Witch & Wizard Series, Book 1

November 16, 2009
Patterson (the Maximum Ride books) and Charbonnet launch a new series about political and cultural oppression, which suffers from some questionable storytelling choices. Ordinary teenagers Whit and Wisty are taken from their house by representatives of the oppressive “New Order.” Accused of being a wizard and a witch, they're thrown in a dank prison to await execution. While there they begin to master previously unknown powers and, thanks to some otherworldly help, they manage to escape and are united with the resistance movement. The authors rely on coincidence and plot holes—each teen is allowed to bring one possession into the otherwise barbaric jail, and thus end up with magical implements. The story is further undercut by frequent recapping and short chapters, alternately narrated by the siblings, which break up the narrative for no perceivable reason. There's some fun world-building, including a stream of thinly disguised pop culture references in Wisty and Whit's alternate world (from the books of Gary Blotter to the artist Margie O'Greeffe), but even these are inconsistent (their world also includes Red Bull and the adjective Dickensian) and come across as groaners. Ages 10-up.

Brother and sister Whit and Wisty, accused of being a wizard and a witch, are sentenced to death by the New Order, the oppressive regime that has taken over the country. Elijah Wood and Spencer Locke give authentic voices to the siblings, who alternately narrate this suspenseful adventure. They superbly communicate the teens' closeness and streetwise ways of dealing with the terrors they face. In particular, they vary their tempo to provide the appropriate intensity for this fast-paced story. The occasional brief musical interludes and use of sound effects contribute to the menacing atmosphere. Teens who listen to this dystopian novel will most likely forgive the preachy bit at the end and eagerly await the next in the series. C.R.A. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine