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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
This was just okay. It wasn't bothersome by any means but it also didn't feel like it added anything to the story of Hocus Pocus.
Of course the original is a classic, and I loved it! But I also really enjoyed the new sequel! I really hope they make it into a movie as well! Such a great October read <3
I really enjoyed reading this book! It was just like the movie. The sequel was new and different. I loved the twists. I did not expect that ending though!!
Hocus Pocus is one of my favorite movies, and unfortunately this novelization of the film/ the sequel was a bit of a disappointment. I listened to the audiobook primarily hoping that the narrator would really be able to channel the cast of the film, especially Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson. Unfortunately that doesn't really happen - I also have to admit I was a bit disappointed by the lack of actual singing for the musical numbers. As for the sequel, I was thoroughly expecting to like it going in but due to the change at the end of the novelization of the film I wasn't so sure. I wasn't all that interested in the cast, but out of everyone Travis was my favorite. Poppy was kind of irritatingly dumb - I mean, hasn't she (or her friends for that matter) seen any horror movies?! Anyway, I wasn't wasn't the biggest fan of how the Sanderson sisters returned or how the magic system was handled. Overall, the sequel itself didn't work for me, but the novelization of the film wasn't bad. I think I need to rewatch the movie again to recover after reading this.
3.5 Stars
I grew up with this movie so I'm going to do my best to not let nostalgia play to big of a part in this review. I enjoyed taking it in, in a different format. It’s a classic, so you can’t go wrong with it. I’m not going to talk about the first half as it’s just the original movie and doesn’t feel I need to say anything other than it’s such a fun read!
Now part two, the sequel!! I was over the moon happy when I saw this and I was hoping there would be a connection between the two and there is. The main character we follow is the daughter of someone from the first film. She’s a good character but her two friends are my favorites in this story. I enjoyed how this sequel reflected the first movie. There were so many characters who played a part in this story. I don’t want to say too much about this book or the plots but there is an LGBTQ character, it ’s well written and doesn’t read as a movie script, it’s a book, book. There is a twist that made this story good. These characters are clear and full of wittiness. If you like the movie, you will at less find something in the sequel that will make you smile. But in the end, you have to remember that this is a young YA Halloween, cheesy fun read.
I was giving a copy to review, so this is 100% my own thoughts.
I grew up with this movie so I'm going to do my best to not let nostalgia play to big of a part in this review. I enjoyed taking it in, in a different format. It’s a classic, so you can’t go wrong with it. I’m not going to talk about the first half as it’s just the original movie and doesn’t feel I need to say anything other than it’s such a fun read!
Now part two, the sequel!! I was over the moon happy when I saw this and I was hoping there would be a connection between the two and there is. The main character we follow is the daughter of someone from the first film. She’s a good character but her two friends are my favorites in this story. I enjoyed how this sequel reflected the first movie. There were so many characters who played a part in this story. I don’t want to say too much about this book or the plots but there is an LGBTQ character, it ’s well written and doesn’t read as a movie script, it’s a book, book. There is a twist that made this story good. These characters are clear and full of wittiness. If you like the movie, you will at less find something in the sequel that will make you smile. But in the end, you have to remember that this is a young YA Halloween, cheesy fun read.
I was giving a copy to review, so this is 100% my own thoughts.
The first third of the book is the novelization of the movie. I love the movie, but this was unnecessary. It didn't bring anything new to the story (except for one tiny detail that is the driving force for the sequel) and even had all the same dialog. While reading it, i just kept thinking about the movie. I have limited reading time and I felt that it was a waste to be reading it when I could have just been watching the movie. It did give me the nostalgia feels, which was its saving grace.
The sequel.... Ah. Well, the sequel is like all of the new modern remakes/reboots of shows that we love, but that no one wanted or asked for with a sequel. I did not enjoy the sequel from the start. It was trying too hard with keeping it "modern 2018," and making sure the reader knew we were in 2018. This caused it to fall flat and feel of touch with the original. It felt like glorified fan fiction that was riding on the coat tails of the movie and its fans.
The sequel.... Ah. Well, the sequel is like all of the new modern remakes/reboots of shows that we love, but that no one wanted or asked for with a sequel. I did not enjoy the sequel from the start. It was trying too hard with keeping it "modern 2018," and making sure the reader knew we were in 2018. This caused it to fall flat and feel of touch with the original. It felt like glorified fan fiction that was riding on the coat tails of the movie and its fans.
This was just ok. If you wanted to read it purely because of nostalgia, you are likely not going to get what you want from this book.
I read it mostly because I was curious about the LGBTQ representation, but this is definitely YA, and it reads really young. Which is fine, and I think if I'd read it at 13 I would have enjoyed it a lot more, but this is not a book for full grown adults trying to recapture the feeling of watching Hocus Pocus on Halloween when you were a kid.
If you know any queer young teens into Halloween and creepy stuff, this may be a good present.
I read it mostly because I was curious about the LGBTQ representation, but this is definitely YA, and it reads really young. Which is fine, and I think if I'd read it at 13 I would have enjoyed it a lot more, but this is not a book for full grown adults trying to recapture the feeling of watching Hocus Pocus on Halloween when you were a kid.
If you know any queer young teens into Halloween and creepy stuff, this may be a good present.
I've waited for this day for 25 years. Finally, the book gods have blessed us with a sequel to one of the best things to happen to the Millennial Generation since Wi-Fi.
The movie came out the year I was born and it's been a staple in my life every All Hallow's Eve, ever since.
Part 1: 5/5
The first third of the book is a fun re-telling to a movie I've seen a ridiculous number of times. "Hearing" the thoughts of Max during some pretty pivotal points in the movie, gave me a fresh take on what the character's motivation has been. As I've grown up with the movie, I've always had certain questions about why things occurred in the ways that they did. Excuse the cheesiness: reading this section was like using a new fabric softener on my favorite blanket. Surprisingly, yet comfortable.
Part 2: [Warning Spoilers] 4-4.5/5
I've quickly skimmed other reviews on this and the sequel seems to divide houses. I'll do my best to be honest with the review of the book.
Books like this do not come around often enough for YA readers. The way the story introduces all of the old fan favorites and doesn't hold back on how they've grown. We see Allison and Max, who have come such a long way from the kids they were in the first installment. Max is a US History teacher, who is no nonsense about the "Sanderson subject." Yet, he's retained his California, laid-back, tie-dyed point of view. Allison has become a kick-ass lawyer and mother. Together, they raised their daughter (Poppy) to be vary wary about Halloween. The cameo of Dani/Binx/Emily is too short, but what is lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality. A.W. Jantha truly captured the sassy essence of Thora Birch in these pages and I could honestly read an entire series of books based off of Dani/Max/Allison escapades post Hocus Pocus.
Poppy is the quintessential new millennial teen. She's open about her sexuality and of her disregard for the family halloween tale. She's sharp like her mother, witty like her Aunt Dani and compassionate like her father.
After Poppy, we get a diverse cast of characters to love. Travis, a childhood friend and confidante, who is the only other person outside of the Dennison family to know the secret. He's introduced as stating he's the next black president and as the plot untanglings he worries how Stanford will consider this adventure in his life. Then, we are introduced to Isabella. Isabella rounds out the core member of the trio as the eighth great-niece to the Sanderson sisters. She is is also Poppy's love interest and watching their interracial and intersectional love blossom over the pages is one of the most wholesome experiences I've had as a reader to date.
The plot is kicked off by the new trios determination to figure out if what really happened to Poppy's parents was "just a bunch of hocus pocus." Isabella mysteriously received Winifred Sanderson's book after the DNA test results confirmed her heritage. She brings it and a Ouija to the Dennison's Halloween BloodMoon Bash. After a confrontation with the school's version of Regina George, the trio flees to the Sanderson House to test out their theory about the Dennison story. Unfortunately, they find out the story is in-fact true and get tangled up the the Sanderson's all over again. I'm not going to go into the plot much more than that, since that's the entire reason to pick up this sequel in the first place.
As the plot develops, I think the cast of characters gets away from the point a little. We're inundated with characters that are not directly relevant to the overall story except to act as an overwhelming swarm. I think that tackling the behemoth that is the sequel of Hocus Pocus and still maintaining an original voice/story is something that Jantha does quite well. Katie Taylor (Re: Regina George) is a breath of fresh air and her character development over the course of the novel is really entertaining to witness. She's not just a foil character and she's not thrown in to be a love triangle or relationship complicator. Katie is her own fierce firestorm and the incorporation of her father (Jay Taylor - Former bully/current-principal), really allowed for the unresolved tensions at the end of Hocus Pocus to be addressed and show mature development between Max & Jay.
Overall, Jantha's success at telling a different tale is an absorbing read. I couldn't put it down. I don't usually get too involved with the story as I'm reading, yet there were times when I would audibly aw or gasp along with the characters. I loved that the ending allowed for more books to come (and I REALLY hope that they do).
Thank you, freeform. Thank you, Disney. Most of all, Thank you, A.W. Jantha for giving the world a queer, interracial story line that was well developed. Thank you for making it NOT be a coming-out story. Thank you for making this be the book that I wish I had when I was Dani's age. I truly hope we get to see more of this fabulous cast!
KTG
The movie came out the year I was born and it's been a staple in my life every All Hallow's Eve, ever since.
Part 1: 5/5
The first third of the book is a fun re-telling to a movie I've seen a ridiculous number of times. "Hearing" the thoughts of Max during some pretty pivotal points in the movie, gave me a fresh take on what the character's motivation has been. As I've grown up with the movie, I've always had certain questions about why things occurred in the ways that they did. Excuse the cheesiness: reading this section was like using a new fabric softener on my favorite blanket. Surprisingly, yet comfortable.
Part 2: [Warning Spoilers] 4-4.5/5
I've quickly skimmed other reviews on this and the sequel seems to divide houses. I'll do my best to be honest with the review of the book.
Books like this do not come around often enough for YA readers. The way the story introduces all of the old fan favorites and doesn't hold back on how they've grown. We see Allison and Max, who have come such a long way from the kids they were in the first installment. Max is a US History teacher, who is no nonsense about the "Sanderson subject." Yet, he's retained his California, laid-back, tie-dyed point of view. Allison has become a kick-ass lawyer and mother. Together, they raised their daughter (Poppy) to be vary wary about Halloween. The cameo of Dani/Binx/Emily is too short, but what is lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality. A.W. Jantha truly captured the sassy essence of Thora Birch in these pages and I could honestly read an entire series of books based off of Dani/Max/Allison escapades post Hocus Pocus.
Poppy is the quintessential new millennial teen. She's open about her sexuality and of her disregard for the family halloween tale. She's sharp like her mother, witty like her Aunt Dani and compassionate like her father.
After Poppy, we get a diverse cast of characters to love. Travis, a childhood friend and confidante, who is the only other person outside of the Dennison family to know the secret. He's introduced as stating he's the next black president and as the plot untanglings he worries how Stanford will consider this adventure in his life. Then, we are introduced to Isabella. Isabella rounds out the core member of the trio as the eighth great-niece to the Sanderson sisters. She is is also Poppy's love interest and watching their interracial and intersectional love blossom over the pages is one of the most wholesome experiences I've had as a reader to date.
The plot is kicked off by the new trios determination to figure out if what really happened to Poppy's parents was "just a bunch of hocus pocus." Isabella mysteriously received Winifred Sanderson's book after the DNA test results confirmed her heritage. She brings it and a Ouija to the Dennison's Halloween BloodMoon Bash. After a confrontation with the school's version of Regina George, the trio flees to the Sanderson House to test out their theory about the Dennison story. Unfortunately, they find out the story is in-fact true and get tangled up the the Sanderson's all over again. I'm not going to go into the plot much more than that, since that's the entire reason to pick up this sequel in the first place.
As the plot develops, I think the cast of characters gets away from the point a little. We're inundated with characters that are not directly relevant to the overall story except to act as an overwhelming swarm. I think that tackling the behemoth that is the sequel of Hocus Pocus and still maintaining an original voice/story is something that Jantha does quite well. Katie Taylor (Re: Regina George) is a breath of fresh air and her character development over the course of the novel is really entertaining to witness. She's not just a foil character and she's not thrown in to be a love triangle or relationship complicator. Katie is her own fierce firestorm and the incorporation of her father (Jay Taylor - Former bully/current-principal), really allowed for the unresolved tensions at the end of Hocus Pocus to be addressed and show mature development between Max & Jay.
Overall, Jantha's success at telling a different tale is an absorbing read. I couldn't put it down. I don't usually get too involved with the story as I'm reading, yet there were times when I would audibly aw or gasp along with the characters. I loved that the ending allowed for more books to come (and I REALLY hope that they do).
Thank you, freeform. Thank you, Disney. Most of all, Thank you, A.W. Jantha for giving the world a queer, interracial story line that was well developed. Thank you for making it NOT be a coming-out story. Thank you for making this be the book that I wish I had when I was Dani's age. I truly hope we get to see more of this fabulous cast!
KTG
I read just the sequel part of this book and it was a cute, quick read, although I did find it a very young YA novel, probably more middle school then YA. I liked the main characters,but found the Sanderson sisters nowhere near as great as they were in the movie.
Pick this one up if you’re a big Hocus Pocus fan, but keep expectations low.
Pick this one up if you’re a big Hocus Pocus fan, but keep expectations low.
I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about this one, but I need some time to process it all, ugh.