In April, I read the book The Wishing Spell from The Land of Stories book series. The book is about two twelve year old twins named Alex and Connor. Their dad had recently passed away and they had to sell their childhood house. So, they moved into a boring apartment. For their birthday, their grandma gave them a storybook called The Land of Stories. The twins find out that the book is actually a portal to a fairytale land. Alex’s curiosity got the best of her and she ended up falling in the book. Connor then went after her and they soon realized they were stuck in the magical dimension. They befriended many new acquaintances throughout the journey of finding a way back home. They face many challenges as well. Fortunately, someone special helps them get back home.
What I love the most about this book is the amount of imagery Chris Colfer used. For example, on page eighteen it says, “Mrs. Peter was a tall, thin woman who always wore dresses that resembled old, patterned sofas. Her hair was dark and curly and sat perfectly on a the top of her head like a hat (and her students often thought it was). Through a pair of thick glasses, her eyes were permanently squinted from all the judgmental looks she had given her classes over the years,” This makes the reader have a perfect image of her in their mind. To add in, readers can tell she is a very judgmental and strict teacher.
My favorite character from the book is Queen Red (Little Red Riding Hood all grown up). Red is the brattiest character ever, which makes her so funny. In the middle of a stressful situation, Red says, “ ‘Forgive my hair, gentlemen… It’s been a rough day,’”. Although Red barely did anything to help out, she calls the day rough. Additionally, when she talks, it can be relieving taking a break from everything that is happening in the chapter . In other words, the setting may be intense, but she always manages to make me laugh.
My favorite quote is on page forty-four. On that page, Alex and Connor’s mom says to them, “ ‘You know what your dad would say if he were here?…He’d say, ‘Right now, we’re living in an ugly chapter of our lives, but books always get better!” I love this quote because the it shows how much of a sweet person their dad was. Their dad always helped the kids go through hard times. The quote also is true in the real world. Life can be hard but it will get better soon.
