The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer is a delightful read that will have you crying happy tears. In my The Wishing Game book review, I’ll explore why it’s the perfect cozy book to curl up with this fall.
Book title: The Wishing Game
Author: Meg Shaffer
Genre: Adult Fiction
Pages: 278
Read more from Meg Shaffer here
The Wishing Game is perfect for readers looking for that cozy short contemporary read to read in a weekend or a day. In this cozy The Wishing Game book review, I’ll explore how it captures the magic of childhood books and the joy of reconnecting with that wonder as an adult. It’s about a woman who gets to visit the real life island from her childhood books. And see the author of those books.
Its super heartwarming and light, The wishing game is a story of hope and love. If you love a book that will make you cry happy tears at the end of it then the wishing game is the book for you.
Because I guarantee you will be shedding tears at every page turn.
The quote that starts when you read the first page “This book is dedicated to charlie and to all of us who are still looking for a golden ticket”
So the wishing game is like Charlie and the chocolate factory but for adults and a love for reading rather than chocolate.
The Wishing Game summary
So to sum it up, The main character Lucy Hart is a teacher’s aide who desperately wants to adopt a young boy in her class named Christopher Lamb.
Christopher lost his parents recently and he has trauma over it. He can’t answer the phone because when he found his parents dead the phone was ringing nonstop. Since then he has had trouble answering phones.
Lucy is basically broke and in debt, she lives with roommates way younger than her so she has no way to even start on adopting christopher. Until she gets offered an experience of a lifetime.
The author of her favorite childhood books invites Lucy along with others to play a game and win the only copy of his new book.
Lucy sees this as the perfect opportunity to get the funds to adopt christopher.
This The Wishing Game book review highlights the unique blend of heartwarming themes and relatable characters.
The Wishing Game Characters
Lucy Hart– Lucy is 26 years old and works as a teacher’s aide. She loves reading and shares that with her students. Shoulder length brown hair. Brown eyes
Christopher Lamb– 7 year old orphan. Lost his parents 2 years ago. He has black hair, Hazel eyes. And is currently in foster care. He has nightmares of his parents in the bed with their eyes open. He still writes to them as if they are alive.
On page 87 when he says to lucy “I’ll try to answer when you call me” my heart couldn’t take it!
Ms.Theresa- The class teacher and one of Lucy’s friends
Mrs.Costa– The social worker
Hugo– An artist, British and had a brother named Davey who passed. Hugo designs the cover art for the books and he lives with the author on Clock island. They kind of developed a father son relationship because Jack saved Hugo from what he was going through when his brother died.
Jack Masterson– the author of the clock island books 67 years old.
Sean– Lucy’s terrible ex boyfriend.
Angie– Lucy’s older sister who was always sick and because of that, she had her parent’s attention all the time. Lucy grew up resenting her and went to live with her grandparents instead.
Jack Masterson invited people who visited the clock island when they were kids and now are all grown. These are those characters:
Andre Watkins– Black man from Atlanta. He ran away when he was a kid because he was bullied in school, Jack wrote to his parents to get him transferred and even wrote a recommendation to harvard. Now Andre is a lawyer.
Melanie Evans– Canadian, late 30s, asian, Long dark hair. Jack sent books to her school saying it was from him when she was a kid because she wrote to Jack that she didn’t have any friends.
Dr. Dustin Gardner– Jack encouraged him to be honest with his parents because he was afraid of coming out. Now he is an ER doctor.
Then Lucy- she ran away to clock island at 13 years old because she felt neglected by her parents.
So each of these adults were kids once who wrote to their favorite author Jack Masterson and visited clock island. Jack Masterson saw them as his kids and helped in any way that he could and now that they’re adults he wants to give them a chance to win an exclusive copy of his newest book. And for the weekend they will become a character in his books.
Susan Hyde- attorney to lion house. Lion house book publisher for the clock island books.
Considering this is the Author’s debut novel I think Meg Shaffer did a really good job at the pacing, Personally I felt like it was natural. Nothing felt rushed or dragged on. And the Plot was super creative, who would’ve thought to write about an adult version of Charlie and the chocolate factory.
Writing from the point of view of an adult who was a huge fan of a series when she was a kid and then getting the chance to meet that author and other readers to play as a character from those series.
Imagine getting a chance to go to Hogwarts for the weekend and going on quests as if you’re a character.
As adults there’s not many moments we get to be child-like and this book was a moment of that. Overall, this The Wishing Game book review reflects how the book invites adults to rediscover their inner child. Also check out meg’s story about creating the wishing game
