(Review #379)
5/5 stars for this Book of the Month, “The Wishing Game,” by Meg Shaffer. It’s contemporary fiction with a tiny bit of romance Despite how magical it feels, there’s no true fantasy element. I loved every bit of it!!!
Here’s my thoughts while reading:
Alrighty, so is this a book within a book? Jack Masterson is an author who writes children’s books about a magical island controlled by the Mastermind where locations are time and time are locations. But what is real to these characters and what is fiction?
Ah, so in real life, Lucy wants to adopt 7 year old foster kid, Christopher, who is a student at the school she works at. They’re both big fans of Jack Masterson’s books and one wish Christopher makes is that he’d write another book.
Hugo is Jack’s illustrator and has plans to finally leave Jack on Clock Island and get back to living like a grown adult should. Except Jack just announced a surprise game with riddles that will give one winner an exclusive copy of his new book.
What happened to Davie and who is he?
What’s the relationship between Hugo and Jack?
Will Christopher be the wishing winner?
Will Lucy save enough money?
Does Jack really have a finished book?
Will Hugo ever leave the island?
What is Clock island really like?
Why did Lucy move as far away from Maine as possible?
“A wish is a thing with black feathers… Dangerous thing, wishes. Sometimes they come to you when you call. Something they fly away after biting you.”
Why is a raven like a writing desk?
I love how part one ends and Lucy’s relationship with Christopher. Many parts of this novel feel as if the whole story is meant for middle school age, so I’m interested if that perception will change later.
I loved part 2 as well. It was quick and efficient. I hope Hugo has more chapters again. So they’re 7.5ish years apart. Will there be a romance element? I’m afraid of saying too much because of spoilers but so far this book has surpassed my expectations because I already care so much about the outcome.
I’m soooo proud of myself that I figured out his first riddle in less than a minute!
At the halfway mark completely rooting for Lucy.
Why does Jack want this competition anyway? What gave him this idea?
“Sometimes the thing we want most in the world is the thing we’re most afraid of. And the thing we’re most afraid of is often the thing we most want. What do you want most in the world?”
This book was perfect.