Witch and Wizard by James Patterson combines magic with a frightening future. The heroes are Wisty and Whit, both 15.
Witch and Wizard has gotten good reviews and has been well-marketed. The Science Fiction Book Club offered it in hardback. However, this is one YA fantasy that is best enjoyed by younger teens, not adults. There isn’t any substance or meat to the plot, characters, setting or dialogue. Think of this book as eating cotton candy at the fair; OK while you’re in the middle but when you finish you wonder why you bothered.
I found the book good enough to finish, but not good enough that I care to read the sequels. For one thing, you know right from the first page that there will be sequels. How many books begin with the main characters tied up and ready to hang? You then spend the next 200+ pages reading how Whit and Wisty and their parents got to that point, or at least far enough towards it that the author could bring the book to a cliff hanger ending.
The dialogue is silly, banal and ridiculous. The characters don’t seem like real kids and the villain is an amalgamation of Lord Voldemart with Emperor Palpatine. It’s not enough fun that you can ignore the fake conflicts, ridiculous plot and tepid characters.
I’ll give it two stars just because it is a fast read that didn’t waste too much time.
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