Witch & Wizard

Gr 6—10—In Witch and Wizard (2009), siblings Whit and Wisty discovered their magical powers after being separated from their parents and imprisoned by the totalitarian, creativity-hating New Order. This sequel (2010, both Little, Brown) opens with Wisty narrowly escaping public execution by The One Who Is the One. The pair flees via portal and reunites with the ragtag teen Resistance. A betrayal leads to a seemingly endless chain of near death experiences and magical escapes. At one point Whit and Wisty are imprisoned in the Brave New World Center for "dynacompetents," or magically gifted kids, where they endure bullying and torture. Their ongoing quests to find their parents and communicate with Whit's dead girlfriend link some of the more disjointed scenes together. Co-written with Ned Rust, this novel follows James Patterson's tried-and-true formula of short chapters with cliffhanger endings. Though the characters have few nuances, the breakneck pacing practically drags listeners along. Subtle it's not, but despite its flaws, this sequel strengthens the series and shows promise for the next installment. The clear, expressive voices of Elijah Wood and Spencer Locke compellingly portray the brother/sister duo, with chapters alternating between them. Bursts of music enhance the most dramatic scenes. This dystopian fantasy is derivative of The Hunger Games, but it will satisfy the genre's devotees until Katniss Everdeen hits the big screen. Reading or listening to the books in order is a must.—Amy Pickett, Ridley High School, Folsom, PA