Scan barcode
silentnpale's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to like this so much but I struggled through it. I didn't realize when I started reading that I would need to read through the movie plot first. While there was a few added things to it, I pretty much know the movie by heart so I felt a little annoyed to have to go through it all when it could have just been a summary. The 'now' part was fine. Some parts were really fun like Poppy and Isabella's relationship but some parts were just confusing (a musical number? Um.) and the characters felt kind of underdeveloped. However, it is worth a read if you enjoy Hocus Pocus and the characters. Honestly, I probably would have enjoyed this more if I hadn't watched Hocus Pocus 2 first.
emily_gaynier's review against another edition
4.0
*2022*
Honestly I just reread the original story.
Is it well written? No
But it's fun!
Longer review to come
But the original story is 5/5 stars and the sequel is 3/5 stars
*Full Review*
Okay so I loved the novelization of the movie. 5/5 stars! I liked seeing inside Max's head and how his thoughts made him less into a dumb boy from the 90's and more progressive and feminist. I also liked how a scene was added to address.
Now with the Sequel, I have some thoughts and opinions.
Overall I really enjoyed my time reading it. If I was just rating off of how much fun I had reading this book, I would've give the second half around 4 stars. But! There was some issues with the plot and characterization of well known and loved characters. Also this book already feels a little dated because there are so many references to modern trends and tech. Snapchat, Instagram, and Pinterest were talked about. And while I think those things won't go anywhere soon, they do take me out of the story a bit. I would've preferred Halloween decorations that would've made a witch proud instead of Pinterest-worthy Halloween decorations. These kinds of references always feel too try hard and really date the story. It's such an easy trap to fall into too and a good editor would've caught it.
That being said! This book really needed some more editing. Or just some help in general with the plot. In this book we are following Max and Allison's daughter on her own spoopy adventure. Max and Allison are both very obsessed with magic and the witches, while also being against specific Halloween stuff and really try to distance themselves from the Sandersons. I think Allison being a lawyer as an adult makes a lot of sense, she got the best grades and is super smart. But Max being a teacher doesn't feel like something that character would do. I do like how he wears a tie die tie every Halloween, but a bow tie also doesn't feel like Max. But with the level of how much they know about magic, I personally think that they should've reopened the Sanderson Museum. Even if it was part-time and volunteer work, this would've given them a great excuse to know about the blood moon and being weary about the spirit board.
The thing I probably enjoyed the most about this book was how many lame Halloween and Witch puns there were. Resting Witch Face and stuff like that. 100/10, would pun again.
Below is going to be about specific things I liked and disliked about this book.
Huge spoiler warning!
Click if you dare!
Mary also got a song and dance scene and that felt out of place. It might've been better in a movie, but I think it should've been left out. It didn't add to the story or make it fun. Honestly, I skipped it.
Also with the animal transformation, would Winnie need to know what a Boston Terrier is in order to turn someone into one or is it like a personality thing? Cause Binx got turned into a cat deliberately. And there was the remark saying Winnie chose a small dog because they are useless and not as troublesome as a cat. Again a Boston Terrier just felt out of place. Maybe a kitten would've been better or a bird or something more in the spirit of Halloween.
Also with the blood moonstone, this is something else that would've fit well with Max and Allison if they had reopened the Sanderson Museum. We got references to the fourth Sanderson in both the original story as a book and the sequel. But the blood moonstone was just brought up when it was needed. Poppy and her friends were told about it from Elizabeth Sanderson without any foreshadowing. It just felt like bad story telling.
A few last things
I loved the photo from Halloween 1994
A lot of these scenes read like movie scenes, which (witch, hehe) I enjoyed
The thing that spells out words on a spirit board is called a planchette, not a cursor
The romance was super cute
Honestly I just reread the original story.
Is it well written? No
But it's fun!
Longer review to come
But the original story is 5/5 stars and the sequel is 3/5 stars
*Full Review*
Okay so I loved the novelization of the movie. 5/5 stars! I liked seeing inside Max's head and how his thoughts made him less into a dumb boy from the 90's and more progressive and feminist. I also liked how a scene was added to address
Spoiler
how Max was objectifying Allison and Dani embarrassing themNow with the Sequel, I have some thoughts and opinions.
Overall I really enjoyed my time reading it. If I was just rating off of how much fun I had reading this book, I would've give the second half around 4 stars. But! There was some issues with the plot and characterization of well known and loved characters. Also this book already feels a little dated because there are so many references to modern trends and tech. Snapchat, Instagram, and Pinterest were talked about. And while I think those things won't go anywhere soon, they do take me out of the story a bit. I would've preferred Halloween decorations that would've made a witch proud instead of Pinterest-worthy Halloween decorations. These kinds of references always feel too try hard and really date the story. It's such an easy trap to fall into too and a good editor would've caught it.
That being said! This book really needed some more editing. Or just some help in general with the plot. In this book we are following Max and Allison's daughter on her own spoopy adventure. Max and Allison are both very obsessed with magic and the witches, while also being against specific Halloween stuff and really try to distance themselves from the Sandersons. I think Allison being a lawyer as an adult makes a lot of sense, she got the best grades and is super smart. But Max being a teacher doesn't feel like something that character would do. I do like how he wears a tie die tie every Halloween, but a bow tie also doesn't feel like Max. But with the level of how much they know about magic, I personally think that they should've reopened the Sanderson Museum. Even if it was part-time and volunteer work, this would've given them a great excuse to know about the blood moon and being weary about the spirit board.
Spoiler
Also I find Allison being against fake tombstones because of Billy is weirdThe thing I probably enjoyed the most about this book was how many lame Halloween and Witch puns there were. Resting Witch Face and stuff like that. 100/10, would pun again.
Below is going to be about specific things I liked and disliked about this book.
Huge spoiler warning!
Click if you dare!
Spoiler
I personally felt like this book was trying too hard and not hard enough. There were so many, almost painful, references to the first story that either should not have been in the book or should've leaned harder into the reference. Such as, the sequel has a Halloween party scene where Allison dresses up as Lady Gaga. Poppy has the same reaction to her and Dani had to her mom as Madanna. Not that Lady Gaga isn't relevant anymore, but I think that if Allison had dressed as Madanna in a different style, it would've fit the reference better. Max was dressed as the Hollywood sign (which I loved!). It was a perfect reference for his nickname from '93. Gaga just felt out of place.Mary also got a song and dance scene and that felt out of place. It might've been better in a movie, but I think it should've been left out. It didn't add to the story or make it fun. Honestly, I skipped it.
Also with the animal transformation, would Winnie need to know what a Boston Terrier is in order to turn someone into one or is it like a personality thing? Cause Binx got turned into a cat deliberately. And there was the remark saying Winnie chose a small dog because they are useless and not as troublesome as a cat. Again a Boston Terrier just felt out of place. Maybe a kitten would've been better or a bird or something more in the spirit of Halloween.
Also with the blood moonstone, this is something else that would've fit well with Max and Allison if they had reopened the Sanderson Museum. We got references to the fourth Sanderson in both the original story as a book and the sequel. But the blood moonstone was just brought up when it was needed. Poppy and her friends were told about it from Elizabeth Sanderson without any foreshadowing. It just felt like bad story telling.
A few last things
I loved the photo from Halloween 1994
A lot of these scenes read like movie scenes, which (witch, hehe) I enjoyed
The thing that spells out words on a spirit board is called a planchette, not a cursor
The romance was super cute
brynnoe012's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
colleens_conclusions's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked the Hocus Pocus aspect of this book very much. That part of the book stayed true to the movie, we only got extra thoughts added to it, like what was really going on in Max’s head that first day he and Allison had class in the movie and when he lit the black flame candle, etc.
I liked finding out what happened after the movie ended. We never got answers to what happened to the boys that were put in the cage or how the clan dealt with their Halloween experience that night.
I liked reading about all the next generation kids, but I felt like I couldn’t connect with them as much personally as I had for the original. Still, it was a nice little reunion and I will probably reread this book sometime soon.
This book was a 3.5 for me because I did have some personal misgivings to the book, but still liked it overall.
This was a Kindle ebook.
I liked finding out what happened after the movie ended. We never got answers to what happened to the boys that were put in the cage or how the clan dealt with their Halloween experience that night.
I liked reading about all the next generation kids, but I felt like I couldn’t connect with them as much personally as I had for the original. Still, it was a nice little reunion and I will probably reread this book sometime soon.
This book was a 3.5 for me because I did have some personal misgivings to the book, but still liked it overall.
This was a Kindle ebook.
kate_k554's review against another edition
3.0
Part one of this book was a book version of the movie “Hocus Pocus” that was released 25 years ago. It was an accurate version of the movie that plays on the Disney Channel during the Halloween season. For those who have seen the movie, it is a fun written version of a movie we have seen multiple times over the years and have always enjoyed watching.
Part two of the book is an all new sequel to the story of the how the Sanderson sisters returned to try and claim their revenge on the town that hanged them 300 years previously. In this part of the story, the main characters are the children of the characters we were familiar with in the first tale. At this point in the story, Poppy Dennison, her best friend Travis, Isabella Richards, and Katie Taylor are students in the same Salem High School where their parents had grown up and fought to defeat the Sanderson sisters on that Halloween night 25 years previously. Their parents often chose not to participate in many of the Halloween celebrations as they knew what could happen should the Sanderson sisters once again find a way to return.
Not truly believing the stories told to them could have actually happened, is it really all that surprising that their children would be the ones to manage to accidentally help the Sanderson sisters to return to seek their revenge on those who had wronged them so many years previously? Or that it would be up to the children of those who had once defeated them to find a way to beat them, rescue their parents, and once again send the witches back to Hell, because if they can’t then the Evil Witches will have succeeded in taking over Salem and who knows what other evil plans they will get up to?
I couldn’t resist picking up a copy of this book to read. With this year being the 25th anniversary of the movie Hocus Pocus, I have been seeing the movie played repeatedly Halloween Season. The first part of the book is simply put, a written version of the movie, with all the expected silliness found therein. And while that silliness does continue on into part two with the new story, it is also quite entertaining. The running gags from the movie are continued, as I expected they would be.
Those who enjoyed the movie (as I did), will likely enjoy this book. It is lighthearted and as fun to read as the original story was. Generally, I found the book entertaining and a fun lighthearted read that I believe most folks will also enjoy. I think my favorite part of the story was the at the tail end of the story. In an effort not to give away too much here, I enjoyed learning some of how things came into being as well as the potential set up for another sequel to someday be written. If one ever is, I would likely be willing to read it just as I did this one.
Part two of the book is an all new sequel to the story of the how the Sanderson sisters returned to try and claim their revenge on the town that hanged them 300 years previously. In this part of the story, the main characters are the children of the characters we were familiar with in the first tale. At this point in the story, Poppy Dennison, her best friend Travis, Isabella Richards, and Katie Taylor are students in the same Salem High School where their parents had grown up and fought to defeat the Sanderson sisters on that Halloween night 25 years previously. Their parents often chose not to participate in many of the Halloween celebrations as they knew what could happen should the Sanderson sisters once again find a way to return.
Not truly believing the stories told to them could have actually happened, is it really all that surprising that their children would be the ones to manage to accidentally help the Sanderson sisters to return to seek their revenge on those who had wronged them so many years previously? Or that it would be up to the children of those who had once defeated them to find a way to beat them, rescue their parents, and once again send the witches back to Hell, because if they can’t then the Evil Witches will have succeeded in taking over Salem and who knows what other evil plans they will get up to?
I couldn’t resist picking up a copy of this book to read. With this year being the 25th anniversary of the movie Hocus Pocus, I have been seeing the movie played repeatedly Halloween Season. The first part of the book is simply put, a written version of the movie, with all the expected silliness found therein. And while that silliness does continue on into part two with the new story, it is also quite entertaining. The running gags from the movie are continued, as I expected they would be.
Those who enjoyed the movie (as I did), will likely enjoy this book. It is lighthearted and as fun to read as the original story was. Generally, I found the book entertaining and a fun lighthearted read that I believe most folks will also enjoy. I think my favorite part of the story was the at the tail end of the story. In an effort not to give away too much here, I enjoyed learning some of how things came into being as well as the potential set up for another sequel to someday be written. If one ever is, I would likely be willing to read it just as I did this one.
manglitter's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 Stars.
Nope. It didn't work for me. The first part, you're just reading the movie version as a book. The second part, is the sequel and it was boring and they kind of added some elements that didn't existed which changed the version of the movie's basic story.
All in all, I didn't like it at all. By the end, I was suffering while waiting for it to end and at this moment, the audiobook helped a great deal.
I have to say that the new movie was way better than this!
Nope. It didn't work for me. The first part, you're just reading the movie version as a book. The second part, is the sequel and it was boring and they kind of added some elements that didn't existed which changed the version of the movie's basic story.
All in all, I didn't like it at all. By the end, I was suffering while waiting for it to end and at this moment, the audiobook helped a great deal.
I have to say that the new movie was way better than this!
manglitter's review against another edition
3.0
It was helpful in order to finish this book so much faster.
teenwitch12's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is half the 1993 hocus-pocus Disney film and half the sequel that never got turned into a movie. It is not the 2023 Disney film sequel. This book was very exciting. If you like hocus-pocus or Halloween stuff I recommend you read this book :-)