Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - Het verlangen van Lucy Hart

Title: The Wishing Game
Author: Meg Shaffer
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5.00
Pub Date: May 30, 2023

T H R E E • W O R D S

Comforting • Whimsical • Hopeful

📖 S Y N O P S I S

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.

When Jack Masterson announces he’s finally written a new book. he decides to hold 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.

💭 T H O U G H T S

There are times when the perfect book falls into your hands at exactly the right time, and that is exactly what happened to me with The Wishing Game. I was in need of a feel-good, warmhearted, and fun book, and that is exactly what I got! I picked this book up while my nieces and nephews were here for the week, yet I instantly knew it was the type of book that needed my undivided attention. So, I set it aside until I could do just that, and then devoured it.

From very early on this story gave me The House in the Cerulean Sea vibes. There is sufficient character development in order for each unique one to worm their way into my heart, especially the ever-grumpy Hugo. The special bond between Lucy and Christopher made me smile.
Yes, aspects of their relationship were unrealistic when you take into consideration legal aspects of teacher/student relationships, yet I was unable to suspend my belief on this manner. I love Jack was an author and the concept of the puzzles and riddles was just so much fun. Clock Island was such a magical place and I cannot blame Lucy for wanting to escape real life to live there.

Jack and Hugo

The Wishing Game is a beautiful reminder of the healing power of books. With themes of courage and found family, it's one of those book I'll remember for years to come. I wouldn't say fantasy is a genre I gravitate towards, and despite being fairly predictable, this novel had just the right fantastical elements to capture my heart. Perfect for all ages, it's highly likely it will be making an appearance on my 2023 Favourites list comes years end.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• T.J. Klune enthusiasts
• fans of the found family trope
• readers in need of a feel-good story

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"The stories write us, you see. We read something that moves us, touches us, speaks to us, and it…it changes us."

"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."

"When you gotta scream, you gotta scream."

Content Warnings

alastaire's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

tcameron85's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

Jack gives a bit of a Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder) impression but with the best of intentions for his "kids."

Content Warnings

bringmybooks's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

tl;dr → as a middle grade novel, this would have been fantastic

B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗬𝗣𝗔𝗦𝗦 ✨

I loved the idea of this novel, I loved the characters, I loved the island setting, I …. liked the book okay enough.

That being said, I truly don’t think it should have been marketed for adult readers.

Hear me out! Every element that felt weaker could have been stayed exactly the way they were if the elements around the children and the original book series had been emphasized. (For example, a lot of the relationships and interactions between the adults seemed oversimplified in ways that I would have expected from books geared towards a younger audience.)

I think that the pure simplicity of loving books and how much magic books hold for us will make this book work for a lot of people, and there are parts that brought a huge smile to my face, but it just missed the mark a bit overall.

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