The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Middle grade novels are one of my favorite things. I love the optimism, the wholesomeness, the knowledge that (more often than not) everything is going to work out in the end. There’s a purity to books written for children that will always resonate with me, no matter how old I get. When I can find an adult novel that delivers those same vibes, I’m beyond excited. And that is exactly what The Wishing Game is, in my opinion: it’s a middle grade novel written for grown-ups.

Our story begins is a fairly hopeless scenario. Our main character, Lucy Hart, has only one true desire in the world; she wants to adopt Christopher, a seven year-old former student of hers who she fell in love with and fostered for a week after his parents died. But Lucy doesn’t have the funds, or the home, or the transportation that would help her even begin to qualify as a foster placement for Christopher, much less prove that she is capable of being his Forever Home. But when Jack Masterson, the author of Lucy’s childhood favorite series of books (that she still absolutely adores), invites her to Clock Island to play a game that could change her life in huge ways, she jumps at the chance. Maybe, just maybe, her wish can come true after all.

Clock Island is a magical place, made more magical by the dozens of books set there. I desperately wish the Clock Island books actually existed. I envision this series being something like Nancy Drew if written by Roald Dahl or Norman Juster, mysterious and whimsical in equal measures. They sound enchanting. And so do their covers. I love how important the cover art is to the Clock Island series, and how much of a role it takes in the story itself.

I found the entire cast a delight, especially Lucy, Christopher, Jack, and Hugo, the artist behind the Clock Island covers. The success of the cast rode on the fact that they were all very well fleshed-out and lovable, as well as the fact that the dialogue was incredibly strong.  There was this flow to every conversation that felt realistic to me. The banter is quick and bright and clever. Honestly, the writing all around was very strong.

While I found the first half of this book a bit slow for the overall length, that was my only real complaint. I love the emphasis placed on forgiveness and fresh starts and facing your fears. This book drives home the idea that no wish is too big if you’re willing to work for it, and that it’s never too late to shoot for your dream. There’s a lovely found family element, as well, which I’m always a sucker for. I wish I could visit Clock Island, whether in real life or in the fictional series of books around which this particular book is based. The Wishing Game is a hug of a book, and I found myself utterly charmed by it. It’s a reminder that pain doesn’t last forever, and that families come in all kinds of shape. There’s joy around the corner if you’ll just run out to meet it.

You can purchase this book from Bookshop.org, Amazon, or Blackwell’s.

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