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A review by mayetra
Hocus Pocus and the All-New Sequel by A. W. Jantha
1.0
This was a tough book to rate because it is two books in one. The first book which is the novelization of the movie was excellent. It mostly stayed true to the movie while adding lovely little touches into the mindset of the characters. There were added "seeds" planted to set up the sequel but they are mostly unobtrusive and do not pull you from the story. Had this book been solely a novel-tie in for the movie, I would have given it 5 stars.
Now for the horror show that was the second part of the book - The Sequel. First off, couldn't you come up with a better title than - The All New Sequel? Moving on, the sequel part is a lie. This isn't about the Sanderson sisters returning to run amuck on Halloween night. This is an angst fueled teenage story about love and bullies in high school. The Sandersons, the beloved Hocus Pocus characters and Halloween night are just props. The character assassination of Max and Allison turned me off immediately. We see Max take back his shoes and leave Ernie and Jay in Hocus Pocus but I always assumed they told someone where they were. In the sequel, Max leaves them locked up in an isolated spot for days without telling anyone and Allison, good, wholesome Allison, goes along with this idea. Not only that, but once they are found Max goes out of his way to get even more revenge. The lovely thing about the "love story" in Hocus Pocus is that it doesn't become the focus between Max and Allison. They have small moments but the story is focus on the Sanderson witches. The author should have just written her love story between Poppy and Isabella and found some other way to get them together. (This has nothing to do with it being a lesbian love story. I would have felt the same if Isabella had been Issac instead.) Mary Sanderson starts to have some growth and then that all goes away. The Sanderson sisters themselves trot out the same tired old spells disguised as all "new" spells. It was a mess.
I'm giving the book one star for the train wreck that was the second book.
Now for the horror show that was the second part of the book - The Sequel. First off, couldn't you come up with a better title than - The All New Sequel? Moving on, the sequel part is a lie. This isn't about the Sanderson sisters returning to run amuck on Halloween night. This is an angst fueled teenage story about love and bullies in high school. The Sandersons, the beloved Hocus Pocus characters and Halloween night are just props. The character assassination of Max and Allison turned me off immediately. We see Max take back his shoes and leave Ernie and Jay in Hocus Pocus but I always assumed they told someone where they were. In the sequel, Max leaves them locked up in an isolated spot for days without telling anyone and Allison, good, wholesome Allison, goes along with this idea. Not only that, but once they are found Max goes out of his way to get even more revenge. The lovely thing about the "love story" in Hocus Pocus is that it doesn't become the focus between Max and Allison. They have small moments but the story is focus on the Sanderson witches. The author should have just written her love story between Poppy and Isabella and found some other way to get them together. (This has nothing to do with it being a lesbian love story. I would have felt the same if Isabella had been Issac instead.) Mary Sanderson starts to have some growth and then that all goes away. The Sanderson sisters themselves trot out the same tired old spells disguised as all "new" spells. It was a mess.
I'm giving the book one star for the train wreck that was the second book.