it, and I struggled.

Me ha encantado este libro.El debut de Tiffany como Meg Shaffer ea una auténtica delicia. Un homenaje a los niños cuyas vidas han sido marcadas por los libros de su infancia. Una historia llena de aventuras, emociones y magia que deja el corazón calentito. Espero que pronto podamos leer más libros de esta autora. Lo volveré a leer de nuevo en breve para no perderme ningún detalle. Si te gustó Charlie y la Fábrica de Chocolate no dudes en leerlo

Loved this from start to finish. Beautifully written and with every turn of the page a fascinating adventure, I think this is my favourite read of the last couple of years.It’s a love story but not between two people although that too plays a part. Rather this is a love affair of ideas, of events shaping people’s lives, of bravery, of elements of fantasy that fit into reality, of reality that has an air of fantasy, of the vulnerability of children and adults and lastly, of friendship.The air of originality in the flow of words and the action itself, is a joy. No spoilers but for me this was a book to be read by a wonderful author who I am hoping has more to come.I repeat, loved every moment.

What a ride it was reading all about Christopher, Lucy, Jack and Hugo, and the wonderful Clock Island.I did not know what to expect, but nothing ever written by Meg has been anything but an unforgettable story and the reason why I will automatically buy any of her books.This is a story which will warm everyone’s heart, young and old alike, and it has been told with the most delicate of touches, the most powerful of words and all the feelings in between.There is a happy ending, but the road to get there is not a linear one.