Fantasy Fridays: Witch and Wizard

Witch and Wizard, by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet

Publisher: Hachette Book Group
Pages: 320
Reading Level: 12 and up
Enjoyment Level: Medium

I participated in the Book Blogger Holiday Swap this year, and my secret santa sent me an advanced copy of Witch and Wizard. Lucky me! I was so excited to finally read a book before everyone else did (lol), that I picked it up almost immediately after I got it.

There is a New Order in the world. It’s an Order full of rules and regulations and normal. It’s powered by The One, and it’s catching all sorts of young people in its harsh regime. Wisty and Whit are two such young people, who get caught and then discover that they are part of a prophecy to save the world.

I haven’t read anything from James Patterson before, but I’d heard that his books are fast-paced. This book definitely follows that trend. So much so, that I’m still not exactly sure what happened in the story. The pace held on to me, but when it spit me back out at the end, I came up dazed and confused. Books for kids are best when the action keeps going, but readers need at least a little room to breathe. Witch and Wizard did not give that to me.

The book alternates between Whit’s point of view and Wisty’s. That, also, got a little confusing, as did the odd prologue which did not get resolved by the end and an epilogue was added that was a continuation of the prologue. The story in between takes place far in advance of the prologue and epilogue, so readers are left wondering what the heck the authors are trying to do.

As much as I saw them, though, I did like the characters. They exist in this quick story and at least I can say I got a decent sense of both of them. Wisty is feisty and a good read for young girls. Whit, the older brother, is the perfect hero. Together, they make a great team, all ready to fight against the very pernicious villain, The One, who is delightfully and deeply evil.

I can’t recommend this book without some reservations. Perhaps I just need to read it again, but I feel like books should be very clear the first time around, with subsequent re-reads that just pick up on different nuances. If you love James Patterson for adults, I’m sure you’ll like him for kids. And maybe there’ll be a sequel to Witch and Wizard where we get more time to absorb the story.

Until next time, go read something good!

~ Vilate