Book Review: The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

About the Book

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, 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 on his private island where four hand-picked readers will compete to win the only copy. At age thirteen, Lucy fled her unhappy home and showed up on Jack Masterson’s doorstep, hoping to live with her favorite author. Thirteen years later, a sky-blue envelope arrives with Lucy’s name on it, postmarked “Clock Island.”

For Lucy, a chance to read the first Clock Island book in years is a prize worth fighting for, but the possibility of winning, selling the manuscript, and securing a better future for her and Christopher means everything.

But first, Lucy must contend with ruthless book collectors, wily opponents, and the distractingly handsome (and grumpy) Hugo Reese, illustrator of the Clock Island books and Jack’s only friend. Meanwhile, Jack “the Mastermind” Masterson is plotting the ultimate twist ending that could change all their lives forever.

. . . You might just get it.

My Review

Do NOT be fooled by the short review. This was one of my favorite reads in a long time!

Oh my goodness but this was such a sweet and lovely tale… It was full of magic and heart and people who love books, and it was written in an engaging and easygoing style that had me flipping pages from start to finish. While I was fairly confident that everything would wrap up tidily, and – this isn’t really a spoiler given the genre – it did, it did so in a way that felt authentic and like the kind of plausible that exists in the world you WANT to live in even if it doesn’t exactly resemble the real world in very many regards.

I fell in love with the characters and the magic, both of which will totally send me in search of more by Meg Shaffer…

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.