The Wishing Game
"Part Willy Wonka, part magical realism, and wholly moving" Jodi Picoult
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4.7 • 3 Ratings
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- £2.99
Publisher Description
'Clever, dark, and hopeful . . . a love letter to reading and the power childhood stories have over us long after we've grown up' V.E. Schwab, author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
'A dreamy, inventive novel about how books can not only change lives but save them too' Sarah Addison Allen, author of Other Birds
One of the Washington Post's top ten feel-good novels of the year: a perfect gift for book lovers everywhere!
During her lonely childhood, Lucy Hart found solace in Jack Masterson's Clock Island books. Now a teacher's aide, she shares her love of reading with Christopher, a former student she'd give anything to adopt - if only she could afford it.
Just when Lucy is about to give up, the famously reclusive writer announces that he's finally written a new book, and he's holding a contest at his home on the real Clock Island to win the only copy.
Winning the most sought-after book in the world could change Lucy and Christopher's lives. But with wily opponents, the books' distractingly handsome illustrator, and Jack Masterson himself to contend with, that won't be as easy as she wishes . . .
Readers LOVE The Wishing Game!
'Do yourself a favor and read this immediately! It will make your heart so happy' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'It's books like this that remind me why I fell in love with reading in the first place' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'One of the best books I've ever read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Beautiful, heartbreaking, magical, and hope-instilling' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'No words to describe this fantastic book' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Imaginative, moving and so life-affirming!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'What storytelling should be all about' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'My cheeks hurt from smiling by the end' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Love The Wishing Game? Discover Meg Shaffer's gorgeously moving The Lost Story, available to pre-order now!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Shaffer blends tragedy and triumph in a whimsical and gratifying debut romance about what makes a family. At 13, Lucy Hart ran away from home to escape neglectful parents, wishing instead to live with Jack Masterson—the bestselling author of her favorite children's books, the Clock Island series—on the real-life counterpart to Clock Island. That dream didn't pan out. Now, 13 years later, she's a kindergarten teacher's aide desperate to adopt seven-year-old Christopher Lamb, an orphaned former student of hers, but she needs more money and greater stability in order to make it happen. Hugo Reese, Jack's illustrator and surrogate son, is concerned when Jack abruptly comes out of a six-year retirement to invite Lucy and three other former runaways and superfans to Clock Island, where they'll compete for the only copy of a brand new Clock Island book. Jack puts the contestants through a series of challenges and riddles designed to mimic the adventures in his books, and along the way, readers will come to root for all four to succeed—and for Hugo and Lucy to fall in love. Shaffer doesn't shy away from the darkness in her characters' backstories even as she delivers childlike wonder in spades. This is wish fulfilment in the best way.
