The Wishing Game: A Novel Hardcover – 30 May 2023

Though the story was quite straightforward and almost predictable, it was very tough to keep aside. The plot is a nice combination of emotional and heartwarming.While I love the premise of Roald Dahl’s ‘Charlie and the Chocolate factory’, Willy Wonka wasn’t really my favourite character. So imagine a similar premise, where you get a ‘golden ticket’ to Clock Island, and weirdo Wonka is replaced by the masterful maverick Masterson. I simply loved Jack’s character – he was the lynchpin of the plot in so many ways. Because we don’t hear from his character directly, he gets maximum attention from us and just as the children in the book, we hang on to his every word.The remaining characters too were as goody-goody as expected in this plot. Lucy, though a tad too impulsive and impractical, had a heart of gold. Christopher is one of the cutest child characters I have ever read. I wish I could just hop into the book and hug him tight! And what can I say about Hugo Reese! The typical romantic coconut – hard exterior, soft interior. First time ever I saw a lead character with arm tattoos! The secondary characters are mostly cookie-cutter, but a few of them still make their presence felt.One particular writing choice towards the end disappointed me. That development simply wasn’t needed, and it felt like a satisfactory track had been purposely manipulated to heighten the emotional shock. Cutting off that part from the book wouldn’t have made any difference, or rather, would have improved the book.Certain elements in Lucy’s backstory also felt farfetched. Her reason for staying away from certain people wasn’t convincing. The big reveal in her arc reminded me of a Jodi Picoult book—not revealing the name here as it is akin to a spoiler—but it didn’t come across realistically in this story.All in all, this was one of those books where you know how things will go but you still can't stop reading. The fast pacing also helped. Especially considering that this was a debut work, the author has handled it quite well.For most of the book, I was accompanied by my Shoulder Angel and my Shoulder Devil. Angel was going all gooey-eyed, laughing and crying along with the candy-sweet plot developments while Devil was rolling his (her?) eyes at the improbability of the mushiness and the predictability. Angel and I decided to ignore Devil and relish the read with all our heart. But the final couple of chapters proved Devil correct as the emotional manipulation went a step too far with the introduction of the unnecessary plot point. Thereafter, Devil convinced me to lower my rating to 4 stars even though Angel was comfortably perched on the 4.5 stars mark. 4.25 is a way of keeping them both happy.Recommended to those who would love to read a touching found-family style story with plenty of fun and emotional moments.4.25 stars.Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book at my request and these are my honest thoughts about it.

I went into the book with high expectations after reading fabulous reviews from friends. And… luckily, I enjoyed most of the book and even got teary-eyed at a couple of places. That’s satisfying, isn’t it?The pacing is slow in the beginning but gains momentum after a couple of chapters. Then it sustains almost throughout. There are a few scenes from the book written by Jack Masterson, which align with the MC’s character arc. I loved how this is done.Lucy, Hugo, and Christopher are pretty much who they are, while Jack has a bit of mystery (but is actually a teddy bear). This suits the writing, which is just as straightforward.While we get Lucy and Hugo’s POVs, I wish at least one chapter had Jack’s POV. It would have enhanced the story. An issue with Lucy’s POV is that she sounds like an unrealistic overemotional girl in some scenes. She knows her reality, but the impression we get contradicts this. I put it down to a character flaw as she realizes things towards the end. After all, do we project our vulnerabilities on others in one way or another?The book deals with plenty of themes and some of them in passing. There could be triggers, too- parental neglect, child abuse, alcoholism, running away, bullying, etc. None of it is graphic or overwhelming.However, the emotional quotient gets too high at the end. It feels like the author tried to create a balance between reality and HEA by adding more elements to the already-heavy themes. Also, certain revelations feel more like an easy way out to deal with a complex issue. Since we don’t get the other party’s perspective, I didn’t really connect with the whole thing.The romance isn’t really romance in this one. It is squeaky clean and chaste. I understand the reason for most of it and appreciate the move to keep the focus on the core plot. However, I wouldn’t have minded a bit of it at the end.The other contenders are also good people with issues of their own. I like this approach, though it dims the intensity of the game. But the intent of the game goes beyond winning. It’s the Mastermind’s plan, after all!Three things I love about the book are the role of fiction in people’s lives, our wishes can get fulfilled in different ways, and the reaffirmation that money indeed buys happiness.As a writer who prefers reading lighthearted fiction with HEA (I didn’t say I write it too!), I know how much hope a happy ending in a book can give a reader. We see that here multiple times, and it makes me so so happy!To summarize, The Wishing Game is a beautiful story about hope, loss, longing for a family, love, and the power of fiction. A book isn’t just a bunch of pages. It’s a support system that keeps the tiny flame of hope alive despite the adversities.Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.