Scan barcode
bien's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was soo good! I went in with zero expectations, and was pleasantly surprised! I was so glad I stumbled upon this gem trying to find my next read!
Kind of makes me think of Willy Wonka with the famous author of the Clock Island books inviting “kids” onto his island with a grande prize at the end!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Miscarriage, and Terminal illness
melissaslibraryy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5 trillion stars all around for this beautiful novel that had me crying tears of joy and sadness from beginning to end. I’ve heard such amazing things about this book so I had no choice but to read it myself, and it’s a decision I’ll always be grateful for.
Our main character Lucy is a kindergarten teacher who is trying to foster then adopt one of her orphaned students Christopher, who she has formed a wholesome bond with over the past two years but is facing some financial setbacks that is stopping her from meeting the requirements to foster her baby boy. She would read her favorite childhood book series to him whenever he needed comforting from his trauma of finding his parents passed away and it was an outlet that helped him heal, so when the author of said series who has been on hiatus for years suddenly posts about a challenge to solve various riddles for a shot of winning his newest book Lucy has no choice but to accept his invitation.
This was a beautifully written story about family, heartbreak, and finding new love in the most unknowing situations. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in reading it or to those who’ve never heard of it, and definitely see myself rereading this eventually bc yes it is just that good❤️
Our main character Lucy is a kindergarten teacher who is trying to foster then adopt one of her orphaned students Christopher, who she has formed a wholesome bond with over the past two years but is facing some financial setbacks that is stopping her from meeting the requirements to foster her baby boy. She would read her favorite childhood book series to him whenever he needed comforting from his trauma of finding his parents passed away and it was an outlet that helped him heal, so when the author of said series who has been on hiatus for years suddenly posts about a challenge to solve various riddles for a shot of winning his newest book Lucy has no choice but to accept his invitation.
This was a beautifully written story about family, heartbreak, and finding new love in the most unknowing situations. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in reading it or to those who’ve never heard of it, and definitely see myself rereading this eventually bc yes it is just that good❤️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy
ixris's review against another edition
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A very easy read, which would not be a bad thing except that the writer will repeat herself sometimes on the same page, sometimes in the next sentence. The amount of things I had to stop and reread because surely the redundancy was a misread on my part (it wasn't) was more than I care to admit and made the reading unpleasant at times.
The plot focuses on a woman who (to me, a person who spent nine years as a childcare aide) is the least believable depiction of a struggling poverty class worker let alone a childcare worker and how she is enamored with the MPDG of an old man who invites her to return to his Defunctland vibe private island and falling in love with his grumpy live in illustrator (Sorry she's not sunshine tho).
A lot of this was really trite to me but maybe I'm not the right audience. It was a coherent plot and structurally sound, and I quite liked the flirting scenes - our FMC and her MLI really had a good vibe overall.
You could spot this plot from space though.
The plot focuses on a woman who (to me, a person who spent nine years as a childcare aide) is the least believable depiction of a struggling poverty class worker let alone a childcare worker and how she is enamored with the MPDG of an old man who invites her to return to his Defunctland vibe private island and falling in love with his grumpy live in illustrator (Sorry she's not sunshine tho).
A lot of this was really trite to me but maybe I'm not the right audience. It was a coherent plot and structurally sound, and I quite liked the flirting scenes - our FMC and her MLI really had a good vibe overall.
You could spot this plot from space though.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Terminal illness, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Third act trauma dumpaprilb_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Addiction, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Minor: Child death and Incest
ericj32's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This novel taps into the special kind of excitement that many lonely kids feel about their favorite books as an escape to a place where they can imagine their wishes coming true. The structure of the plot and overall sense of childlike wonder feels very similar to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, except it revolves around an eccentric and mysterious author of beloved children’s books. The first few chapters felt disjointed and jumped around quite a bit, introducing a lot of different characters, but once I met the young orphaned Christopher, I was invested. There are some holes in the plot and not all of the details really feel very realistic but if you suspend a little disbelief, it’s an enjoyable ride. I felt like the book set reasonable expectations that it would be a loosely realistic near-fantasy, in the vein of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, so I didn’t get bogged down in the questionable ethics and legality of Lucy’s relationship with Christopher when she was promising to adopt him while still being a teacher’s aide at his school. The relationship between Christopher and Lucy made me tear up more than once. I was less invested in the love story and the subplot with Lucy’s ex. The subplot about Lucy’s own sister and parents was interesting, but felt a little underdeveloped. I also wish that there had been a few more puzzles and riddles in the book, as I enjoyed solving those that were included. I definitely felt a rush of anticipation as the contest began, and the contest wasn’t quite as involved as fun as I’d hoped it would be. But this was overall a very engaging read with so much heart that I can’t be too critical. There is more wisdom than you’d expect in this kind of book about what it takes to find happiness and be brave and what things are worth fighting for.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, and Drug abuse
clothildev's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
If you had a traumatic childhood and picked up reading as a coping mechanism, you are the target audience for this book lol
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Abandonment
gregonen's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Chronic illness
keelirae113's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The author said it best, “this book is for you and all the kids who, in dark times, find a light shining from the pages of books.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Miscarriage, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Minor: Addiction, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
hilivingston7's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It felt like a warm hug. Willy wonka meets Peter pan with a therapist. Love the nuanced approach to dreams and encouraging children’s spirits, while not promising life is fair. The letters from Christopher to the mastermind had me 😭
I think the critique of Lucy’s relationship with Christopher is fair, but also think the difference of one person who really cares can make in a child’s life. I also didn’t like that her love interest meets her when she’s underage.
I think the critique of Lucy’s relationship with Christopher is fair, but also think the difference of one person who really cares can make in a child’s life. I also didn’t like that her love interest meets her when she’s underage.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
haileyhardcover's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The Wishing Game is perfection. A perfect blend of heartbreak and hope, wit and whimsy. I laughed, I cried. I raced to solve riddles and braved my own fears. I had so much fun on Clock Island.
I love stories that make you fall even more in love with stories. Books have been such an important part of my life, and I love when authors not only acknowledge what books mean to us, but write whole new stories just to honor and celebrate them! Who would we be without the books we’ve loved? I don’t care to know the answer.
The Wishing Game is like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory but for adults whose inner child is ready to come out. For a book set in the “real world” without any actual magic, it felt like I was reading a fantasy. Clock Island truly felt magical and is certainly a place where wishes do come true if you’re brave enough to ask.
I connected to this story personally on so many levels. You know a book was meant to find you when, halfway through, you’re already thinking about getting quotes and images tattooed on your body forever, because having them branded into your heart just isn’t enough.
The Wishing Game is perfectly paced and easy to binge-read if that’s your thing. It’s a quick read at just under 300 pages. Most of the chapters are quite short and even the longer ones move quickly enough that you don’t notice the difference. If you appreciate a good floppy paperback like I do, the publisher nailed this one - so easy to break in and then lays flat like a dream even from the first page! Also the cover?! Stunning! No notes.
In short, I highly, highly recommend The Wishing Game.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Outing