The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell is a young-adult fantasy book by Chris Colfer. The book teaches the reader the lesson that there are always two sides to every story, and that the truth is somewhere in the middle. The book follows twin siblings, Alex and Conner Bailey, and the adventure that they go on when their grandmother gives them her special fairy-tale book. Unbeknownst to them, their grandmother’s book allows them to travel to a realm called the Land of Stories, a land where classic Disney stories such as Snow White and Cinderella are real. The twins must travel to places all across the Land of Stories that are both familiar and foreign to them to create a spell that will send them back home. But many challenges arise on their journey, some of which endanger the likelihood of them ever seeing their world ever again.
I think the book is interesting because it provides a clever spin-off of popular Disney tales and what happened to the characters after. I like how the author tied each story together in a unique way, creating a Disney universe where all the stories occur in the same world, just in different places. However, the plot and story-telling is not the best, and is very predictable. Although the targeted audience is young adults, the book sometimes feels like it was written for six year-olds who dress up as Disney princesses. At times, the book seems more unbelievable than fairy tales themselves and feels like a cheesy Disney movie, rather than a creative and clever adaptation of them. But, the book does make me empathize with the villains, illustrating how a villain is created not because they are truly evil, but because of their environment and circumstances.
In conclusion, I think The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell is a very interesting concept that has a lot of potential. Although the book lacks in writing, it is still engaging and allows you to create a vivid image in your head of what the Land of Stories would be like throughout the story. This book is great for people who like adventure and fantasy books, especially for those who love Disney movies. To any future readers who have not already, I would recommend to watch the Disney movies included in these books to be able to understand most of the content.
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