This is Jennifer Havlik with the Sioux City Public Library, and you’re listening to Check It Out.
Today I’m recommending The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer. This newly released debut novel features likeable characters, nods to other works in pop culture, and more than a touch of whimsy.
Jack Masterson, the author of the popular Clock Island series of children’s novels, is beloved by many but keeps to himself on his private island with only his illustrator, Hugo Reese, for company. It’s been years since his last novel was published.
Lucy Hart, a teacher’s assistant with a dream of fostering a young boy, yearns for a way to improve her finances and ensure that for one child, the hurt and loneliness of her childhood won’t be repeated.
Just when things seem impossible for Lucy, Jack announces a contest with the most tantalizing prize of all: the one and only copy of his new novel. Four contestants, each of whom have had an encounter with Jack in the past, must travel to the real version of Clock Island and compete in a series of riddles. The winner can choose to keep the book or sell it to a publisher or a private collector.
If you were thinking it sounds a little too happy-go-lucky for you, fear not. While the contest may be the break Lucy is waiting for, it won’t be all fun and games. Traveling to the island brings painful memories to the surface, not just for Lucy, but for everyone else on the island as well. The past of each character isn’t so simple – alcoholism, drug abuse, illness, financial distress, and navigation of the foster care system are just a few examples of the roadblocks to happiness for each character.
You can find The Wishing Game and other magical books like it at the Sioux City Public Library and on the Libby, by Overdrive App.
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