Witch & Wizard Series by James Patterson

TimeKeeperApprentice · Post by **TimeKeeperApprentice** » 24 Feb 2012, 17:31

Has anyone read the Witch & Wizard books by James Patterson? If you did, isn't it great? Every page is filled with action; it is a awesome page-turner book. It keeps you reading, it never, ever gets boring. It's mostly a teen and young adult book, but it's also considered a children's book(10 & up really). I'm currently reading the second book, the Gift.

hdg1822 · Post by **hdg1822** » 19 Apr 2012, 18:39

I have read these books. I will read anything James Patterson writes. He is one of my favorite authors. I like the novels of this series but I was not a fan of the graphic novels that go along with it. Have you looked at those?

Hortonreader · Post by **Hortonreader** » 19 Dec 2012, 06:06

TimeKeeperApprentice wrote:Has anyone read the Witch & Wizard books by James Patterson? If you did, isn't it great? Every page is filled with action; it is a awesome page-turner book. It keeps you reading, it never, ever gets boring. It's mostly a teen and young adult book, but it's also considered a children's book(10 & up really). I'm currently reading the second book, the Gift.

What is your opinion of the Gift?

amber_chocolate · Post by **amber_chocolate** » 19 Dec 2012, 11:34

It's super awesome! I have both books next to me like right now! It's really interesting! I find it cute how Whit is always thinking of Celia and how Whisty is always annoyed at Whit but yet their brotherly and sisterly love remains strong and united!

Tara_18 · Post by **Tara_18** » 01 Aug 2013, 17:37

I haven't finished the series yet, but I love the ones I've read so far. They are good reads, and I like how the point of view is switched between the two siblings

For the graphic novels, I love the way they're drawn! I've only read the first one of those though...

Jess Schmidt · Post by **Jess Schmidt** » 03 Aug 2013, 21:04

I've read the Max Ride series, and was wondering if the action in W&W was comparable? If so, I'll definitely have to read it!

Tara_18 · Post by **Tara_18** » 04 Aug 2013, 18:18

Jess Schmidt wrote:I've read the Max Ride series, and was wondering if the action in W&W was comparable? If so, I'll definitely have to read it!

I'd say the action is comparable, I loved that series too

JessChristman · Post by **JessChristman** » 19 Sep 2013, 14:23

I would say that compared to the Maximum Ride series the W&W series was more childish. Although I am a young adult I had a hard time relating to the main characters. I did not hate this series I actually really enjoyed the first book, but as excited as I was for the second book I was supremely disappointed. I did not continue the series. I do tend to go back and reread the books once the final additions are released. Maybe I will if I run out of things to read.

Does anyone recommend I pursue the rest of the series? Is it worth it?

read_on · Post by **read_on** » 22 Sep 2013, 21:36

Random question but does James Patterson actually write Witch and Wizard? I've heard the series is ghost written by someone else and just has his name on it?

JessChristman · Post by **JessChristman** » 23 Sep 2013, 21:52

Good question... I have no idea but James Patterson's bio is in the back. I don't know if that's even legal

jsinard42 · Post by **jsinard42** » 08 Oct 2013, 11:22

I like the plot but not the writing style of the series. Wisty is my favorite character, I like how spunky she is. As for the ghostwriting question asked earlier it is extremely likely that Patterson had little involvement in this series. He's known to have given ghostwriters an overview of how he wants the book to turn out and letting them run with it. Unfortunately it is legal. The only decent thing about it is that he puts the writer's name on the cover, which most author's do not do. But really, it's obvious that he only writes in small amounts, none of his series have the same voice and he releases too many books each year for the work to be genuine. By this point he's just a name.

Claire200104 · Post by **Claire200104** » 13 Oct 2013, 18:51

I like the Witch & Wizards series and is definitely a good series for young and teen readers. My only problem with the series is the way it is written. I don't like how from chapter from chapter it switches from main characters. Sometimes it can get a little confusing and hard to keep up with.

rachel_bruhn · Post by **rachel_bruhn** » 13 Aug 2015, 09:11

At the time that James Patterson released the first book in this series I was really into Harry Potter. All of the ads I saw were encouraging Harry Potter fans to check out this book. I finally caved and I am so glad I did! Patterson took the idea of witches of wizards and threw it into a post-modern society that readers could relate to.

While the Harry Potter novels are supposed to be set in modern times, I think they are harder to see as "real". For British readers I think there is probably a more realistic component, but to an American reader it is harder to relate to the setting. Not to mention the books mostly take place at the castle (which we don't have in America) which has a medieval feel to it. Patterson's Witch and Wizard series has Whit and Wisty in a dystopian future where the government is seeking out people with magical abilities. There is advanced technology and devices that are easier for our technology-driven society to relate to, that are not present in the Harry Potter stories.

Much like Katniss from the Hunger Games, Whit and Wisty become a rebel image for the people to rally around. It is easy to connect to the main characters and get lost in their story as they try to bring down the totalitarian government that is trying to make them out to be the bad guys. The entire series is a page turner and leaves you wanting to read more.

I disagree with Claire about the change in perspective. I think it helps in some stories when you can see what is going on from more than one point-of-view. I think Patterson does a good job changing perspective using chapter changes and by identifying whose perspective you are reading from at the start. I don't like the "all knowing" books where everyone's perspective is melded in to the story. Another of my favorite series, The Lorien Legacies, also uses different perspectives throughout. I love that "Pittacus Lore" also changes the font that is used for each character. I can always tell when I am reading from someone else's perspective because I notice the subtle change in font.

I am the type of reader that commits to finish something once I've started, so I would strongly suggest finishing the series. Even if the writing style is not to my taste or I'm not a big fan of the story in general, I feel compelled to see how the story ends. That way I can say I have read the entire thing and base my opinion off the big picture and not just one part of the whole.

Annie P · Post by **Annie P** » 24 Sep 2016, 16:20

Although I'm an adult, several years ago I read the Maximum Ride series by Patterson and thought it was excellent! The characters were so well fleshed out, and I especially liked how much they cared for one another and how loyal they were.

Since I've recently been going through a phase of reading everything I can find about witches, it seemed like the Witch and Wizard books would be a good choice. Well, I did not even finish the first book. As jsinard42 posted above, it's probably because James Patterson did not actually write them, but merely gave an outline to his joint author. The characters have no personality, and it was very hard for me to care about what was happening to them.

When I was younger, I always finished every book I started; with age, I realized that there are more books being published in a year than I can possibly read in my lifetime. Now if I'm really not enjoying a book, I just put it down. Life is too short!

Half_Hatter · Post by **Half_Hatter** » 04 Oct 2016, 08:27

I've read the first book and fell in love. I'm currently reading the second book, but I'm a little worried to continue with the series. Is the rest of the series just as good or does the quality decrease like in some series?