The Gift

June 1, 2011

Gr 7-9-In the second installment (2010) of James Patterson and Ned Rust's dystopia fantasy series, Whit and Wisty are on the run from New Order goons who want to capture them and exploit their magical gifts. The siblings use their burgeoning magic to escape one hopeless situation after another as they try to find their captured parents and lead the resistance movement against a maniacal magical dictator. As in Witch and Wizard (2009, both Little, Brown), both plot and dialogue are bogged down by cliche. Patterson tries so hard to include plot devices that he thinks will appeal to teens that he loses sight of the tale's overarching direction. As a result, the story tends toward melodrama which is reflected in the audio production. Narration is performed by three voice actors who do a good job of portraying the teen roles, but occasionally overact. There is similar dramatic musical accompaniment between sections and during heightened tension, and it begins to sound hackneyed long before the end of the book. Although there are elements that will appeal to the target audience, both the writing and recording of Patterson's Maximum Ride series are done with more finesse.-Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2010
Whit and Wisty Allgood, sibling magic-users with amazingly unreliable powers, return to fight with their utterly expendable teen comrades against The One Who Is The One, dread master of the New Order, who hates the young and those with imagination (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 (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

January 1, 2011
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.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

February 1, 2011

Gr 7-10-In Witch & Wizard (Little, Brown, 2009), Whit and Wisty Allgood were taken from their family in the middle of the night, accused of witchcraft, and imprisoned by the corrupt government. This sequel picks up as Whit manages to save his captured sister from public execution. On the run from "The One Who Is The One" (the evil ruler of this apocalyptic world), the siblings' recently discovered magical powers are their only hope of finding their rebel cohorts and escaping capture and certain death. Once safe for the moment, Whit becomes preoccupied with finding his murdered girlfriend in the Shadowlands and jotting poetry/spells in his magic journal. Wisty practices her power of controlling fire while dabbling in an occasional musical performance and exploring a budding romance with the drummer of a popular rebel rock band. There is no real safe haven for these siblings, though, and they find themselves imprisoned once again by "The One" with only a would-be traitor holding their key to escape. The action is relentless and there are too many close calls to count in this supernatural suspense thriller. The narration alternates between brother and sister, which, particularly in these very short chapters, can be confusing. Patterson's trademark mastery of gruesome and terrifying imagery makes this otherwise dull tale come alive a bit as readers are whisked at breakneck speed toward a culmination with no resolution. This sequel can stand alone, but is unlikely to draw new readers into the series.-Tara Kehoe, Plainsboro Public Library, NJ

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.