If you are anything like me, you are a sucker for fairytales with a spin (in case you couldn’t tell from the heartless review)... soooo here’s another book- well book series- that basically revolves around the fairytale world. That’s right folks, we are talking about The Land of Stories series by Chris Colfer. Specifically the first book: The Wishing Spell
Synopsis:
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.
Characters:
Alex Bailey: Alex is shown in the books to be a goody-two-shoes. She is smart and a favorite among her teachers, but not the most popular among students. She loves books and everything fairytale, as they served as an escape from her reality (in a more literal way than she originally thought). She loves the magic of fairytales and was much more adapting to the Land of Stories than her brother.
Conner Bailey: Connor is pretty much as opposed to his twin sister Alex as much as possible. He sleeps through class and is far more popular among his peers than he is with the teachers. He is also definitely more on the creative side and shares a love for fairytales, much like his sister (just perhaps not as intense). Unlike Alex, Connor was much more eager to escape the Land of Stories than than his sister.
The twins, Alex and Connor, were approaching their 12th birthday as the book started, but their minds were filled with anything but that. With their childhood home being sold just a year after their father’s death, and their mother spending long hours at work to keep their family well, they weren’t expecting much for their birthday. But that changes when their grandmother visits, and gifts them their childhood fairytale book, titled the Land of Stories, which may or may not hide deeper secrets than it may seem.
So here are my thoughts on the book:
To start, I enjoyed this book and the series. It’s a fun read when you are bored and looking for a light, but amusing read. I loved the setting and reading about Alex and Connor navigating through a place of magic and wonder that is the Land of Stories. I also especially enjoyed reading about Alex fangirling over all the fairytale creatures she meets and Connor having to remind her of their goal of returning home as soon as possible. It was an incredibly cute read.
If you are looking for something with the best-written plot and characters, I don’t think this series is for you. These books are something that is good for 4th- 6th graders to read, because honestly, the writing is pretty straightforward, and it doesn’t really have the best character writing. I didn’t really connect with any of the characters, and they seemed very flat to me- not realistic, and I wasn’t that emotionally invested in them. However, with that said, this book is meant for eight-year-olds, so I guess I’m not really in the target audience. Although there was one thing in particular that really irked me in the books, and that was that they referred to the Queen of the Eastern Kingdom (AKA the Sleeping Kingdom) as Queen Sleeping Beauty, and they never once mentioned any other name, implying that Sleeping Beauty was her real name. I mean, I would like it to at least be, you know, stated that she has an actual name because all I can really think about is her parents naming their baby ‘Sleeping Beauty’... like really? Prince Charming, I could get behind, but this? Nope.
Other than all that, I think that I think that this book and the Land of Stories, in general, was pretty good. I loved reading about all my favorite fairytales, like snow white and the big bad wolf, goldilocks, and much more. I think it is important to remember that these books are directed toward elementary school students, so take it with a grain of salt. There are definitely things that can be improved upon though, but it's still a good read and I would recommend it if you are into the fairytale genre. I would rate this book 3/5 stars.
“Once upon a time' These are the most magical words our world has ever known and the gateway to the greatest stories ever told. They're an immediate calling to anyone who hears them-a calling into a world where everyone is welcome and anything can happen. Mice can become men, maids can become princesses, and they can teach valuable lessons in the process.”
Chris Colfer, The Wishing Spell