The Wishing Game | By Meg Shaffer
Book Review | Contemporary Fiction
My thoughts
Narrative and Plot
A whimsical tale and a tribute to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, it is a nostalgic callback to all those kids, now adults, who waited for a letter from Hogwarts or a hidden Narnia in their wardrobe. For me, it was about sneaking in on a plane with the Famous Five and be a part of their adventure.
If you have ever loved the whimsical tales in your childhood and wished for a moment to live in those adventures, you can do that vicariously through the characters of The Wishing Game. For me, that is the main draw and plot of the book. The worldbuilding was amazing for a contemporary novel and you almost wish to get your hands on all the Clock Island books.
Characters and Conflicts
Lucy Hart and Christopher are the heart and soul of the story. Their relationship was pure and your heart went out for the two of them. And then comes the eccentric mastermind, James Masterson, with his own sidekick Hugo Reese. When in reality, he is only a broken man himself, held by a fragile thread.
I have expected the contestants to be cutthroat and pitted against each other, but the book took a different direction. Obviously, this is not a thriller and the competition, despite being part of the title, is not exactly the focus of the book. This story focuses mainly on finding joy even when it is hard to do so and keeping the hope alive.
The romance, however, was a miss for me. In the Netflix series, The Romantics, they talk about the Hindi movie Lamhe, which bombed. Anupama Chopra, the film critic, reveals a particular scene which Aditya Chopra wanted to scrape, but Yash Chopra kept anyway that led to the audience eventually disowning the romance. I think this is the best way to express my opinion about the romance here without giving away any spoilers.
Conclusion
Overall, I enjoyed the book and might even re-read it. It was more about the nostalgia and the love of the idea of being a part of the whimsical world that you always admired. If you can ignore a few flaws, this book is worth a try.
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