Some books are more fantasy than fantasy genre books and that is probably because in a strife torn world everyone needs a bit of fantasy and niceness. We are not saying that nice does not happen in the real world but it is rather rare to find it with many people all at once. The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer is a book all about making wishes come true with a benevolent set of characters, a soft pace to the story and a lot of ‘nice’.
Jack Masterson is a renowned writer, famous for his Clock Island series written for children. After writing 40 books he suddenly stopped much to the disappointment of all his fans, not to mention his publishers. Jack is now a recluse who lives on an island off the coast of Maine, his only companion the illustrator of his book covers. Jack has turned the island into a replica of various regions mentioned in his books and he along with the island have become a legendary mystery for his fans and readers. Lucy Hart is a teacher’s assistant in a primary school hoping to adopt Christopher, one of the little boys in her school who is in foster care. Lucy and Christopher both love the Clock Island books and keep wishing for a change in financial circumstances which could enable Lucy to adopt. The story really starts when there is a sudden announcement by the publishers of the Clock Island books of a contest by invitation only and involving four contestants. The winner would get a windfall.
A contest on a secluded island with the reclusive author as the mastermind of it all could go in all kinds of dangerous directions. But this is not a Hunger Games style of book. No one is trying to kill anyone. In fact the contestants are all quite likeable people. Jack Masterson is a benign conductor of affairs. A little mischievous but well meaning on the whole. Clock Island is a fantastical place but the real fantasy is in the feel good factor of the book. Which is probably why it has been immensely popular. Cynics like us kept waiting for things to go wrong and back stabbing to happen and when it didn’t we classified the book as a fantasy. That doesn’t mean to say it is not readable or that there are no twists and turns. This is also novel about the importance of and influence of writers who write for children. Everyone who reads acknowledges that books provide a safe refuge in times of trouble and there is safe harbour for the reader in the pages of a book. Those who write for children therefore bear a greater responsibility because of the impact their books can have.
In its own way The Wishing Game perhaps tries to provide that refuge for the reader in the manner that it progresses. Enjoyable on the whole but the reader should not go in looking for any kind of skulduggery.
Mostly Mondays 
If as you say the reader can take refuge from the backstabbing and skullduggery in real life by immersing oneself in this book then I’m sure it will be well worth a read. Will find this book and read it.
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