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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
The first part of the story is just a detailed repetition of the film 'Hocus Pocus'. And, in the second part of the book, you are following the same characters from 'Hocus Pocus' movie just twenty-five years later after Sanderson sisters' event. So, basically, Max and Allison have a daughter name Poppy and she is ready to take on her own adventures with Sanderson sisters.
- To be honest the plot was not that believable and it just kept dragging.
+ I loved the queer representation in this book and it has a really beautiful cover.
I am still hoping Disney will make it into a movie!
- To be honest the plot was not that believable and it just kept dragging.
+ I loved the queer representation in this book and it has a really beautiful cover.
I am still hoping Disney will make it into a movie!
*sigh* I don't know what I was expecting. The first half was fine! It was literally just the movie in book form and I know the movie like the back of my hand so... But the second half... It just felt as if it was trying TOO hard. Meh
This was honestly such a disappointment. I was so excited and complety let down. This was not good at all. I didn't like the writing, the characters in the sequel.....nothing. I also think it wasted so much time as it spent the first like 200 pages of it reading a written version of hocus pocus the movie. It was such a waste of my time and im very sad about it.
Hocus Pocus is one of my all-time favorite movies and I was equal parts excited to revisit the beloved characters with a continuation 25 years later and terrified that it wouldn't live up to the nostalgia I feel for the film. As such I went into this with very low expectations and overall found this to be an enjoyable read.
Full disclosure: I skipped the first 196 pages as I wasn't interested in reading a novelized account of the movie. Which was a good choice for me personally, 10/10 would recommend to others looking for a trip down nostalgia lane. This review solely focuses on the All New Sequel part of the book.
It's been 25 years since a virgin lit the Black Flame Candle, and Salem is still as bewitched with the tales of the Sanderson Sisters as ever. Well, everyone except for Poppy Dennison, the 17 year old daughter of Max and Allison. She grew up listening to her parents and Aunt Dani recount their experiences with the Sanderson Sisters and has spent her life hiding her family's secret from everyone, convinced that it is a tall tale. It is Halloween 2018, and things are about to get witchy again in Salem!
The story itself is well plotted and I found the storyline enjoyable to read. The Sanderson Sisters are back on Halloween night, and it is another race against time to save the world. Another trio of unlikely heroes to save the day. Beloved characters return from beyond to help provide guidance. Also there is a delightful spirit board that I absolutely need: HEY GHOUL, HEY; GHOUL, BYE. I have never felt so connected to a fictional inanimate object before, but here we are.
While I enjoyed the plot, I felt a disconnect between the character's ages and their actions that I found particularly distracting. This is categorized as a Young Adult novel but reads more like a middle grade book to me in terms of the word choices, sentence structure, and the actions of the characters. The characters themselves were well developed in terms of their backstories and I rooted for them, but unfortunately I just didn't believe their characters would act in the ways described but would totally buy it if they were Dani's age from the film. If I am being honest, the dialog between Poppy, Isabella, and Travis felt off and unrealistic - like an adult trying to write the cool lingo of today's youth, but no one really talks like that to this extent.
Jantha did a good job of writing the Sanderson Sisters true to the characters of the film, particularly with Winifred. Every time Winnie spoke, the lines played in Bette Middler's voice in my head! However, Sarah felt almost like a caricature of herself and most of her lines were some variation of "Amok, amok, amok!"
It was wonderful to see Binx and Emily again, but they kind of didn't seem like themselves? I don't know how to explain it. I did find the Olde English speech to be inconsistent, and honestly the Sisters kind of figured out how to use an iPhone faster than I think someone from the 1600s would.
Since this is a Disney publication it makes sense that they would want to appeal to a younger audience, especially ones that haven't seen the movie before (hence the novelized account). The movie does a much better job of appealing to both children and young adult audiences, and I feel like they made an odd marketing choice here. In my opinion a huge audience here are the adults that grew up watching this movie looking for nostalgia, and this book really doesn't appeal to us at all.
Overall, I enjoyed my trip back to Salem and the Sanderson Sisters' return. The plot felt well developed and true to the hijinks they would get into for immortality. If you're an adult looking for a bit of nostalgia, keep in mind that this book really wasn't written for you and go in with low expectations. I also recommend just skipping to the sequel on page 198 so as to not taint your movie feels. The book is left open for something new in this world, but I don't know that it is something that I will follow personally.
🤝 Buddy read with the wonderful Becca over at beccaleighanne !
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Full disclosure: I skipped the first 196 pages as I wasn't interested in reading a novelized account of the movie. Which was a good choice for me personally, 10/10 would recommend to others looking for a trip down nostalgia lane. This review solely focuses on the All New Sequel part of the book.
It's been 25 years since a virgin lit the Black Flame Candle, and Salem is still as bewitched with the tales of the Sanderson Sisters as ever. Well, everyone except for Poppy Dennison, the 17 year old daughter of Max and Allison. She grew up listening to her parents and Aunt Dani recount their experiences with the Sanderson Sisters and has spent her life hiding her family's secret from everyone, convinced that it is a tall tale. It is Halloween 2018, and things are about to get witchy again in Salem!
The story itself is well plotted and I found the storyline enjoyable to read. The Sanderson Sisters are back on Halloween night, and it is another race against time to save the world. Another trio of unlikely heroes to save the day. Beloved characters return from beyond to help provide guidance. Also there is a delightful spirit board that I absolutely need: HEY GHOUL, HEY; GHOUL, BYE. I have never felt so connected to a fictional inanimate object before, but here we are.
While I enjoyed the plot, I felt a disconnect between the character's ages and their actions that I found particularly distracting. This is categorized as a Young Adult novel but reads more like a middle grade book to me in terms of the word choices, sentence structure, and the actions of the characters. The characters themselves were well developed in terms of their backstories and I rooted for them, but unfortunately I just didn't believe their characters would act in the ways described but would totally buy it if they were Dani's age from the film. If I am being honest, the dialog between Poppy, Isabella, and Travis felt off and unrealistic - like an adult trying to write the cool lingo of today's youth, but no one really talks like that to this extent.
Jantha did a good job of writing the Sanderson Sisters true to the characters of the film, particularly with Winifred. Every time Winnie spoke, the lines played in Bette Middler's voice in my head! However, Sarah felt almost like a caricature of herself and most of her lines were some variation of "Amok, amok, amok!"
It was wonderful to see Binx and Emily again, but they kind of didn't seem like themselves? I don't know how to explain it. I did find the Olde English speech to be inconsistent, and honestly the Sisters kind of figured out how to use an iPhone faster than I think someone from the 1600s would.
Since this is a Disney publication it makes sense that they would want to appeal to a younger audience, especially ones that haven't seen the movie before (hence the novelized account). The movie does a much better job of appealing to both children and young adult audiences, and I feel like they made an odd marketing choice here. In my opinion a huge audience here are the adults that grew up watching this movie looking for nostalgia, and this book really doesn't appeal to us at all.
Overall, I enjoyed my trip back to Salem and the Sanderson Sisters' return. The plot felt well developed and true to the hijinks they would get into for immortality. If you're an adult looking for a bit of nostalgia, keep in mind that this book really wasn't written for you and go in with low expectations. I also recommend just skipping to the sequel on page 198 so as to not taint your movie feels. The book is left open for something new in this world, but I don't know that it is something that I will follow personally.
🤝 Buddy read with the wonderful Becca over at beccaleighanne !
Oh, how I wanted to love this book.... I really wanted to love it. But instead it left me feeling the frustration of wanting more. I had such high hopes, as the movie is one of my Halloween favourites. The book was separated into two parts, including a novelization of the movie and then a sequel to the original story. I can't be the only one who felt like the novelization left out some of the best things in the movie, like the little quips between the sisters. The sequel was rather dry in moments, but I liked it more than the first half of the book. For once in my life, I have to admit that the movie was better.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
As someone who loves Hocus Pocus, this was a must read. It was basically Hocus Pocus fanfiction but I was fine with that. It was a compelling storyline and it was neat to read the movie basically before the new story began. My only complaint: not enough Max.
FINISHED!!!!!
Book 1 for book club is done!! And omg I enjoyed this!! Part 1 is the classic hocus pocus.. you get more details of the first movie which I enjoyed so much!!
Part 2 is about Max and Allioson daughter Poppy and her group of friends. You get people from the past beside well some wicked witches ;)
Some ghost, witches, and many other ghoulish creatures.. I give part 2 a 3.5 in the rating..
if you haven't picked up this book go to your local book store or amazon and grab a copy
Book 1 for book club is done!! And omg I enjoyed this!! Part 1 is the classic hocus pocus.. you get more details of the first movie which I enjoyed so much!!
Part 2 is about Max and Allioson daughter Poppy and her group of friends. You get people from the past beside well some wicked witches ;)
Some ghost, witches, and many other ghoulish creatures.. I give part 2 a 3.5 in the rating..
if you haven't picked up this book go to your local book store or amazon and grab a copy
I loved the original movie so I was excited to pick this up at a book event. I could never get into this which was disappointing. I had to force my way through the first chapters and then I started skimming. And it still took me a long time to finish.
It was very similar to the first movie which made things dull and predictable. And pretty much all the jokes fell flat for me. I should have stopped reading when someone got turned into a dog and the ghosts showed up.
When school starts again, I’ll see if any students are interested in reading this and if they like it I’ll reevaluate my rating.
1 extra star for having a more diverse cast.
It was very similar to the first movie which made things dull and predictable. And pretty much all the jokes fell flat for me. I should have stopped reading when someone got turned into a dog and the ghosts showed up.
When school starts again, I’ll see if any students are interested in reading this and if they like it I’ll reevaluate my rating.
1 extra star for having a more diverse cast.