The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

Reviewed by Angela

            Alex and Connor have spent all of their life in the real world, but they are now stuck in a new, fantastical world. They do not know how to react or what they should do. With monsters roaming around and their very lives in danger, their future could change any second.

            In The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer, twins Alex and Connor fall into a land of fairytales and magic. They see Snow White’s coffin, and they battle Goldilocks’ enemies alongside her. In the Land of Stories, they experience adventures that they will never forget, and they fall in love with this world while trying to find a way home.

One feature of this book is the interesting graph of its excitement; while most fiction or fantasy books rise in action, reach the climax, and draws to a conclusion, The Wishing Spell kept me on the edge of my seat. I never knew when things were going to go smoothly for Alex and Connor, and when they might be eaten alive by goblins and trolls. In this novel, plot twists enchant every chapter and the path to victory for the protagonists changes with every sentence. Chris Colfer boldly disobeyed the usual plotline near the end of the novel by throwing a sudden twist at the twins. The Wishing Spell will certainly keep the reader turning the pages with its exciting story.

Another reason why I enjoyed reading this book was that Alex and Connor were introduced to fairytale characters that they always dreamed of meeting, like Cinderella and the Little Mermaid. Their excitement and shock allow readers to imagine what it would be like to meet these characters themselves, thus deeply drawing them into the perspective of the children. Many children, myself included, wonder what happens to Cinderella after she becomes a princess and marries Prince Charming, or what becomes of Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother after the Big Bad Wolf is killed; with The Wishing Spell, the author cleverly relates all of the characters and provides an afterword to their stories by combining their kingdoms into the Land of Stories. The twins’ love and energy really draws me into the story and makes me feel like I am meeting these fairytale characters myself.

            The Wishing Spell is a 10/10 book that I would recommend to anybody who likes a fair amount of adventure or can relate to a character’s emotions. After turning its last page, I felt an urge to pick up the next book in The Land of Stories, the series that The Wishing Spell is a part of. This novel was a beautiful blend of modern adventures, emotional moments, and classic fairy tales. Check this book out now and get ready to be eaten alive by a witch… or, at the very least, enjoy a wonderful story!

Scholastic Inc., 438 pages