Lucy was always overshadowed by her sick sister who seemed to get all her parents’ attention. In the case of her family, it seems there was not enough love to go around. That’s why, as a child, she ran away to the private island of her favorite author, Jack Masterson – a master of riddles. While he didn’t adopt her as she hoped, her childhood adventure primed her for the challenge of a lifetime. At 26, she’s barely scraping by as a teacher’s assistant. She’s desperate to adopt Christopher, a little boy at her school, but needs an influx of cash to do so. In some perfectly serendipidous timing, Jack Masterson comes out of seclusion with a new riddle – anyone who can answer it will be invited to Clock Island to participate in a game where the prize is enough money to fulfill Lucy’s dreams. Can she beat the other contestents and secure the fortune that would give her and Christopher the life they want before time runs out (and maybe find love in the process)?
The whole island game feels very Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I loved the whimsy of it all, but similar to how I felt about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the fantastical elements are more believable than the hardships endured by the central character. Just like it seems a bit off that little Charlie Bucket is working to the bone while his grandparents chill in bed, Lucy’s dream of adopting a tween as a single 26-year-old feels unrealistic…and the way she interacts with him, borderline inappropriate. She also seems to have been far too traumatized by her parents’ “neglect,” which included zero physical, verbal, or emotional abuse and seems to have landed her with loving grandparents. It’s certainly not an idylic childhood, but it’s also not the kind of thing that should leave her as the damsel in distress she’s behaving as. When Lucy’s troubled past and need to adopt a child are the plot motivators, they should be a bit more believable.
3.25 out of 5 stars.
Pair with: Root beer
Peaches to Apples 