Likely Stories - The Wishing Game

As a child of the 80s and 90s, I grew up watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory—no, not the more eccentric remake with Johnny Depp, but the classic, heartwarming version with Gene Wilder. This book is written as an homage to that film and is a masterful work of nostalgia, a story within a story, full of riddles, games, and wishing with all your might.

Lucy Hart used to read Jack Masterson’s books when she was a young girl and became so enraptured with the magical, fictional world he created that she ran away to his mysterious home on the self-titled Clock Island, so she was devastated when he suddenly stopped writing. Now, years later, Lucy is a grade school teacher, and Jack announces a contest in which a select few adults can win the chance to receive the only copy of his forthcoming book.

Lucy is determined to be one of those lucky ones so that she can have enough money to adopt the little boy in her class who has stolen her heart. As Lucy returns to Clock Island, she meets the other players and discovers a series of enigmatic riddles and challenges in which they must compete. She also meets the irritating (and yet very alluring) book illustrator, Hugo.One by one the players are eliminated by the competitions and puzzles until just a few remain. Lucy has to face all her fears in the course of her time on Clock Island, but when her greatest fear is losing the one person she loves most, she will have to make difficult choices to win the ultimate reward.

This book was near-perfect for me; it was in my top 3 best books of 2023. The level of detail is unmatched—Shaffer wrote multiple excerpts for the fictitious books Jack Masterson authored, and many of the puzzles or challenges the contestants participate in are also ones the reader can play along with while you read. There are well-written relationship tensions on multiple fronts, and each pairing is developed and beautiful. The story mirrors the plot of Willy Wonka while still standing on its own merits, but the biggest praise I can give it is that is provides that undefinable emotion you get when you read a really terrific book—it just makes you feel the warm fuzzies all over. I think this one will stand the test of time for me, it truly is everything you could wish for.

RECENT EPISODES OF LIKELY STORIES

Likely Stories - We Have Always Lived in the Castle

On this week's edition of Likely Stories, Justin Jones, a lecturer with the English Department at Baylor University discusses Shirley Jackson's 'We Have Always Lived in the Castle.'

Likely Stories - The Wishing Game

I want to talk today about a book that completely captured my heart, The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer.

Likely Stories - Every Man For Himself and God Against All

Outside of narrative fiction I'm rather partial to memoirs. In recent years I've vicariously lived amongst rock stars, performing artists, and iconic comedians. Today I want to talk about the strangest, and at times, the most frustrating memoir I've ever read.

Likely Stories - Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon? It is one of my favorite National Parks and one of the most memorable places I have visited.Standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon, I was overwhelmed with sublime awe, I felt small and insignificant, contemplating the unfathomable scale of earth time. I felt the same way reading Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yoo vuhl Noah Hraa ree.

Likely Stories - The Ascent

Hello. My name is Douglas Henry, Dean of the Honors College at Baylor University.For this week's Likely Stories, I'll be discussing The Ascent. A gripping new thriller, the debut novel of Adam Plantinga.

Likely Stories - How to Stop Time

Maybe it's the point in my life right now but aging slowly sounds devine."How to Stop Time," by Matt Haig, shares the story of Tom Hazard, who has a dangerous secret. He looks 40-ish, but he has actually lived for centuries.

Likely Stories - The Women

Welcome to Likely Stories. I’m Paige Connell, and I’m a 9th grade English teacher at Midway High School, and today I want to talk about Kristin Hannah’s latest historical fiction masterpiece, The Women.

Likely Stories - Chain-Gang All-Stars

Over the years there have been numerous books that have lingered hopelessly in my list of titles to read. Novels that have captured my interest, sparked my curiosity, and then…found themselves hanging in the ether as I’ve neither found, nor made the time to actually read them. However, one title that has evaded this perpetual limbo is Chain-Gang All-Stars. The debut novel by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah.

Likely Stories - Peace Like A River

My name is Harrison Otis, and I'm a graduate student in the English Department at Baylor University. Today I'm reviewing Peace Like a River, the 2001 debut novel by Minnesota author Leif Enger.

Likely Stories - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

John Hopkins Hospital... Medical Revolution...and Henrietta Lacks...are words that will ring in your mind for endless days after reading "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot.