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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
Wicked. Witchy. Juvenile.
Let’s start with book 1, Hocus Pocus. I loved it. It was an exact literary replica of the film with the some extra bits added in to keep me on my toes. The characters were perfectly designed with flaws, endearment and characters arcs and the plot is just as flawless as when the film first came out in the 90s.
And then we have book 2, The Sequel. I really didn’t like it. The writing style was incredibly juvenile, which is surprising as you’d have thought the desired audience would have been my generation and above due to the timing of the original film. The characters were underdeveloped and quite frankly, just irritating. The plot had potential but the repetitive teenage monologues let it down. I’m not sure how this got the green light in the first place.
Overall I shan’t be reading the sequel again but Hocus Pocus will be on my Halloween TBR pile every year!
Let’s start with book 1, Hocus Pocus. I loved it. It was an exact literary replica of the film with the some extra bits added in to keep me on my toes. The characters were perfectly designed with flaws, endearment and characters arcs and the plot is just as flawless as when the film first came out in the 90s.
And then we have book 2, The Sequel. I really didn’t like it. The writing style was incredibly juvenile, which is surprising as you’d have thought the desired audience would have been my generation and above due to the timing of the original film. The characters were underdeveloped and quite frankly, just irritating. The plot had potential but the repetitive teenage monologues let it down. I’m not sure how this got the green light in the first place.
Overall I shan’t be reading the sequel again but Hocus Pocus will be on my Halloween TBR pile every year!
I know that a lot of people were disappointed by this book (mainly the sequel) but I knew when i started reading it that the nostalgia alone was going to give this a high rating for me.
There's two parts to this book, there's the first part that is a retelling to the movie and the second part is the new sequel about Max and Alison's daughter Poppy and her friends.
The only way this book was going to get a low rating from me was if the witches were not brought back tastefully, but they were. The reason I gave it a 4 not a 5 was because something in the book made Max look like a little bit of a bad guy and i didn't really like that. Another thing I didn't like, especially towards the end was the was Poppy thought about her friend Isabella, it was super repetitive and a little overdone for me.
I did however like the diversity throughout the book and the way they used technology to defeat the witches.
There's two parts to this book, there's the first part that is a retelling to the movie and the second part is the new sequel about Max and Alison's daughter Poppy and her friends.
The only way this book was going to get a low rating from me was if the witches were not brought back tastefully, but they were. The reason I gave it a 4 not a 5 was because something in the book made Max look like a little bit of a bad guy and i didn't really like that. Another thing I didn't like, especially towards the end was the was Poppy thought about her friend Isabella, it was super repetitive and a little overdone for me.
I did however like the diversity throughout the book and the way they used technology to defeat the witches.
I feel like the first half is a watered down version of the movie. But the sequel is intriguing. The first half ended as if it was the end of the Sanderson legacy and they found a creative way to ignite the terror once again.
A fun revisit to the world of Hocus Pocus. The author definitely employs all of the tropes of the movie, but I appreciate the new storyline and its representative characters.
I actually really enjoyed this. I wasn’t too sure how I would feel about it. The first part was the retelling of Hocus Pocus and the second part was all new. I was pretty impressed with the second part. I loved getting to see some of the old characters and the new ones were my favorite!
A faithful adaptation that builds on the original, and a Sequel that isn’t just a rehash
The only addition to the original that isn’t building further the characters and their relationships was needed to set up the premise of the sequel.
The only addition to the original that isn’t building further the characters and their relationships was needed to set up the premise of the sequel.
Love the movie! Loved reading the sequel! Left me thinking that maybe, just maybe, another story to come? Hmmm.
If the movie sequel is anything like this, I will be happy. It has the corny-cheesy plot like the first movie. It was exactly like I thought it would be, so it didn't let me down nor did it overly impress. It was just right.
4.5 Stars
I'm marking it as 4 stars since I can't do half stars, but I give this book 4.5 stars.
This book was absolutely amazing. Of course, loved the first part since it was basically the movie written down. But I've heard a lot of people didn't like part 2 so I went in very tentatively, but I loved it. I understand not everyone may like but I thought it was amazing. I also loved the ending! Definitely recommend.
I'm marking it as 4 stars since I can't do half stars, but I give this book 4.5 stars.
This book was absolutely amazing. Of course, loved the first part since it was basically the movie written down. But I've heard a lot of people didn't like part 2 so I went in very tentatively, but I loved it. I understand not everyone may like but I thought it was amazing. I also loved the ending! Definitely recommend.
Note, the first 240 pages or so are basically a novelization of the movie with a few changes to make the sequel possible. There are some gems scattered throughout even though we know the story, but overall, that part can be largely skimmed.
I love the nostalgia that this book conjured, and I loved that Jantha brought the sisters into 2018. It's interesting to see how much things have changed since '93, and they are able to utilize modern technology to their advantage. There are some old friends here, and the new kids are a lot of fun. Would recommend for a walk down memory lane if you enjoyed the movie as much as I have over the years.
Also, bonus points for LGBTQIA representation and characters who are not white.
I love the nostalgia that this book conjured, and I loved that Jantha brought the sisters into 2018. It's interesting to see how much things have changed since '93, and they are able to utilize modern technology to their advantage. There are some old friends here, and the new kids are a lot of fun. Would recommend for a walk down memory lane if you enjoyed the movie as much as I have over the years.
Also, bonus points for LGBTQIA representation and characters who are not white.