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A review by neon_capricorn
Hocus Pocus and the All-New Sequel by A. W. Jantha
3.0
I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I like it because Hocus Pocus is a story that I’ve loved ever since it was released. I remember seeing it in theaters multiple times, and watching the movie annually on Halloween has become a tradition in my household. On the other hand, I felt let down.
The book is split into two halves. The first part is a retelling of the Hocus Pocus movie, but it has a few additional touches to deepen the characters and the story. It was nice to have some background insights into the Sanderson Sisters’ family, and seeing some depth to the bullies, Jay and Ernie (aka Ice).
The second half of the book is the sequel. This is where I took some issue with it. First, they couldn’t be bothered to give the sequel a title? I genuinely feel the sequel needs a title. The other jarring thing about the sequel is the writing tense changes. The first half is written in 3rd person, past tense. The sequel changes to first person, present tense. I get it: it’s a conceptual thing, but still… Personally, I hate first person narratives unless there is some sort of reason for it, like reading a diary or listening to someone recount events. First person for the sake of first person is kind of lame in my opinion. But here, the abrupt change in perspective and tense was disruptive to the flow of reading.
I liked the new main characters in the sequel overall. I am glad the writer had a diverse cast to boot! The Witches were decent, but there were some parts in their dialogue that felt off, or out of character for the witch saying the line. Regardless, it was fun to see them on their mission for immortality again.
Perhaps, the biggest issue that I had was with how convenient it was that one of the characters had supernatural powers as well, which helped the teens overcome their biggest challenge. I wish the writer had kept the story grounded with the teens having to use a different method to beat the villains that didn’t involve introducing the idea of inherited witchy powers.
Overall, I give the book a three star rating. I had issues with the writing style, the tone, and the story. I would not recommend this book to read, nor will I revisit it. I would say only to read the book if you want the official Disney take on what happens after the 1993 movie.
The book is split into two halves. The first part is a retelling of the Hocus Pocus movie, but it has a few additional touches to deepen the characters and the story. It was nice to have some background insights into the Sanderson Sisters’ family, and seeing some depth to the bullies, Jay and Ernie (aka Ice).
The second half of the book is the sequel. This is where I took some issue with it. First, they couldn’t be bothered to give the sequel a title? I genuinely feel the sequel needs a title. The other jarring thing about the sequel is the writing tense changes. The first half is written in 3rd person, past tense. The sequel changes to first person, present tense. I get it: it’s a conceptual thing, but still… Personally, I hate first person narratives unless there is some sort of reason for it, like reading a diary or listening to someone recount events. First person for the sake of first person is kind of lame in my opinion. But here, the abrupt change in perspective and tense was disruptive to the flow of reading.
I liked the new main characters in the sequel overall. I am glad the writer had a diverse cast to boot! The Witches were decent, but there were some parts in their dialogue that felt off, or out of character for the witch saying the line. Regardless, it was fun to see them on their mission for immortality again.
Perhaps, the biggest issue that I had was with how convenient it was that one of the characters had supernatural powers as well, which helped the teens overcome their biggest challenge. I wish the writer had kept the story grounded with the teens having to use a different method to beat the villains that didn’t involve introducing the idea of inherited witchy powers.
Overall, I give the book a three star rating. I had issues with the writing style, the tone, and the story. I would not recommend this book to read, nor will I revisit it. I would say only to read the book if you want the official Disney take on what happens after the 1993 movie.