Witch & Wizard

Gr 7–10—In the third installment (Little, Brown 2011) of James Patterson's dystopian series, Whit and Wisty's parents have been vaporized, and the Resistance, which worked against the totalitarian regime that rules their world, has broken up. Now the teens, who have magical abilities, are on their own and on the run from the New Order guards. After a little prompting from an old friend, Whit and Wisty decide they must split up. Whit goes into the shadow realm to search for his parents, while Wisty enters the New Order headquarters to face The One. This book is darker than the previous two volumes and is filled with more violence and less fun. The humorous magical battles and stunts that populated the earlier books are scarce here; in their place are descriptions of beatings and emotional angst. The writing is melodramatic in places and the magic system is fuzzy and inconsistent. The voices of Elijah Wood and Spencer Locke are convincingly youthful and they unabashedly perform even the most over-written sections with feeling. Instrumental background music signals impending doom or drama, adding to the overall mood. Those who enjoyed the first two books will probably be willing to wade through this one to get to the happy ending.—Donna Cardon, Provo City Library UT