Sunday 2 January 2011

Witch and Wizard - Book Review

Witch and Wizard (#1) by James Patterson (with Gabrielle Charbonnet)

What is it about:
The world is changing: the government has seized control of every aspect of society, and now, kids are disappearing. For 15-year-old Wisty and her older brother Whit, life turns upside down when they are torn from their parents one night and slammed into a secret prison for no reason they can comprehend. The New Order, as it is known, is clearly trying to suppress Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Being a Normal Teenager. But while trapped in this totalitarian nightmare, Wisty and Whit discover they have incredible powers they'd never dreamed of. Can this newly minted witch and wizard master their skills in time to save themselves, their parents--and maybe the world?

What did I think about it:
A decent, action packed YA adventure set in a slightly dystopian world. Wisty and Whit are teen characters you can actually like and there are little to no teen-angsty moments which often manage to spoil my YA reading. The action is cool, the story intense, the setting kind of creepy. The one negative thing is there's little to no explanation about Wisty and Whit's powers which seem to pop up out of nowhere just at the moment they're captured. I'd also would have liked a bit more of a background story about the rise of this New Order government. Otherwise it's a fast, enjoyable read.

Why should you read it:
It's an action packed fantasy Young Adult story.

3 comments:

Enbrethiliel said...

+JMJ+

Your description of this book sums up all the problems I have with James Patterson novels. They are enjoyable, action-packed reads, definitely, but never have as much detail as I'd like. And even when I admit that he's deliberately going for a sparse writing style, it really does seem that he should add more explanations--or "world building," as we say.

titania86 said...

I've heard of this book, but the cover never really appealed to me. I haven't seen a lot of reviews for it, but I think I may give this one a try. I like that yours says YES! YOUR FREE COPY on the cover. :) Thanks for the review!

Beanie Mouse said...

Well, glad I sent it over now!!! (titania86 - they were handing out copies in the street a few weeks back, so I grabbed one deliberately for Sullivan!) and I'd have to agree with your review too. Fast action but no background.