Two siblings continue the struggle against a dictator to protect their friends and save their parents.
Creative Staff
Story: James Patterson
Art: Svetlana Chmakova
What They Say
When Whit and Wisty were imprisoned by the wicked forces of the totalitarian regime known as the New Order, they were barely able to escape with their lives. Now part of a hidden community of teens like themselves, Whit and Wisty have established themselves as leaders of the Resistance, willing to sacrifice anything to save kids kidnapped and brutally imprisoned by the New Order.
But the One has other plans in store for them. He needs Wisty, for she is “The One Who Has the Gift.” While trying to figure out what that means, Whit and Wisty’s suspenseful adventures through Overworld and Shadowland lead to a jaw-dropping climax and conclusion!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
I admit, I had my reservations about Witch and Wizard. It’s not a perfect story. The message isn’t always consistent. Grownups are bad–except for parents, and the old lady who helps the Resistance, and anybody else who exists in the story as a person and not a generic cardboard minion of the totalitarian regime. Children will do a better job than adults at running society–so they make a society that’s like a homeless shelter and constantly fall for the grownup’s tricks. The villain’s organization is called the N.O., and he refers to what he’s creating as a “brave new world.” C’mon–he’s smart enough to take power, so he’s smart enough to provide at least a rudimentary disguise for what he’s doing. You’d think a century of totalitarianism would have taught people that real dictators will arrange things under names like Y.E.S. or F.R.E.E.
Then I came to my senses. I was overthinking this story. It’s not a social statement or a near-future dystopian warning. It’s a thriller for young people. I realized I needed to stop thinking so hard and just read the book for the story. Ordinarily that’s what I would have done from the beginning. But when you know you’re going to have to write a review afterward, it can crimp your reading. This book was a good reminder of that.
Okay, so hanging up my reviewer’s hat and approaching the book like a human being, what do I find? I found I quite liked it, actually. It has a good tempo, knows where it’s going, and stays exciting throughout. I don’t know anything about the original work that this graphic novel adapts, so I don’t know who to attribute a given scene or moment to. The author, the artist, or both together, have put together a narrative that does a fine job at what it sets out to do: give the reader thrills. I can give the artist some credit for what I know is hers: the lively drawing, more like sketches than graphics, gives the book a sense of immediacy that all good thrillers need. If it’s not at least as good as the descriptive writing in the original novel, I’ll be surprised.
In Summary:
It’s a pity Yen has published so few titles that are to my liking. They know how to make sharp looking book, that’s for sure. I like size of their books and the feeling of quality you get from holding them and turning the pages. And speaking of pages, having the first few in colour is an awfully nice thing to see. At the end of the day, Witch and Wizard is a pretty good read. If you’re not prone to overthinking like I am, you can read it for the story and it’ll hold you to the end. Only, don’t trust the blurb–this volume isn’t the end. There’s more to come. And the only thing I’m thinking now is: “I’m looking forward to it.”
Content Grade: B+
Art Grade: B+
Packaging Grade: A
Text/Translation Grade: B+
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: June 26th, 2012
MSRP: $12.99
