The Wishing Game

The Wishing Game is a 2023 novel by Meg Shaffer that details a young woman’s trepidatious journey to adopt a boy. Impeded by her financial situation, her only hope resides in participating in a contest borne of the whimsical machinations of the world’s most famous children’s author. The story dwells at the intersection of magical realism and romance, touching on found families, the power of the stories told and held through time, and the sacrifices of working toward one’s wishes. Shaffer is a part-time creative writing instructor and a full-time master of fine arts (MFA) candidate in television and screenwriting at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. The Wishing Game is her debut novel.

This study guide refers to The Wishing Game Penguin e-book edition, distributed by Google Books and published on May 30, 2023.

Content Warning: The novel depicts and discusses statutory rape, child abuse, neglect, and trauma.

Plot Summary

One night on Clock Island, Jack Masterson, an illustrious children’s author, picks up his pen again for the first time in six years. A year later in California, Lucy Hart is working hard to save every penny toward her goal: adopting Christopher, a child at her school who lost both his parents and now resides in foster care. Just as Lucy learns that the adoption is likely impossible, the world receives surprising news: Jack Masterson has returned with a new book, but there’s a catch: He’ll give the unpublished manuscript to the winner of his contest.

Jack sends a blue letter to each chosen contestant, and it soon becomes clear that he has chosen those who as children were brave enough to come find him over the years—just like the children in his novels. Lucy was one such child. Because of her family’s neglectful attitude, young Lucy ran away to Clock Island and met Jack, his pet raven, Thurl, and his newly hired illustrator, the young Hugo Reese. Although Jack called the authorities and sent her home, he promised her then that perhaps one day she could be his sidekick.

In the present day, Lucy accepts the invitation, knowing that winning the contest could guarantee Christopher’s adoption. She flies to Clock Island and meets the now-older Hugo Reese, still as devastatingly handsome as she remembers him. The other contestants (Andre, Dustin, and Melanie) have already arrived, and Lucy realizes that they have equally dire circumstances that could benefit from acquiring the unpublished manuscript and selling it to the highest bidder. When Jack eventually makes his entrance, he informs them that all contestants will have the opportunity to fulfill their childhood dream of playing their favorite character. During the contest, they’ll play many games, each worth up to two points. The first to reach 10 points will win the contest and the manuscript. Contestants who can’t meet the challenges of the contest will be disqualified.

As Lucy progresses through the games and challenges, she confronts Dustin, who wants to cheat to win; a lawyer, Richard Markham, who wants to acquire the manuscript all for himself; and her burgeoning feelings for the perpetually scowling Hugo, who has a heart of gold. When a storm hits Clock Island, however, Lucy learns that by the end of the week, Christopher will be moved to a different foster home, far from Lucy. In a panic, she attempts to leave the island during the storm despite Jack’s insistence that she wait and finish the contest. Only Hugo can convince her to stay, and Lucy learns of the tragedy that led Jack to disappear for six years: A girl named Autumn Hillard ran away from an abusive home and tried, like Lucy, to reach Jack by boat. However, she drowned on her way to him.

Encouraged by her friend Theresa to stay and finish the contest, Lucy doubles down, once again determined to win. When she’s asked to face her deepest fear, she doesn’t expect to find her sister, Angie, waiting for her and willing to confront their past. When they were young, their parents had focused only on Angie’s illnesses, and Angie had wanted her parents’ love all to herself, telling Lucy that she wasn’t wanted in the first place. When they meet again as adults, Angie reveals the less-than-ideal circumstances of her childhood, in which their parents had used her for their own validation. Troubled, Lucy questions her childhood in a new light. The contest ends, and on the final day, Jack asks a question in the last game. Lucy calls for Christopher, knowing that he might not answer but hoping for it anyway. Although he has a deep fear of phones, he overcomes it for her and gives her the answer she needs—but too late. None of the contestants win, and Lucy packs her things, still determined to find a way to adopt Christopher. As she packs, Jack comes to find her, offering her the key to the house and asking her if she still wants to be his sidekick. Three months later, Lucy and Christopher, now officially mother and son, move to Clock Island to live with Jack and Hugo.