Book Review: Witch and Wizard by James Patterson

Summary:

Everything is about to change. 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 hauled out of bed one night, separated from their parents, and thrown into a secret compound for no apparent reason. It's clear that the new government will stop at nothing to suppress Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Being a Normal Teenager.

For the sister and brother, the chaos started when Whit's girlfriend, Celia, was spirited away in a black van, never to be seen or heard from again. Locked inside their cells, the two fear that they have been taken to the very same complex that swallowed Celia and realize that a daring escape is their only hope of survival.

While imprisoned together, Wisty and Whit start exhibiting strange abilities and powers they never knew they possessed. Their new talents lead them to believe that maybe there is a reason they were singled out. Can this newly minted witch and a wizard master their skills in time to save themselves, their parents--and maybe the world?

 
Review: 
I enjoy James Patterson's books so I was interested to see what his new YA series was like.  One caveat to his adult novels, in my opinion, is the fact that they read so fast (due to simple writing and tons of short chapters, leading to lots of empty page space).  That caveat was in full force in Witch and Wizard.  I raced through this book in about an hour and twenty minutes!  

It was pretty enjoyable, but the story felt underdeveloped to me.  The book starts with Whit and Wisty being captured by the New Order and the entire book focuses on their imprisonment and subsequent search for their missing parents.  It almost felt like Witch and Wizard was the second book in a series, the way the story just jumps right in.  I think I would have liked to get to know Whit and Wisty (whose names are too similar for my taste) before they get captured.


If the library has the next book in the series, I'll read it, but I won't be buying any books in this series: it was just too short, too fast, too simple for me.  I would recommend Witch and Wizard to die-hard YA and Patterson fans only.

Just One Gripe: 
Besides the book's brevity, I'd say my main gripe was the similarity of the two names.  I kept having to check the front of the chapter to see who was narrating and would have to remind myself, "okay, Whit is the guy, Wisty is the girl."  

The Best Thing About This Book: 
James Patterson is known for his page-turners and this is no exception.

Appropriate for a younger audience: 
Yes

Score:

Characters: 3/5

Plot: 2/5

Setting/Imagery: 3/5

Originality: 2/5

Ending: 2/5

Total Score:  12/25