For a debut novel, I thoroughly LOVED 'The Wishing Game' and I can't wait to see what other magic Meg Shaffer publishes in the future. This book is like warm hug on a cold winter day..and I hate hugs, so that's saying something! 

In this story we're following Lucy, a Kindergarten Teacher's Assistant that is estranged from her family and doing her best to survive with a wish to adopt Christopher, one of her former students that is living in the Foster System. Just when things seem to be taking a turn for the worse, Lucy is invited to Clock Island - the home where her favorite childhood books took place - to compete for a copy of the first book Author Jack Masterson has written in almost 20 years. Lucy knows that winning this book could change the trajectory of not only her life, but Christopher's as well and she's willing to stop at nothing to make that happen. 

Shit. This book was so sweet, I can't stand it. There was a character in this book that I didn't love and I found them all incredibly relatable. Everyone is just trying to survive - and that's what life is about a lot of the time. Just because of how someone presents themselves on the outside doesn't mean you know what sort of battles they're facing on the inside. I particularly enjoyed Hugo, the Illustrator of the Clock Island books that lives on the island with Jack. Prickly on the outside but soft and squishy on the inside. (*SPOILER - there is a lil romance happening, too!*)

I think one of my favorite lines is: "When you gotta scream, you gotta scream." I feel this in my soul & I feel like maybe the world would be a little bit better if we all followed this advice.

One of the most comforting things about this book was listening to Lucy talk about her childhood and the experience of reading "The Clock Island" books. This entire novel is centered around the fact that books are magic and that magic can transport you anywhere you want to go, even if only for awhile. When you're happy, you're sad, or feeling 'magenta' (where are my Golden Girls fans?) - a book can give you exactly what you need. As a millennial that grew up and experienced the explosion of Harry Potter - I relate to Lucy so much. The way she talks about Clock Island is how I felt in. my. soul about Hogwarts and anything to do with the Wizarding World. Even now, in my thirties; if I'm feeling down or maybe like I'm heading towards a reading slump - I know I can pick up any book in the HP Series and be transported back to a place in time where there was nothing but me and the characters that I loved and cherished so much. 

One thing that did bother me just a bit about the book was that once Lucy and the others arrive at Clock Island - we only get a taste of the 'challenges' they face in the competition. The first few are mentioned in depth, and so is the last - but the ones in between just exist. I know that each of the scenes mentioned are important to the storyline, so I don't hold that against the author - I just would have like a bit more. 

As we've already mentioned, reading is crucial and can literally change the entire trajectory of a person's life and I think that's the underlying message here. One of my most favorite scenes in the entire book is when presented with the last challenge, Lucy knows that she has to call Christopher on the phone - something he is absolutely terrified of (read the book to find out why). You're getting the perspective of each of them - Lucy waiting anxiously, wishing Christopher picks up & Christopher anxiously looking at the phone as it rings, knowing he should answer but just being a little afraid. In the end, he does pick up, saying that the Mastermind (a character from the books) tells him it's OK and the scene from there just progresses into something so beautiful. *cries* Ugh, so frickin' cute. 

I highly recommend if you believe in the magic of books you giving this one a try.