The Wishing Game

I have a few things to say on this book. I'm going to try to explain these in a way that won't spoil the book.

Overall, I found the book to be fun, easy-going and well paced. It's like an adult version of Willy Wonka but instead of going to the chocolate factory, these adults get invited back to Clock Island (which all of the contestants has previously ran away to) to partake in a mysterious game. This did not bother me. I saw the ending coming from the first quarter of the book, but I still found it enjoyable to get through.

Now I have 2 major gripes with this, and 1 minor one. I'll save the minor one for last since that's the more spoilery one.

First up is Lucy, a teacher's aide; and Christopher, a child in foster care. I could not stand Lucy right from the getgo. It wasn't her character so much, but the fact that she has adamantly told Christopher that she is going to be his mom while she's struggling to even be an adult on her own. This is truly disturbing to me because I could not even begin to think it would ever be ok to make promises that big to a child ever, especially when you're having a hard time just taking care of yourself. She is blindsided when the social worker tells her she should give up on it because she would not be a stable environment for him. So she was making these big plans to adopt/foster him herself and telling him she was going to without actively having a serious discussion on what that would entail and what she would need to do to make it happen. 🤦‍♀️ I wanted to yell so many times during these moments.

Next up is Lucy and Hugo. Their relationship gave me some ick. Now, it's not the age gap that did it, because really it's not super crazy, it's the fact that he met and interacted with her as a teen and is now lusting after her that just didn't really make me want to root for them. YMMV on this one obviously.

SPOILERY MOMENT This one is very much just a me issue. So for the minor gripe, it bothered me that Amanda drowned on her way to the island and that it was all wrapped up nicely with NDAs and everything to protect Jack. Now, I know that Jack made it clear that he was not happy with the outcome of that and it's what caused him to stop writing. But it still just didn't sit well with me.

When a mysterious reclusive author invites people to his remote island to compete for a prize, the first thing my mind conjures up is backstabbing, cynically evil people, and a murder or two. And at first, it seems like we might be heading in that direction, but the Wishing Game willfully chooses a more hopeful voice. The competitors are all flawed, but sympathetic, with difficult (sometimes traumatic) and relatable histories that make it very easy to wish the best for everyone involved. The game creator in particular is incredibly human, and potentially the most sympathetic of the entire cast. I normally have a clear favorite character, but I found myself invested in everyone on the island. Hugo the artist perhaps squeaks out as my fave, but only because I have a soft spot in my heart for grumpy rebellious artists. The plot is fairly straightforward - a chocolate factory-esque competition, but for adults (or perhaps for kids who simply got older), and I appreciated the perspective of people who have lived long enough to understand what's really at stake. With the addition of some light romance and a few fun puzzles, this was far from the dark cynical book I expected, and I am immensely grateful for it. Strong recommend for anyone looking for an honest, but hopeful take on being an adult and making your wishes come true.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advance copy. All thoughts here are my own.