review; the wishing spell

The Land Of Stories: The Wishing Spell
by Chris Colfer

Alex and Conner Bailey’s world is about to change, in this fast-paced adventure that uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairy tales.

The Land of Stories tells the tale of twins Alex and Conner. Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, they leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about.

But after a series of encounters with witches, wolves, goblins, and trolls alike, getting back home is going to be harder than they thought.

Review:
As far as debut novels go, Chris Colfer has written a winner. It’s a children’s novel, yes, but the lessons taught are applicable to everyone in every way of life. Fairytales are a favorite of mine, it’s one of the reasons I love Once Upon A Time so much.

Chris’ protagonists are twelve-year-old twins who are extremely different, but their sibling-bond is strong. I love the fact that what they perceive to be weakness in themselves, the other sees as strengths. The two compliment each other, making a fantastic team as they go about trying to find their way home. It’s a simple enough premise, but it’s handled well, and each character is interesting and entertaining to read.

Books about family are always fun to read, and the young age of the protagonists mean there are no love angles to be distracted by, instead that is relegated to the side characters, but handled humourously, yet still intertwined with the main plot. All in all, I’d recommend this novel to any one who still enjoys going back to read fairytales every once in a while. It completely whisked me away into another world with Alex and Connor, and I’m hoping that this world will be revisited again.