Reviews tagging 'Incest'

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

20 reviews

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

apandabearcub's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious fast-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

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

koplomps's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Abandonment

Moderate: Child death and Grief

Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Incest, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy

cheriejanette's review against another edition

emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A

4.5

What a feel good story! I loved this, and I even got a bit teary eyed 🥺🥹 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent

Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

dkamada's review against another edition

hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

Really sweet story, seems like it’s targeted at a slightly younger audience, but I appreciate a feel good story where everyone gets their wish in the end

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Incest, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Abandonment

l1brarygirl's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious sad slow-paced

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

1.5

 1.5 stars - I did shed a tear for that extra half a star....

I wasn't too aware of what this book was about and I read so many thrillers, that I kept expecting a twist that never came. I could NOT connect with the MC Lucy at all and it made it very difficult to stay engaged. I also just was creeped out by a lot of the adults actions in this book. 

I think Jack's actions were fatherly in the end but for most of it, I just was kinda icked out by his actions. I couldn't get over Lucy's obsession with Christopher (highly inappropriate behavior for a teacher). The weird attraction between Lucy & Hugo (I'm okay with large age gaps but not when you first meet your SO as a CHILD). I also think Lucy was very unfair to her sister and completely glossed over her grandparents taking care of her. Also a slap in the face that everyone else in this story got a HEA except her sister.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Abandonment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Gaslighting, and Classism

Minor: Alcoholism, Incest, Pedophilia, and Pregnancy

maddiehansen's review against another edition

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

The book was a more positive version of The Westing Game, but not executed as well. The depiction of the foster care system did not seem quite accurate, the relationship between a teacher's aid and a student was not safe, Capri-sun is clear, it covered many deep issues with mere mentions (miscarriage, PTSD, addiction, trauma, foster care system, adoption, rape, incest, abuse, alcoholism, miscarriage, poverty, disability, abandonment etc). It needed more research.

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

squintyfarmer's review against another edition

adventurous emotional lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness and Emotional abuse

Minor: Child abuse and Incest

gpfot's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Incest, Miscarriage, Rape, and Pregnancy

kuharski990's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful fast-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

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Alcoholism, Incest, and Miscarriage