School Library Journal Review
Gr 6-10-In Witch and Wizard (2009), siblings Whit and Wisty discovered their magical powers after being separated from their parents and imprisoned by the totalitarian, creativity-hating New Order. This sequel (2010, both Little, Brown) opens with Wisty narrowly escaping public execution by The One Who Is the One. The pair flees via portal and reunites with the ragtag teen Resistance. A betrayal leads to a seemingly endless chain of near death experiences and magical escapes. At one point Whit and Wisty are imprisoned in the Brave New World Center for "dynacompetents," or magically gifted kids, where they endure bullying and torture. Their ongoing quests to find their parents and communicate with Whit's dead girlfriend link some of the more disjointed scenes together. Co-written with Ned Rust, this novel follows James Patterson's tried-and-true formula of short chapters with cliffhanger endings. Though the characters have few nuances, the breakneck pacing practically drags listeners along. Subtle it's not, but despite its flaws, this sequel strengthens the series and shows promise for the next installment. The clear, expressive voices of Elijah Wood and Spencer Locke compellingly portray the brother/sister duo, with chapters alternating between them. Bursts of music enhance the most dramatic scenes. This dystopian fantasy is derivative of The Hunger Games, but it will satisfy the genre's devotees until Katniss Everdeen hits the big screen. Reading or listening to the books in order is a must.-Amy Pickett, Ridley High School, Folsom, PA (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Reseña de Horn Book
Siblings Whit and Wisty (Witch & Wizard) continue their fight against the oppressive regime that has taken power. The protagonists attempt to harness their magical powers and free their parents. Perspective switches between the siblings as the story progresses, allowing us to see events from both--sometimes very different--perspectives in this dark and involving, if occasionally meandering, tale. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Witch Wizard, 2009). Whit and Wisty carry out a mission and are betrayed. They are captured and escape. They run and are captured again. They try to save their parents (for naught), but spooky unknown forces save the teens who (obviously) live to fight again in the upcoming sequel. Fiction brand Patterson returns with a new "co-author," Rust, to pick up the story of the Allgoods, and what they offer is more nonsensical, inconsistent blather. There are no characters that even rise to the level of stereotypes and no genuine emotions in this embarrassing attempt at a "fantasy" series that insults both genre and audience at every turn. At worst, this reads like the ramblings of a just-waking-up toddler; at best, it reads like a Carol Burnett Sci-Fi sketch with all of the mugging and none of the laughs. A new low in children's publishing. (Fantasy. 9-12)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
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