A review by dark_reader
The Flash: Hocus Pocus by Barry Lyga
2.0
As a cable TV-show tie-in licensed children's book, I fully expected this to be terrible. I was not disappointed. It was not horrifying; the writing was at least competent, from an established children's and YA author. Structurally, the story is similar to an episode of the TV show, but it lacked any charm, and the story was rather silly. The villain's habit of only speaking in all-caps (including with EXCLAMATION! POINTS! AFTER! EACH! WORD! BUT! ONLY! DURING! HIS! FIRST! APPEARANCE!) was irritating. I also can't fathom why there was a need to alter the show's main story arc, choosing to create an alternate branch where Flashpoint never happened.
Anyway, I was not expecting much, and I am grateful that it was such a fast read. I am not sure why I even picked it up, other than that I am a fan of the show, which I suppose is the only reason anyone would pick this up; certainly if you have not watched the show, the book would be even worse because the cast of supporting characters and background would be meaningless. The cover art is pretty sweet, too. And, it cost me nothing as a library loan. So, nothing lost, and nothing gained.
Anyway, I was not expecting much, and I am grateful that it was such a fast read. I am not sure why I even picked it up, other than that I am a fan of the show, which I suppose is the only reason anyone would pick this up; certainly if you have not watched the show, the book would be even worse because the cast of supporting characters and background would be meaningless. The cover art is pretty sweet, too. And, it cost me nothing as a library loan. So, nothing lost, and nothing gained.