Witch & Wizard

Written by James Patterson

Narrated by Spencer Locke and Elijah Wood

The world is changing-the government has seized control of every aspect of society, and now kids are disappearing. For fifteen-year-old Wisty and her older brother Whit, life turns upside-down when they are hauled out of bed one night, separated from their parents, and thrown into a secret compound for no reason they can comprehend. The new government is clearly trying to suppress Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Being a Normal Teenager.

Imprisoned together and condemned to death, Wisty and Whit begin exhibiting strange abilities and powers they never dreamed of. Maybe there is a reason they were singled out. Can this newly discovered witch and a wizard master their skills in time to save themselves, their parents-and maybe the world?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House UK Audio
• Release date: Oct 8, 2009
• ISBN: 9781407004082

James Patterson

James Patterson is the CEO of J. Walter Thompson, an advertising agency in New York. He has written several successful fiction and nonfiction books, including The New York Times best seller The Day America Told the Truth.

Reviews for Witch & Wizard

[edensteffey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked it. There are a lot of questions that need to be answered.

[flying_monkeys_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Recommended by my 13-year-old daughter. I'm a fan of Patterson's Alex Cross books, so I figured, what the hay. I'd heard Witch & Wizard summed up as Harry Potter meets Hunger Games, which piqued my interest. Don't buy into that or expect the superb world-building or characterization done in either of the aforementioned books. I can definitely see its appeal to the younger age bracket of the "young adult" audience. For anyone over 14 or 15 it may feel a bit, well, superficial. The story is set in a totalitarian world where anyone under 18 is considered an enemy to the New Order, especially young people with magical abilities. But the character development just wasn't there. Each chapter begins with the names of the main characters, siblings Wisty and Whit, which I guess is because both have such similar voices the author wanted to quickly identify the chapter's narrator. There are prophecies and an evil leader who seems to possess the very powers he seeks to eliminate from the world's youth. And it ends with the threat of Wisty's and Whit's imminent execution. It was a quick read and I do plan to read the sequel (The Gift) ... mainly because my daughter asked me to. Hopefully, the characters and the world will grow a bit more in the next one.

[hunybadger · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

DNF. Slight, slight plot, insipid characters that alternatively know nothing and know too much, no development

A waste of 3 hours.

[br13zana · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Witch and Wizard by James Patterson was a very good book. But if you are looking for a book that will take you awhile to read this would not be the book. There are new chapters on almost every three pages. Also the ending is very good for this book because it leaves you on a little bit of a cliffhanger because it is the first book in the series. Witch and Wizard is a book about two teenagers named Wisty and Witt. Who are told very early in the book that they have powers and that they are infact a Witch and Wizard. When they are found out by a new organization called the New order who is slowly taking over the world. They are taken to a special prison just for their type. But in this prison they are the lowest of the low in the wardens eyes. And because of this they are having to fend for themselves in jail. But when Witt's deseast girlfriend finds him in spirit form they are sprung and are on a mission to find their parents who were taken and stop the New order.Witch and Wizard is a book that I would recomend to teen agers and young adults. I think that it would be a little boring for adults. In this book there is action throughout and mystery. It also show the resilience of two children and the cunning of teenagers. This book I thought was very enjoyable and when you start it you just want to finish it.

[kat_nic-1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I picked this series up when someone threw away a bunch of books (literally threw them away; I found them stacked around the dumpster). I am exceedingly glad that I did not pay money for this dreck, and can even understand why they were left to the elements rather than donated to the library or Goodwill. I'm not the sort of reader who gets bogged down with technical details. If I've been sufficiently hooked by the narrative, a lot of times I won't even notice typos and grammatical errors unless they're really jarring, and I can deal with an odd writing style. Needless to say I was not hooked by the narrative. For the life of me, I cannot understand why Patterson's chapters are so short. I don't see any type of logical or intuitive reason for the ending of most of the chapters, and I just keep wondering why the hell there isn't a regular page break. The opening of the book, when Whit and Whisty are arrested, takes up ten chapters, each averaging about a page and a half. It would be one thing if he was alternating points-of-view, but he isn't; there might be three chapters of Whisty's narration, followed by two of Whit's. Which leads me to the fact that a lot of times I forgot who was the current narrarator; Whit and Whisty are basically interchangable, as well as monumentally stupid. It really should not take anyone as long it did these two to realize that yes, they really are a witch and wizard. When you can spontaneously burst into flame and yet remain unharmed, levitate, stop objects being thrown at you in midair--how dumb do you have to be? And how stupid were their parents for not telling them what they were and training them how to use their powers?The dialogue was frequently either stilted or way too wordy for the current situation, or to have come from the mouths of modern day teenagers:...Then I heard Whit shouting as he was thrown onto the living room floor next to me."Whit, what's going on? Who are these...monsters?""Wisty," he gasped, cohently enough. "You okay?"I'm really not sure why Whisty would think her brother would have any more of a clue what was going on than she did, not to mention the situation calls for a much stronger epithet than "monsters", just in my opinion.* * *"The soldiers, all in black, their boots spit-shined, came for us that morning in the prison..."People just don't talk like that, particularly not teenagers. Who would even think to come up with "spit-shined" as a descriptor, much less bother describing their captors' boots in any sort of detail? The One Who Is The One was just laughable. Not even in an over-the-top stereotype way, he just seemed completely ineffectual and childish and not scary, at all. Nothing in this book seemed especially believable; I only made it to chapter 76--which starts on page 201, incidentally--before giving this book up as a waste of time.I am baffled that this is a bestseller. I suppose it just goes to show that there really is no accounting for taste.Thus endeth my excursion into the world of YA fiction.

[laphenix · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Myeh at best. The jargon dates the book, and alienates readers. While the story is interesting, it's never engaging. The ending is preachy and, really, the jargon is awful.

[akmargie · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

WTH?!? You go witch!
Ughh...who writes crap like that? It was even worse because it was Elijah Wood saying these things. I just kept feeling ashamed for him.

[librarybrandy · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Ever-so-slightly dystopian in that there's a totalitarian government lurking somewhere back behind the plot contrivances. Mostly it's two teens who discover they have magic powers on the night the government comes to arrest them for it, and then the teens' escape from prison etc. I'd definitely peg this as fantasy before dystopian.

Lots of action and super-short chapters, great appeal for reluctant readers, but blaaaaaaah for me.

(Is it fair to say this is exactly what I expected, if what I'd expected was fluffy brainless not-superbly-written action sequences loosely held together with plot? Or can I only say that if I add a comma or four in there?)

[nicola26 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very quick and easy read, but very enjoyable. It follows the story of Wisty and Whit, a sister and brother who find out they can do magic. I don't think there was enough distinction between the voice of Whit, and that of Wisty- without the chapter saying so, it was hard to realize who was narrating. It was pretty good though, and it kept me hooked from the start. I'll definitely read the next one, because I'm dying to find out what happens to them.

[shannaredwind_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I wanted to like this book, I really did. It had all of the elements that I like. Kids that don't realize they have powers. Persecution by those in the government. Capture and escape. And to be honest it was an exciting book.

The problem I had was that almost every "bad guy" that they encounter screams at them. The judge screams at them, the jailkeeper screams at them. While I don't have a problem with a couple psychotic spittle flecking people screaming at the main characters, I just had a huge problem accepting that almost all of them were like that. No coldly furious people, no superiorly righteous people, just ravening foaming at the mouth screaming people.

That said, I will probably continue to read the series because I do like the premise and besides my problem with some of the characters, I did enjoy reading it.

[creighley_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Choppy, short chapters that switch between the main characters just don;t make it.l The main characters are not well developed and the overall plot is WAY over the top. I suppose it might work for teens, but not those who have read better! Disappointing.

[kaydi35 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I really didnt care much for this book. I usually like Patterson's writing, but not this one. My brother in law encouraged me to read this and told me he thought I'd love it since I like paranormal books. But one this one, we didnt quite agree.

[bookescapest · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I did enjoy this book. Its a quick read. HOWEVER, there is very little character development. The book begins in the middle as far as I'm concerned. You are thrust into a world of confusion along with these two characters, however you aren't emotionally involved enough to really care what happens to them. As the book goes along and little tidbits are revealed it still isn't enough to really become "invested" in the storyline. I'm going to read the second book hoping to learn more about the characters themselves.

[mountie9_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Mini Book Review: Dear James, you know I love you, but what the heck? This is one of the worst pieces of fiction I have ever read. There is zero characterization and I felt absolutely nothing for ANY of the characters. The story, while fast paced, is seriously dull and I had to force myself to keep reading it. I kept hoping it would get better, but it didn't. The idea for the story is fantastic but the execution is a joke. What really bothered me is that the story is geared for teenagers, but treats them like morons. You can't tell me that these two kids never noticed what was going on in their world. Quite frankly if I was a teen I would be thouroughly offended by how little you think of them my friend. I know a lot of people pick on you for your stories, but I have always enjoyed you because at least you were a good storyteller. This is sooo not your best work sir and I will not be reading the rest of the series. That being said the series might be ok for the more reluctant reader. And don't worry James, I will keep on reading you -- just don't disappoint me again ok : ) See you at BEA, I will be waiting in line to have a chance to chat with you -- and will TRY not to ask you what Nathan Fillion is really like -- I will try, I promise!2 Dewey's

[coreyholst · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good. A different take on a magical pair of siblings set in an altered future. In some ways the magic that happens doesn't seem to fit the society described, because it seems we are supposed to believe they all come from OUR society. But since the magic is never explained in ANY way, it seems it only appears because the title said it would. But I just went with it and enjoyed it. Enough potential to move onto the next one.

[rose2332 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Witch and wizard is about a brother and sister who are kidnapped by a group of people who think that all witches and wizards should be dead, but they actually have powers. Eventually they escape to a city that is run by teenagers that save other kids that whir sentenced to death. Personally i think this book was an excellent read and would recommend it to any one who likes adventure books or likes teens with powers.

[joybee_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fast paced and fun read. In a future run by the political group N. O. (new order), children are targeted. Whit and Whisty are two teens who are accused of witchcraft and sentenced to death. This story follows them as they try to escape from prison, learn to control their magic, and try to save the world (as prophesized).

[scifidave · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This novel has shades of the Daniel X series and seems written for the same young adult market. Regardless, it was well paced with a slew of interesting characters and edge-of-the-precipice moments.It is very much a page turner and once I finished it, was ready for the second installment.For those adults who enjoy sci-fi with a bit more fantasy, ignore the target audience, sit back and enjoy. Thoroughly entertaining.

[gnomereads · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A good quick, light read. The first in a series where Wisty & Whit are sibling witch & wizard, just finding out about their powers. I enjoy James Patterson's because they follow dialogue groups, and are paced well. There's no lag time at the beginning, getting into sets and characters.

[swivelgal · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book. Many reviewers complained of confusion at chapter breaks due to change in POV. I had no trouble with this regard. My only criticism relates to the 'young adult' language inserts such as texting. There were not very many. The ones used seemed forced and awkward. I think Patterson dated himself. I would recommend this book to a teen.

[indygo88 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Written for a young adult audience, I'd say Patterson needs to avoid this genre in the future. This read more like a book for an older child or tween. As a 40-something adult, I enjoy a fair amount of young adult fiction & there are some good writers of it out there. Patterson is not one of them. The plot itself was borderline okay. Teenage brother & sister discover they're a wizard & witch, respectively, as they're kidnapped from their home by the newly formed dystopic government, the New Order. From there they slowly discover their powers as they try to escape prison & save their missing parents, as well as all the other kids who have been wrongly imprisoned for ridiculous "crimes". I generally like books with short chapters, and Patterson is known for these. However, these chapters are 1-3 pages in length & each "break" is more of a distraction than anything. Some chapters are told from Whit's point of view, and some are told from Wisty's (I hate that name, by the way). But they don't necessarily alternate back & forth -- sometimes there are several chapters from one point of view, and then it switches. It creates confusion for the reader more than anything. There's also a section at the end that parodies contemporary books, music, etc. with a "New Order" take, and that just didn't seem to fit with the rest of it. I can't see a child or tween reader getting any real appreciation out of it.I'm usually a sucker for series books (as this one is), but I don't anticipate reading any further in this one.

[sithereandread · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

WITCH AND WIZARD, by James Patterson, is a fast-paced adventure about a new government regime against children who have magical powers. Patterson created this tyrannous world where not even children are safe, but it is the children who must rise above to save the world from these rulers.This is my first full audiobook that I have ever "read", and I loved it! The appeal of Elijah Wood and Spencer Locke might have had something to do with it but I can proudly say I am hooked. Their voices were really great for the roles of Wisty and Whit. The combination of the writing and voices really made this book fantastic.Since Wisty and Whit were clueless when they found out they they were a witch and wizard, I felt that I was going along for the ride with them. They had no idea why they were taken away from their parents and why Wisty kept bursting into flames without a ash on her afterwards. It was very comical that each time they defended themselves it seemed to give the New Order a reason to confirm their suspicions about this supernatural sibling team.I thought that this government that Patterson created was extremely terrifying and completely plausible. Past history has created some unmerciful governments who do not like change or diversification of its people and this was unlike those. This was an amazing start to this series and I am interested to see where Patterson takes us in the next book in the series The Gift.

[pandareads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Okay, I love short chapters as much as the next guy, but these things are two pages each and end and start rather haphazardly. The novel takes place between two different points of view, of Whit and Wisty, brother and sister, who are, incidentally, also a wizard and witch. In some cases there are several chapters in one point of view in a row that could easily, and should have been, combined to make one regular length chapter. Are kids today incapable of reading ten pages in a row? I just didn't understand the point of such minuscule chapters.Also, I'm not a fan of "text speak" in novels. We should be encouraging our youth to remain true to the English language. I rue the day that this kind of "language" becomes normal. For example, on page 23: "My parents looked horrified -- but not actually surprised. So WTH?" For goodness sakes, spell out "What the hell!"All that aside, this book had a lot of great things going for it. It's geared towards younger readers and I can definitely see this book encouraging them to read, but this novel is definitely interesting for adults too and is sure to spark some interesting discussions. The plot moves swiftly and there's never any boring down time. It reminded me a lot of The Hunger Games and other "the world as we know it has ended and Big Government is Obese" kind of novels. Overall, the plot was very interesting with lots of fun twists and turns.I've never read anything by James Patterson before, and while this was a good book to kill an afternoon/evening with, I'm sure his books for adults must be better.

[shelleyraec · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

A quick and easy read, verey much suited to the young teen market. Since I am considerably older than that I like to know more about the characters before I go plunging into the story with them. Its an interesting premise though and there are some moments of real humor and the pace is good. For me it just lacked detail. I would recommend it to a 9-12 year old age range

[amcreech · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Whisty and Whit Allgood are drug from their home in the middle of the night and they have no idea why. They soon discover that they have magical powers and that they are, in fact, a witch and wizard. The New Order is now in charge of all government and have set to rid the world of anyone they deem as different. With their newfound powers, they embark on a dangerous adventure to challenge the New Order, rescue other children taken while trying to stay alive. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the other books in this series.

[stang50logan · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Im confused, was this James Patterson for adults or for a 10 year old??? This book was not very good at all. The book lacked character development, plot & anything that would resemble a good book. Easy to read since there was a chapter break every other page. The best part was finishing it...I wont be reading the sequal.

[turtlesleap · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Nominally written for young adults, this book is an almost incoherent collection of trite and silly situations, absurd characters and a silly story. Most young people I know would find the book merely insulting. Not recommended.

[averysbooknook · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really haven't read any good reviews about this book (seriously, look it up on Goodreads and almost every single review on the first page has rated it as one star) and I don't understand why it has been rated so poorly. A lot of the reviews say that it was a blatant rip-off of "Harry Potter" and all I can think is, "Did we read the same book?" How are they so similar? Because they are about witches, wizards, and prophecies? Do you know how many books revolve around those themes? A lot. I don't think that it is fair to say that this book is a rip-off by any means, the differences far outweigh the similarities in this instance. I thought that it had an interesting plot line and it was very fast paced/ action-packed and by now it has probably become more than a little bit apparent that I prefer when books have a little romance aspect to them, but despite this book not having really any romance to it I personally still really liked it. I think that the main reason why I liked this book was because of (in addition to the interesting plot line, that is) Whit and Wisty. Despite all of their hardships they were really quite funny characters. I lost track of the number of times I burst out laughing at their antics, like when Wisty was learning the extent of her abilities and yelled "Ooh, I'm a bad scary witch," I said in a psycho kind of voice. I'm going to turn you into a pumpkin. Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo!" (pg.117) and accidentally turned another character in the book into an animal. And I think that the both of them were just really sweet, they obviously cared a lot about one another and it was nice to see their brother/ sister bond grow throughout the book. Furthermore, I love seeing kids develop their powers over the course of a book and there was a lot of that going on in this book, from learning how to make horseflies and leeches appear out of thin air to bursting into flames to shooting lightening out of their hands. All in all? I do think that this is a really great book. While it is mostly serious with all of the action and adventure there is most definitely a comedic aspect to it that it genuinely funny and that does help break up some of its seriousness. I am looking forward to seeing its film adaptation (my copy of the book contained a special preview of the movie screenplay and it sounded pretty awesome).

[bellamia_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was an ok story. I think it is for a younger audience. I did get through the whole book wasn't too impressed.

[mannperkins_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I had high hopes with this book. It took a bit to get into because of the way it is broken up. I liked the characters and the story line but it was not a smooth read. I am looking forward to reading The Gift. I hope it's a better read.