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The Wishing Game
Make a wish. . . .
Lucy Hart knows better than anyone what it's like to grow up without parents who loved her. In a childhood marked by neglect and loneliness, Lucy found her solace in books, namely the Clock Island series by Jack Masterson. Now a twenty-six-year-old teacher's aide, she is able to share her love of reading with bright, young students, especially seven-year-old Christopher Lamb, who was left orphaned after the tragic death of his parents. Lucy would give anything to adopt Christopher, but even the idea of becoming a family seems like an impossible dream without proper funds and stability.
But be careful what you wish for. . . .
Just when Lucy is about to give up, Jack Masterson announces he's finally written a new book. Even better, he's holding a contest at his home on the real Clock Island, and Lucy is one of the four lucky contestants chosen to compete to win the one and only copy.
For Lucy, the chance of winning the most sought-after book in the world means everything to her and Christopher. But first she must contend with ruthless book collectors, wily opponents, and the distractingly handsome (and grumpy) Hugo Reese, the illustrator of the Clock Island books. Meanwhile, Jack "the Mastermind" Masterson is plotting the ultimate twist ending that could change all their lives forever.
. . . You might just get it.
These book club questions are provided courtesy of Random House Books.
Book club questions for The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.
The Wishing Game revolves around the Clock Island books that so many children loved when they were growing up. Did reading this book remind you of when you fell in love with reading? What was your favorite book (or book series!) as a child?
The themes of “family” and “parenthood” are woven throughout the novel. Discuss each character’s experiences with family and how this impacts their decisions and motivations.
Lucy, Hugo, Christopher, and Jack all struggle with deeply rooted fears. How does each character face and overcome these?
Why do you think Jack Masterson recreated Clock Island in the real world? Why do you think it wasn’t finished before the game?
The author sometimes pairs scenes from the Clock Island books with chapters of The Wishing Game. Discuss how these two stories connect and why the author made this stylistic choice to help tell her story.
So much of the novel deals with family, especially the idea of “found family.” What do you think of the idea of “found families”? What do you think defines what “family” really is? Who is in your family of choice?
Were you surprised by the outcome of the contest?
What do you make of Hugo’s comment to Jack that he “can’t save the world”? How does Jack try to save everyone around him?
If you could travel to any fictional world, what would it be?
Who would you cast as each character in a movie adaption of The Wishing Game?
The Wishing Game Book Club Questions PDF
Click here for a printable PDF of the The Wishing Game discussion questions
“Meg Shaffer’s beautiful novel is part Willy Wonka, part magical realism, and wholly moving. It broke my heart and patched it over and reminded me that even as an adult, if you look hard enough, you can find the child still inside you.”—Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling co-author of Mad Honey
“Our list of must-read fiction books wouldn’t be complete withouta novel that reminds readers of the power books hold between their pages. Meg Shaffer’s The Wishing Game may not contain any magic—this is a whimsical tale, but it’s grounded in reality—yet there’s something magical about the book.”—Reader’s Digest, in “Best Fiction Books of 2023”
“A heartwarming, page-turning story of found family, love triumphing over indifference, and the world-changing power of a good book.”—Melissa Albert, New York Times bestselling author of The Hazel Wood
“A dreamy, inventive novel about how books can not only change lives but save them too. Full of the power of imagination, it’s one of my favorite books of the year.”—Sarah Addison Allen, New York Times bestsellingauthor of Other Birds
“A magical ode to storytelling, imagination, and the mystery of the creative life . . . Wildly imaginative, clever, and inspiring, The Wishing Game is for anyone who has found light in a story just when they need it.”—Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Book of Flora Lea
“Meg Shaffer’s debut establishes her as one of the best. The Wishing Game sees the secret child hidden inside all of us, and it takes us on the thrilling, magical journey we all long for—where we might end up with everything we want but only if we risk it all.”—Gwenda Bond, New York Times bestselling author of Stranger Things: Suspicious Minds
“A work by turns clever, dark, and hopeful, Shaffer’s debut is a love letter to reading and the power childhood stories have over us long after we’ve grown up.”—V. E. Schwab, New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
“Shaffer blends tragedy and triumph in a whimsical and gratifying debut about what makes a family. This is wish fulfillment in the best way.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A meditation on the power of hope when all else seems lost.”—Kirkus Reviews