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The Wizard, the Witch, and Two Girls From Jersey
When mortal enemies Veronica Lopez and Heather Simms get hit by a bar code scanner while fighting over the last copy of Queen of Twilight, it takes them a moment to realize that they aren’t in a New Jersey bookstore anymore. In fact, they’re in the novel. Too bad they don’t realize it until after they accidentally kill the book’s heroine, Princess Arabelle, aka "The One." Only The One can restore light and peace to the land of Galma, long held in thrall to the evil Twilight Queen. Now Vero and Heather have no choice but to try to save Galma from the Twilight Queen. But can the two girls find their way to the end of the story and home again without destroying Galma—or killing each other?
273 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 18, 2006
22 people are currently reading
915 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Papademetriou
91 books429 followersBestselling author Lisa Papademetriou is the author of the 'Confectionately Yours' series, 'Middle School: Big, Fat Liar' and 'Homeroom Diaries' (both with James Patterson), and many other novels for middle grade and young adult readers. Her books have appeared on the Bank Street Best Books of the Year list, the NYPL Books for the Teen Age, and the Texas Lone Star Reading List, among others. A former editor, Lisa has worked for Scholastic, HarperCollins, and DisneyPress, and holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. HarperCollins will publish her next novel, 'A Tale of Highly Unusual Magic', in October 2015.
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May 18, 2011If you take fantasy books as serious business (for example, if you’ve ever yelled this at someone: ” How dare you say Hobbits aren’t real?!”), then this book is not for you. But if you can find humor in things you enjoy, then I have a feeling you’ll like this book. I did.
Now, the characters. At first, I thought this book would be more about Veronica since she’s the one who actually reads fantasy books and knows the layout of the world her and Heather are zapped into. (Don’t try to figure out the science behind a faulty barcode scanner becoming a means for teleportation into a book. Just nod your head like this makes perfect sense, especially if you’ve read The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde.) After introducing Veronica, however, the focus shifted to Heather, the shallow popular girl that used to make fun of us in high school. (I know we didn’t go to the same high school, but I’m 96% sure you were a fellow nerd like me during those teen years.) Heather’s not altogether bright, but I grew to like her, especially after she butts heads with a haughty elf. Don’t worry, he had it coming to him.
There are definite references to The Lord of the Rings. As I haven’t read many fantasy books, that’s the one I noticed the most, but there might be others. At one point Dungeons and Dragons was mentioned and I sent a mental high-five out into the collective nerd mind. You should have felt it. It happened about ten days ago. Anyway, every little reference or similarity made me smile. Some made me laugh at the absurdness, usually the ones that caught me by surprise.
But it wasn’t all fun, all the time.
For being a parody, there’s actually a plot and a sense of earnestness in the characters. I honestly wasn’t expecting much, but it was surprisingly good. It was cute and sometimes funny in a ridiculous way. If you’re looking for a light, fantasy read, this is it.
Reviewed at WhatchYAreading on May 11, 2011.
Now, the characters. At first, I thought this book would be more about Veronica since she’s the one who actually reads fantasy books and knows the layout of the world her and Heather are zapped into. (Don’t try to figure out the science behind a faulty barcode scanner becoming a means for teleportation into a book. Just nod your head like this makes perfect sense, especially if you’ve read The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde.) After introducing Veronica, however, the focus shifted to Heather, the shallow popular girl that used to make fun of us in high school. (I know we didn’t go to the same high school, but I’m 96% sure you were a fellow nerd like me during those teen years.) Heather’s not altogether bright, but I grew to like her, especially after she butts heads with a haughty elf. Don’t worry, he had it coming to him.
There are definite references to The Lord of the Rings. As I haven’t read many fantasy books, that’s the one I noticed the most, but there might be others. At one point Dungeons and Dragons was mentioned and I sent a mental high-five out into the collective nerd mind. You should have felt it. It happened about ten days ago. Anyway, every little reference or similarity made me smile. Some made me laugh at the absurdness, usually the ones that caught me by surprise.
But it wasn’t all fun, all the time.
For being a parody, there’s actually a plot and a sense of earnestness in the characters. I honestly wasn’t expecting much, but it was surprisingly good. It was cute and sometimes funny in a ridiculous way. If you’re looking for a light, fantasy read, this is it.
Reviewed at WhatchYAreading on May 11, 2011.
November 2, 2009
I checked this out of the library for myself, but my 12-year-old daughter got to it first. She devoured it in two days and proclaimed that I had to read it. Her enthusiasm was the only thing that got me through this predictable book.
To be fair, the one-dimensional characters probably wouldn't be so predictable to a middle schooler who hasn't been exposed to as much television and film as I have. You have the nerdy girl and the rich airhead, the less handsome guy who turns out to be a better person than the buff hotties, and the wisecracking talking animal thrown in for comic relief. I knew before the end of the first chapter what lesson each girl needed to learn. This would be the perfect set-up for a Saturday night movie on Disney Channel, but in print it fell flat.
Not only was the book predictable but it also had an identity crisis. There were a couple dark secrets thrown in that didn't fit the otherwise light tone of the book -- not too dark for a 12-year-old to handle, but dark enough to make you wonder which direction the book is going in. If I had a choice, I would have gone with the more serious tone and get rid of the lame jokes that sound like they were cribbed from an episode of "Suite Life of Zack and Cody".
Bottom line: although many YA novels appeal to adults, this is not one of them. Save it for your kids.
To be fair, the one-dimensional characters probably wouldn't be so predictable to a middle schooler who hasn't been exposed to as much television and film as I have. You have the nerdy girl and the rich airhead, the less handsome guy who turns out to be a better person than the buff hotties, and the wisecracking talking animal thrown in for comic relief. I knew before the end of the first chapter what lesson each girl needed to learn. This would be the perfect set-up for a Saturday night movie on Disney Channel, but in print it fell flat.
Not only was the book predictable but it also had an identity crisis. There were a couple dark secrets thrown in that didn't fit the otherwise light tone of the book -- not too dark for a 12-year-old to handle, but dark enough to make you wonder which direction the book is going in. If I had a choice, I would have gone with the more serious tone and get rid of the lame jokes that sound like they were cribbed from an episode of "Suite Life of Zack and Cody".
Bottom line: although many YA novels appeal to adults, this is not one of them. Save it for your kids.
January 2, 2012
The blurb on the back of this book gave me such high hopes: “It has been thus since the Queen of Twilight began her evil reign. The only hope for Galma’s delivery lies in the hands of one foretold…Or maybe it’s in the hands of those two girls from New Jersey who mysteriously appeared at the end of Chapter Two…ever since Veronica Lopez and Heather Simms got zapped into the pages of The Queen of Twilight, the novel has gone completely haywire.”
Heather and Veronica are fighting over the last copy of The Queen of Twilight in the checkout lane at the bookstore the night before their book reports on it are due. Veronica’s read it before, but she wants to refresh her memory. Heather has no interest in fantasy books at all, but she can’t afford not to do an assignment. Suddenly, they get zapped into the pages of the book, where Heather shatters the princess heroine (who has been turned to glass). Uh-oh, she just killed the main character. Now what? Since Veronica knows generally how the story is supposed to go, she encourages Heather to impersonate the princess, and assures her that if they manage to follow the plot they should be able to escape the book at the end. And that’s when things start departing from the plot. Soon, the girls are completely lost in their own plot, and they’ve made a complete muddle of it. They’re going to have to save Galma (and themselves) on their own.
This could have been a really great campy book, but instead it suffers from poor characterization and a disorganized plot. Neither of the girls is particularly likeable, and the Galmanians aren’t well-developed. Heather undergoes a personality change and gains about 20 IQ points along the way (is that even possible?), so by the end, when she makes the ultimate sacrifice to stay in Galma and safeguard the light that she’s brought to the world, she’s a completely different person. I know transformations can be brought about through ordeals and journeys, but this seemed a bit far-fetched to me. If the girls and the banter between the characters had been even slightly more entertaining this would have been a better book. As it is, it’s mildly amusing at times, but overall rather mediocre. Great premise, disappointing execution.
Heather and Veronica are fighting over the last copy of The Queen of Twilight in the checkout lane at the bookstore the night before their book reports on it are due. Veronica’s read it before, but she wants to refresh her memory. Heather has no interest in fantasy books at all, but she can’t afford not to do an assignment. Suddenly, they get zapped into the pages of the book, where Heather shatters the princess heroine (who has been turned to glass). Uh-oh, she just killed the main character. Now what? Since Veronica knows generally how the story is supposed to go, she encourages Heather to impersonate the princess, and assures her that if they manage to follow the plot they should be able to escape the book at the end. And that’s when things start departing from the plot. Soon, the girls are completely lost in their own plot, and they’ve made a complete muddle of it. They’re going to have to save Galma (and themselves) on their own.
This could have been a really great campy book, but instead it suffers from poor characterization and a disorganized plot. Neither of the girls is particularly likeable, and the Galmanians aren’t well-developed. Heather undergoes a personality change and gains about 20 IQ points along the way (is that even possible?), so by the end, when she makes the ultimate sacrifice to stay in Galma and safeguard the light that she’s brought to the world, she’s a completely different person. I know transformations can be brought about through ordeals and journeys, but this seemed a bit far-fetched to me. If the girls and the banter between the characters had been even slightly more entertaining this would have been a better book. As it is, it’s mildly amusing at times, but overall rather mediocre. Great premise, disappointing execution.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2021
This is a funny little spoof on basically all fantasy books ever, especially "high fantasy". Simple and geared towards a younger audience but still entertaining for an adult who likes fantasy and doesn't mind seeing it mocked in a loving way. It can have meta elements if you care to think about it deeply, but I just enjoyed the ride. The characters are not super fleshed out but still likeable with flaws and annoyances. There is a little bit of Spanish since Veronica is Latin-American with a Guatemalan mom, and Heather has a Guatemalan housemaid, but it doesn't make the story any more or less difficult to understand. I wasn't expecting it, so it was fun to get some surprise practice in.
Some violence and gore (blood, beheadings, etc.), a little bit of "biblical swearing". Child neglect, death and grief.
Some violence and gore (blood, beheadings, etc.), a little bit of "biblical swearing". Child neglect, death and grief.
December 6, 2016
I wanna say, I'm not the average 12 year old who like rainbows and glitters (well I do but still). The main characters were both very annoying and petty. This was so stereotypical and utterly annoying. It was legit what you would see in some stupid TV show.
The first character was the "popular" girl. She was the one who makes the dumb decisions without caring about other's well being. She doesn't care if it could killed the entire group or if they might be lead off a cliff because she is being stubborn or if they might die trying to save her.
The second character was the "nerd" or "geek". She was "smart" frankly very annoying, and just has a stupid attitude and temper like the first character. She has this know-it-all attitude, and to be honest, I don't think I would be friends with either of them in real life. She was so annoying, and unlike the other girl, she just stresses too much and despite being "smart", didn't make the obvious, logical decisions.
Sigh* I wasted 1 hour of my life reading this
The first character was the "popular" girl. She was the one who makes the dumb decisions without caring about other's well being. She doesn't care if it could killed the entire group or if they might be lead off a cliff because she is being stubborn or if they might die trying to save her.
The second character was the "nerd" or "geek". She was "smart" frankly very annoying, and just has a stupid attitude and temper like the first character. She has this know-it-all attitude, and to be honest, I don't think I would be friends with either of them in real life. She was so annoying, and unlike the other girl, she just stresses too much and despite being "smart", didn't make the obvious, logical decisions.
Sigh* I wasted 1 hour of my life reading this
February 23, 2010
Fun, clean fantasy (some language) about two girls who, when fighting over the same book they both need for a school paper, are zapped into the story itself. Unwittingly one of them kills the heroine of the story and so assumes her place. Slowly they make their way through the kingdom and the plot trying to bring sunlight back into the kingdom of Galma with the help of a Kebler Elf (who makes delicious cookies) and a wizard. References to Keebler Elves, Lord of the Rings, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and maybe even Star Wars . . . Will they survive? Will they make it home? Do they want to go home?
January 1, 2022
There was definitely some grammar errors in the book but what book doesn’t!! I loved the ending of it and loved the plot line.. I didn’t like so much that it wasn’t really in order. The plot kept jumping all over the place!!
December 10, 2024
Two girls get Isekaid in an old fantasy novel. Chaos ensues!
This hero's journey gone wrong is packed with humor and some unexpected character development. It was giving D&D campaign, with a seasoned player and a newbie humorously messing things up. At first, I wondered if it might be too young for me, but by the end, I was completely hooked—and even tearing up during some of the more emotional moments, the characters had truly grown on me.
This hero's journey gone wrong is packed with humor and some unexpected character development. It was giving D&D campaign, with a seasoned player and a newbie humorously messing things up. At first, I wondered if it might be too young for me, but by the end, I was completely hooked—and even tearing up during some of the more emotional moments, the characters had truly grown on me.
May 24, 2011
If you take fantasy books as serious business (for example, if you’ve ever yelled this at someone: ” How dare you say Hobbits aren’t real?!”), then this book is not for you. But if you can find humor in things you enjoy, then I have a feeling you’ll like this book. I did.
Now, the characters. At first, I thought this book would be more about Veronica since she’s the one who actually reads fantasy books and knows the layout of the world her and Heather are zapped into. (Don’t try to figure out the science behind a faulty barcode scanner becoming a means for teleportation into a book. Just nod your head like this makes perfect sense, especially if you’ve read The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde.) After introducing Veronica, however, the focus shifted to Heather, the shallow popular girl that used to make fun of us in high school. (I know we didn’t go to the same high school, but I’m 96% sure you were a fellow nerd like me during those teen years.) Heather’s not altogether bright, but I grew to like her, especially after she butts heads with a haughty elf. Don’t worry, he had it coming to him.
There are definite references to The Lord of the Rings. As I haven’t read many fantasy books, that’s the one I noticed the most, but there might be others. At one point Dungeons and Dragons was mentioned and I sent a mental high-five out into the collective nerd mind. You should have felt it. It happened about ten days ago. Anyway, every little reference or similarity made me smile. Some made me laugh at the absurdness, usually the ones that caught me by surprise.
But it wasn’t all fun, all the time.
For being a parody, there’s actually a plot and a sense of earnestness in the characters. I honestly wasn’t expecting much, but it was surprisingly good. It was cute and sometimes funny in a ridiculous way. If you’re looking for a light, fantasy read, this is it.
Posted at WhatchYAreading.net.
Now, the characters. At first, I thought this book would be more about Veronica since she’s the one who actually reads fantasy books and knows the layout of the world her and Heather are zapped into. (Don’t try to figure out the science behind a faulty barcode scanner becoming a means for teleportation into a book. Just nod your head like this makes perfect sense, especially if you’ve read The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde.) After introducing Veronica, however, the focus shifted to Heather, the shallow popular girl that used to make fun of us in high school. (I know we didn’t go to the same high school, but I’m 96% sure you were a fellow nerd like me during those teen years.) Heather’s not altogether bright, but I grew to like her, especially after she butts heads with a haughty elf. Don’t worry, he had it coming to him.
There are definite references to The Lord of the Rings. As I haven’t read many fantasy books, that’s the one I noticed the most, but there might be others. At one point Dungeons and Dragons was mentioned and I sent a mental high-five out into the collective nerd mind. You should have felt it. It happened about ten days ago. Anyway, every little reference or similarity made me smile. Some made me laugh at the absurdness, usually the ones that caught me by surprise.
But it wasn’t all fun, all the time.
For being a parody, there’s actually a plot and a sense of earnestness in the characters. I honestly wasn’t expecting much, but it was surprisingly good. It was cute and sometimes funny in a ridiculous way. If you’re looking for a light, fantasy read, this is it.
Posted at WhatchYAreading.net.
June 6, 2011
This was a cute YA book that could have carried a better message and had a better ending. Our girls had read this some years ago. I was cleaning the bookcase and came across this one, remembering that they all had enjoyed it, so I read it to determine whether or not I should keep it.
This story is about two girls who are opposites but get sucked into a fantasy novel as they are fighting over the last copy in the book store the night before the book report is due. Once they enter the story, the plot goes completely out of whack and nothing goes as planned! Veronica is a young girl who has deep memories attached to this book, as her father read it to her often when she was a little girl. Heather is a popular girl who, at the last minute, decides that she needs to write a good book report so she doesn’t receive a bad grade in class. Heather never read the book, but ends up being the ‘star’ of the story ‘Queen of Twilight.’
The main thing this book had going for it was that it wasn’t like a typical fantasy story, in a sense. However, the author kept pointing that out and that got to be a little redundant. Also, the story, for the most part, was written in third person, with an occasion ‘aside’ by the author, such as, ‘I told you that this is a little different’ types of asides. Luckily these weren’t frequent enough to be annoying.
I would have liked an ending that wrapped up things a little better in the ‘real’ world. I thought the choice of one character was unrealistic and would have had deeper repercussions.
This book, I am sure, is better suited to a younger population that doesn’t question endings. I also thought that the author could have done a better job of showing a lesson or two, that heroes come in different sizes and that people can change who they are if they want to be.
This story is about two girls who are opposites but get sucked into a fantasy novel as they are fighting over the last copy in the book store the night before the book report is due. Once they enter the story, the plot goes completely out of whack and nothing goes as planned! Veronica is a young girl who has deep memories attached to this book, as her father read it to her often when she was a little girl. Heather is a popular girl who, at the last minute, decides that she needs to write a good book report so she doesn’t receive a bad grade in class. Heather never read the book, but ends up being the ‘star’ of the story ‘Queen of Twilight.’
The main thing this book had going for it was that it wasn’t like a typical fantasy story, in a sense. However, the author kept pointing that out and that got to be a little redundant. Also, the story, for the most part, was written in third person, with an occasion ‘aside’ by the author, such as, ‘I told you that this is a little different’ types of asides. Luckily these weren’t frequent enough to be annoying.
I would have liked an ending that wrapped up things a little better in the ‘real’ world. I thought the choice of one character was unrealistic and would have had deeper repercussions.
This book, I am sure, is better suited to a younger population that doesn’t question endings. I also thought that the author could have done a better job of showing a lesson or two, that heroes come in different sizes and that people can change who they are if they want to be.
April 19, 2008
Summary : It is about Veronica and Heather two girls that get send into Chapter Two of the classic fantasy novel, The Queen of Twilight. The Queen of Twilight is a book with something for all fantasy fans to love—including a magical land that has been shrouded in darkness for years by an evil queen.
Heather and Veronica accidentally kill the book’s heroine, and from then on, they have to work together to find their way back to the real world. With only an elf-bakery reject, a talking squirrel, and a wizard with no magic to help, they’ll have to battle trolls, Ookies, giant insects, flying gargoyles, treacherous terrain, and ruined manicures to make it to their happy ending?
The Main Charters are Veronica is a A+ at everything in school, She is a book crazy from what i have read. I think she's kinda like a nerd. Heather, Well, she is really selfish, and really mean, and is treated like a princess at home is her rich family.
The bad guys are the Queen Of Twilight, Some flying gargoyles, a couple of Ookies, some horrible Insects and some trolls! O.O
The good guys are, a powerless wizard, a funny and cute Squirrel, and a elf chief, plus Veronica, and heather.
The setting was in jersey, and it was also in a make believe place.
conflict, They are trying to save Galma (a make a believe place) from the evil Queen Twilight.
Conclusion, it was a sad but cool ending.
I would love from one or two of my friends to read this book, it's really funny and a bit....teenager-y. Mom mite like it even! It's a AWESOME, and funny, and it's a awesome book to let the family read together!
Heather and Veronica accidentally kill the book’s heroine, and from then on, they have to work together to find their way back to the real world. With only an elf-bakery reject, a talking squirrel, and a wizard with no magic to help, they’ll have to battle trolls, Ookies, giant insects, flying gargoyles, treacherous terrain, and ruined manicures to make it to their happy ending?
The Main Charters are Veronica is a A+ at everything in school, She is a book crazy from what i have read. I think she's kinda like a nerd. Heather, Well, she is really selfish, and really mean, and is treated like a princess at home is her rich family.
The bad guys are the Queen Of Twilight, Some flying gargoyles, a couple of Ookies, some horrible Insects and some trolls! O.O
The good guys are, a powerless wizard, a funny and cute Squirrel, and a elf chief, plus Veronica, and heather.
The setting was in jersey, and it was also in a make believe place.
conflict, They are trying to save Galma (a make a believe place) from the evil Queen Twilight.
Conclusion, it was a sad but cool ending.
I would love from one or two of my friends to read this book, it's really funny and a bit....teenager-y. Mom mite like it even! It's a AWESOME, and funny, and it's a awesome book to let the family read together!
January 27, 2014
When a fantasy book has a title like this, you pay attention. Featuring a mildly incompetent wizard, a very cute (but deadly) dragon, a malodorous Moat Beast, an elf with a fondness for baking cookies and a tower that looks suspiciously like a certain famous New York tourist site, et al., the reader quickly comes to realize that this book is special. It’s funny, scary, quirky and has more references to other fantasy novels than you can shake a wand at. Best of all, the story revolves around the burgeoning friendship of two females, rather than the usual guy-buddy pairing. (I especially like how the girls are named “Heather” and “Veronica”. The author is clearly an aficionado of movies from the 1980s.) Whether you adore fantasy novels or hate them like poison, this is a novel that will bring a smile to your face.
May 29, 2017
I found the book to be entertaining and a great break way for anyone who is thinking about starting in fantasy because it carries many similar themes and characters from more traditional stories. The only thing I would say is there is definitely a demographic for this book. It took me a lot longer to finish the book this time because it is quite clear that it is more relatable to a teen reader. I thought some parts were a little over the top, but I understand the intent of describing characters clearly when there are a lot of them, but Lisa did seem to go a bit overboard with the stereotypes of bookworms and popular girls. The stereotypes seemed to unfold towards the end of the story as the characters began to realize that they were more than they thought they could be. Overall, thought I thought the book was entertaining and an easy fantasy read.
April 27, 2008
You know when you realize that the premise of a new book could either be done really well or be a flaming ball of suckitude? That was how I felt when I started this book, in which Heather and Veronica, the prom queen and the bookworm from Jersey, get zapped into a sword-and-sorcery novel. It could have been awful, but instead it was really, really well done. The sendups of fantasy conventions were actually thoughtful rather than just dumb jokes about guys in tights. Veronica is a great character, and while I expected her to come out a winner - bookworm makes good - I wasn't expecting to like Heather so much or to be so happy about her happy ending. Yeah, it's still silly, but it's the silly of early Buffy.
December 14, 2017
1 1/2 stars for a great plot idea and for the very entertaining copy on the inside flaps and back cover of the book. As a spoof of fantasy novels, it was not very well done. The narrator often showed its presence with some "I" statement which was meant to be humorous, but never actually made an appearance in the book; this was needlessly confusing, and pulled me out of the story. The characters were not very interesting, especially Veronica, with whom we begin and end the book, (which led me to the conclusion that all the events that unfolded were for the benefit of her having an essay for the next day). And I didn't like how the (third-person) point of view kept shifting between characters. There was some profanity as well, which I prefer not to appear in middle fiction.
September 23, 2008
I enjoyed this book more than any book I can recall reading recently. It was funny, suspenseful, clever, and I genuinely cared about the characters. Usually, I am not a fantasy fiction reader, but the title, a play on the title "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" caught my eye, and I realized that the book is a parody of all the fantasy books one has read from "Lord of the Rings" to "The Golden Compass." When two girls get in a fight in a bookstore over the last remaining copy of a fantasy book they must read by the next day, a malfunctioning scanner at the cash register zaps them into the middle of the book.
September 30, 2009
I thought this satirical fantasy was cute and fluffy, just what it was probably intended to be. The author also helped write M or F? which I liked. My book club students selected this one to read simply because of the title and front cover. The two main characters, Heather and Veronica, are thrown together into the fantasy world of a novel they are writing a paper on for class. Heather is assumed to be the princess and the two girls play along because they want the wizard to help them get back to their own world. Both girls (of course) learn some lessons and grow up, and, of course, they save the kingdom.
November 5, 2014
Chick-lit meets epic fantasy! (YES, YOU HEARD ME.) Oh my gosh, this book is so SILLY. ...AND CRAZY! The description alone should give you a general idea on how blissfully wacky it is, (two girls get hit by a bar code scanner and get transported into a fantasy book?! WUUUHHHHH?) If that isn't weird enough for you, wait until you see what's inside the pages! Seriously, I found myself laughing like an idiot in every chapter. Mostly at the characters - they're all pretty extreme. ESPECIALLY HEATHER! She's likely the biggest drama queen (erm... princess) that you'd ever meet in a fantasy book. She's pretty unique.
I'm glad that I picked this book up.~
I'm glad that I picked this book up.~
September 20, 2017
The Wizard, The Witch, and Two girls from Jersey was funny, lighthearted, and a little unexpected. I liked this book very much, but I still felt that this story was slower than it should have been,since it took almost a week to finish it. I liked Veronica and Heather's characters a lot though , Veronica with her love of fantasy novels, and Heather's love of fashion. The jokes were funny, especially the ones from Heather, I liked how the author Lisa Papademetriou, not Fabiella Banks, referenced classic fantasy novels like The lion,the witch, and the wardrobe, and The Lord Of The Rings. I am definitely going to be reading more of this authors work.
May 17, 2021
i ate this right up when i was 12 AND i share a name with one of the protagonists AND i applied to the college i currently attend solely because it was mentioned in this book！！！！！ so i feel like it's impossible for me to associate the wizard, the witch, and the two girls from jersey with anything bad. (it's perfect for when ur in the mood for light fluffy reading..,,. which for me is basically always.) :~)
December 9, 2014
I find this book really really funny! :D i find the whole thing amusing. granted there were some serious stuff but the journey is really funny.
January 16, 2021
Two girls, with completely different personalities & cliques, somehow get sucked into a fictional world of fantasy tropes. They end up getting sucked into the storyline while pretending to be the princess (who is meant to save the world from the evil queen) and her dwarf assistant after an accidental chain of events. They end up going through different side quests that lead them to different plot points that stray from the original book and learn more about each other in ways they probably would not have in their usual circumstances. In the end, their friendship grows and they learn more about themselves in the process.
While I did enjoy reading this book and there were a lot of parts that made me laugh, there were things I thought were just off about it. I loved the development of Heather as a character throughout the whole book and how she grew to be more genuine than just a stereotypical popular girl. But Veronica I felt stay very one dimensional throughout the whole chain of events and was really just there to be someone who knew the plot of the book really. I felt there wasn't a lot of character to her for me to care about her. I also felt that the ending of the book was rushed at the end and there was no explanation for how they were somehow transported to the book in the first place. It was really confusing about the why and how of that. There was not enough detail for me at parts of the story as well leaving me confused at some parts. Other than that I did enjoy reading it and the plot went smoothly up until the ending feeling rushed.
Content Warnings:
Child Neglect
Death of an Animal (lightly)
Bullying
Death
Guilt
Kidnapping
Loss of a Loved One
Racism
Slavery
Trauma
Violence
War
While I did enjoy reading this book and there were a lot of parts that made me laugh, there were things I thought were just off about it. I loved the development of Heather as a character throughout the whole book and how she grew to be more genuine than just a stereotypical popular girl. But Veronica I felt stay very one dimensional throughout the whole chain of events and was really just there to be someone who knew the plot of the book really. I felt there wasn't a lot of character to her for me to care about her. I also felt that the ending of the book was rushed at the end and there was no explanation for how they were somehow transported to the book in the first place. It was really confusing about the why and how of that. There was not enough detail for me at parts of the story as well leaving me confused at some parts. Other than that I did enjoy reading it and the plot went smoothly up until the ending feeling rushed.
Content Warnings:
Child Neglect
Death of an Animal (lightly)
Bullying
Death
Guilt
Kidnapping
Loss of a Loved One
Racism
Slavery
Trauma
Violence
War
December 24, 2024
This is a fun quick read for anyone who enjoys fantasy and is okay with poking fun at it too. This book is a lighthearted satire on the fantasy genre, but made by someone that seems to have love for fantasy, not disdain. The amount of times the author straight-up references other fantasy novels makes it known that there is no ill-will. I remember reading this in highschool and thinking it was hilarious, as I had never read a spoof or satire book before, but reading it again I do think it is made for high schoolers and younger. It has a lot of very formulaic plot points, but in a way that's very intentional, as it is supposed to be, again, a satire on the fantasy genre. I think the characters are fun, if a bit predictable, and the villains could have been a bit campier. I do think the middle drags a bit, but if you push through it's a decent enough read.
February 8, 2023
A fun little book. Yes, it's silly. It makes fun, in a way, of the traditional trope of fantasy books. There are references that (in my opinion, not sure if they are "official" references or not) to The Princess Bride (the crazy names of things/places), a popular cookie brand, and numerous other fairy tales and fantasy books. It's not a great work of literature. But it was a good book for a fun diversion.
June 25, 2018
I read this book 12 years ago when it first came out and as I was rereading it, I was really enjoying the first half, but the second half became a chore to finish. I finished it only because I couldn't remember exactly what happened, but I don't know, I enjoyed 12 years ago, so that's saying something I guess.
dnf
March 1, 2020DNF @ page 50.
This book is awful holy hell.
My friend gave me this book years ago and I was going to read it to clear up some space on my bookshelf but I feel like I'm losing brain cells just reading it.
No thanks.
This book is awful holy hell.
My friend gave me this book years ago and I was going to read it to clear up some space on my bookshelf but I feel like I'm losing brain cells just reading it.
No thanks.
July 11, 2022
A funny satire of the fantasy genre that also encourages the reader to question stereotypes and grow in compassion.
September 29, 2023
I read this when I was in HS might read it again.
January 2, 2025
Good for a young reader (I pre-read for my 11 year old).
October 13, 2025
I read this back when I was kid and I still think of it foundly sometimes. I loved this book as a kid.
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