Monday 3 January 2011

Book Review - Witch & Wizard:The Gift

Synopsis
Ever since Whit and Wisty Allgood were cruelly torn from their home and family in the middle of the night, the soldiers of a brutal totalitarian government have relentlessly tried to capture and execute them for 'collusion, conspiracy, and experimentation with the dark and foul arts'. But this supremely skilled witch and wizard have instead boldly spearheaded the fight against the wicked regime of the New Order and its systematic destruction of music, art, books, and imagination.
The villainous leader of the New Order is just a breath away from the ability to control the forces of nature and to manipulate his citizens on the most profound level imaginable – through their minds. There is only one more thing he needs to triumph in his evil quest: the Gifts of Whit and Wisty Allgood. And he will stop at nothing to seize them.

My Rating
I really like James Patterson's books and enjoyed his writing style when i read his Maximum Ride series. I read Witch & Wizard book 1 sometime last year and thought it was ok, good enough to try book 2 when it came out. 
This book is told in the first person, alternating between Whit and Wisty Allgood, brother and sister, bith who have 'the Gift' magic powers that they are still learning to use.
This book starts straight into action, with the pair running form the evil 'One', a mysterious being that seems to have unbelievable powers and is trying to reorganise the whole world. Music, books, video games etc are all banned, children are being kidnapped and brainwashed into being 'useful' citizens or turned into horrific monsters. Whit & Wisty are fighting in the resistance to bring him down.
I read this book in one sitting, but to be honest with you i didn't really enjoy it that much, i kept waiting for it to get somewhere but it seemed to go round in circles. 
They would fight and escape, then 'The One' would come up with another scheme to catch them, then they would escape in a slightly different way, then another scheme and on it went. There were points when you would think that one side had finally got the higher ground and that the story was going to get somewhere, but then it would just slide back into the pattern. Right up to the last page.
I finished the book and thought 333 pages and i got no-where, and it ends on a to-be-continued. In fact the two page Epilogue was the most exciting part and then just ends.
I was very disappointed with this book and felt very let down with it. The one person narration also seemed to bug me a bit in this book, narration doesn't normally bother me either way, but it did here, for example the main character would be in a dangerous situation, one where you were supposed to think 'i wonder if she makes it?' but you know she would make it as she would start of by saying something like 'now reader i know this looks bad, but we had been through worse though i wasn't sure i could get out of this one.' and i was sitting there thinking, well your telling me about it so you obviously did make it, so what is the point. 
I know this makes it sound like i absolutely hated the book, i didn't really i was just really disappointed with it. If you love James Patterson and his work then you may enjoy this one, but i wouldn't necessarily recommend it. Good for a cold rainy afternoon when you need something to do.


My Rating
I would give this book 4/10 thoroughly disappointing :(

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really enjoy this book!!!

barmybex said...

Glad you enjoyed it. Just shows we all have different tastes.