Squishy Minnie Bookstore Squishy Minnie Bookstore
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Book Clubs
  • Events
  • Storytime
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
  • Shop

Book Review – The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

By Fergus on 14/11/2018

The Land of Stories: The Wishing SpellThe Wishing Spell follows twin siblings Alex and Conner Bailey, who grew up with fairy tales read to them by their grandmother. But when Alex and Conner are magically transported inside their grandmother’s fairy tale treasury, they will be thrust into a world where all their fairy tale characters are extremely real. The two will meet a whole cohort of fairy tale characters–such as Snow White, Cinderella, Rapunzel, among others–as they collect a range of fairy tale items in order to find their way back home.

After being a big fan of the television show Glee, I was eager to read this book, as it is written by Chris Colfer, who portrayed the character Kurt Hummel on this very show. The book begins with a rather sad combination of events: we are introduced to the death of the twins’ father, we find that their old house had been sold, and we are introduced to their mother, a nurse struggling to get by financially. However, once our main characters enter the Land of Stories, the story picks up fantastically.

This novel perfectly weaves together all of your favourite fairy tales, and adds a backstory to all the most important characters. Throughout the novel, Alex and Conner travel to different parts of the land in order to collect items from each kingdom–a teardrop of a fairy from the Fairy Kingdom, a wicker basket from Red Riding Hood’s castle, and Cinderella’s glass slipper–and as you read the novel, you will find yourself feeling like you truly are going on the scavenger hunt along with our main characters.

Sprinkled with a perfect blend of humour and sadness, with wit and positive messages about the true values of life–as referenced in the twins’ father’s stories–the Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell is a spectacular begin to a six-book series, and with talk of a film adaption in the coming years, these fractured fairy tales are soaring high for a new generation of readers.

Posted in Book Review.
Share

Categories

  • Book Review (54)
  • Books (4)
  • In Store Events (12)

Archives

  • September 2020 (2)
  • July 2020 (10)
  • May 2020 (1)
  • March 2020 (1)
  • February 2020 (6)
  • August 2019 (8)
  • July 2019 (1)
  • March 2019 (6)
  • January 2019 (2)
  • November 2018 (5)
  • August 2018 (2)
  • July 2018 (1)
  • June 2018 (1)
  • May 2018 (1)
  • April 2018 (2)
  • February 2018 (4)
  • November 2017 (2)
  • October 2017 (1)
  • September 2017 (1)
  • August 2017 (2)
  • July 2017 (1)
  • June 2017 (1)
  • May 2017 (1)
  • April 2017 (4)
  • February 2017 (4)
PreviousBook Review – Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
NextBook Review – A Curse of Ash and Embers by Jo Spurrier

Related Posts

  • 26/04/2017

    Book Review – Finding Nevo by Nevo Zisin

    A heartwarming and honest read, Finding Nevo is a charming story of self-discovery and love. The memoir deals with some complex and relevant issues such as sexuality and gender identity, and …

  • 31/01/2019

    Book Review – Meet Me at the Intersection edited by Rebecca Lim and Ambelin Kwaymullina

    Meet Me at the Intersection is a rich short story anthology written by a diverse range of Australian authors and lovingly edited by Rebecca Lim and Ambelin Kwaymullina. The anthology …

  • 31/01/2019

    Book Review – Neverland by Margot McGovern

    Margot McGovern’s Neverland is a complex look into mental health through the lens of a mythical world that most people will be familiar with. Kit, who has repressed memories from …

  • 29/07/2020

    Book Review – The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

    ‘The Gilded Ones’, an action-packed new fantasy series from début author Namina Forna, follows the story of a young female named Deka, who lives in the West-African-inspired society of Otera, …

  • 25/02/2020

    Book Review – 1984 by George Orwell

    In 1984, one of modern literature’s most celebrated works, readers are introduced to Winston Smith, who lives in a dystopian society in which everything–from actions, movements, careers, and, even in …

  • 14/03/2019

    Book Review – The Girl Who Fell by Violet Grace

    Released to the public on September 3rd of 2018, Violet Grace’s novel The Girl Who Fell tells the tale of Francesca ‘Chess’ Raven, an adolescent girl living with a woman …

  • © 2026
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Book Clubs
  • Events
  • Storytime
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
  • Shop