The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer is a book of longing, resilience, and the quiet, powerful ways love can change a life.
Let’s dive in!
My Thoughts on The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer –
Lucy Hart’s childhood was marked by neglect and loneliness, but she found her escape in the whimsical Clock Island series by Jack Masterson. Now grown and working as a teacher’s aide, Lucy’s deepest wish is to adopt seven‑year‑old Christopher Lamb, a boy who has already endured unimaginable loss. But the cards just aren’t lining up, and it leaves her feeling stuck, small, and heartbreakingly powerless.
Just when she’s ready to give up, Jack Masterson announces a mysterious contest on the real Clock Island. Four contestants. One prize: the only copy of his new book… Something that could finally give Lucy the leverage she needs to adopt Christopher. Suddenly, she has a chance to fight for the life she’s always wanted, even if the journey is far more emotional and challenging than she expected.
I absolutely loved how connected I felt to Lucy and her wish for Christopher. Her longing, her determination, and her fierce tenderness made her feel so real that my heart was right there with her every step of the way. The emotional stakes in this story hit me with surprising force! I mean, just watching her struggle to become Christopher’s mother felt like its own kind of quiet horror, the kind that comes from wanting something good so desperately and being denied it again and again. It’s not my usual type of read here, but the stress, the hope, and the raw ache of her journey pulled me in completely, and it was certainly its own kind of horror!
I haven’t had a reading experience like this in a long time, and I loved how my heart broke and swelled right alongside Lucy’s.
My Favorite Passages from The Wishing Game –
Once, he’d loved the ocean, loved seeing it every morning, every night, seeing all its facets, all its faces. Not many people knew what the sea looked like in all seasons under all phases of the moon, but he did. Now he knew the ocean was as dangerous as a sleeping volcano. At peace, it was magnificent, but when it wanted to, it could bring down kingdoms.
“Come here,” he said.
“No,” she replied, but she went to him anyway, went to his arms, and let him hold her. She cried again, big, hard sobs. The sort of sobs that come out of a heart broken cleanly in two. Hugo just held her, rubbed her back while she cried, and said nothing.
Always be quiet when a heart is breaking.
My Final Thoughts on The Wishing Game –
If you enjoy stories about found family and the transformative magic of stories themselves, this book will wrap around you and stay with you long after you’ve finished! I cannot wait to revisit this one again soon.
I highly recommend checking this out on audio as well! Narrators Rachel L. Jacobs and Paul Boehmer do a lovely job!
Thanks for reading!
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