Another dystopian read.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.


Our society seems to thrill over this type of literature lately. We all seem to get on a bit of an emotional high from reading books, like this one, that explore the ugly, sick, sad, and disgusting things that come from a world with a corrupted government. (Anyone the least bit disturbed by this?) I have read a ton of dystopian  fiction lately and this book, Witch and Wizard by James Patterson is not a whole lot different from some of the other young adult dystopian fiction books I have read, except for the fact that in this book James Patterson throws in a magic twist by including the idea of the reality of witches and wizards. The central theme in the book- that society has once again uncovered and accused many people, young and old, of witchcraft with the punishment for this crime being death-leads this book in a thrilling direction as witch and wizard, Wisty and Whit, fight for their lives and for their freedom. This book was a fast, fun read with very little unclean language. (I noticed a few choice words used throughout the novel, but not enough to make me feel too concerned. I only felt their usage to be silly and unnecessary.) Other themes found throughout this book are a strong sense of loyalty to both family and friends, and it is also demonstrated throughout the novel the importance of close family relationships that are based on love and trust. (Although one might dispute the trust part of the familial relationship in this story since it isn't until Wisty and Whit are arrested for being a witch and wizard that they even find out that they do indeed have magical powers. Their parents never told them, which could have been for several different reasons, and although there are a couple of moments when Whit and Wisty wonder why they never told them, they don't seem to get too hung up about it and love their parents all the same.) This book could also be considered a coming of age book, since Whit and Wisty are indeed coming of age and coming to terms with their new found magical abilities that just begin to appear once they are taken away from their parents. So, they are left to discover on their own just what they can do with their powers and how in the world they are supposed to control them. Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next book in this series, Witch and Wizard: The Gift.