Review: Witch & Wizard by James Patterson





Title: Witch & Wizard
Author:
James Patterson
Genre: YA dystopian fantasy
Publishing Information: 314 pages; December 14th, 2009 by Little, Brown & Company
Series: Witch & Wizard #1

Where I got it:
E-book library

One sentence:
When the nefarious New Order takes over, siblings Whit and Wisty Allgood find themselves fugitives, persecuted for their magic.

Themes:
Fantasy, magic, siblings, dystopian society, kid power,

Main characters:
3.5/5
Whit and Wisty were fascinating and witty teenage main characters. Wisty, in particular, was so quick and snappy that I instantly fell in love. Calm and steady Whit was a good foil to flighty Wisty, and I found them entertaining and their sarcasm funny as all get out. The only thing I had a problem with was that I wished there was more depth to their characters.

Secondary characters:
2.5/5
A more developed cast of secondary characters would have gone a long way for Witch and Wizard. The minor characters played their supporting roles, but I didn’t believe that they had individual lives, desires and personalities. I enjoyed the turnaround by Byron, but I was thoroughly disappointed by Celia, the dead girl who still lives.  

Writing style: 4.5/5
I know some people aren’t into Patterson’s writing style, but I absolutely adore it. The pace is breakneck: I am constantly on the edge of my seat, reading through the small chapters like my life depends on it. The quick chapters all end on cliffhangers, making it impossible to stop once you’ve started. Patterson’s writing style emulates, and is perfect for, a movie.

Plot:
2/5
Unfortunately, the plot was lacking for me. Everything was thrown at the reader with no background information. I wish I knew more about how the New Order came to be, how the resistance came into being, and other useful information. Furthermore, the plot was chock full of clichés, from the prophecy, the romance, and the kids uniting to take down the evil adults. On a side note, the excerpts from the New Order Propaganda at the end were cute and creative.

Ending: 1/5
GAH! I know I’ve ranted about it in other review, but really! What is with the YA trend that all novels must be part of a series, and all of those books must end on a complete cliffhanger, with absolutely no conflict solved? End of story, not cool.

Best scene:
The scene in the tunnel

Positives:
Fun and sassy main characters, entertaining and fast writing style

Negatives: Cliché plot, boring and unnecessary secondary characters, ending

First Line: It’s overwhelming.

Cover: Simple, but eye-catching. The ‘W’ in flames is definitely what drew me to the book.

Verdict:
I enjoy Patterson’s writing, but Witch and Wizard fell short of its promise for me.

Rating:
5.4 / 10 




PS- I definitely wrote this review twice. I wrote the first one on the airplane while I was en route to Buffalo, New York for vacation. Unfortunately, I left my review and my brand new copy of Linger in the backseat pocket of my plane. I was, needless to say, extremely frustrated. So enjoy! This is copy #2 of this review. And to whoever picked up my book- I hope you enjoy it, and my scribblings. 

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