Quick review: Witch World, by Christopher Pike

Release date: November 13th 2012
Published by: Simon Pulse
Genre: Science Fiction
Find it on: Goodreads, Amazon


Heading off for a weekend in Las Vegas with her friends, Jessie Ralle has only one worry—how to make it through the road trip in the same car with her Ex, Jimmy Kelter. The guy who broke her heart five months ago when he dumped her for no reason. The guy who’s finally ready to tell her why he did it, because he wants her back.

But what Jessie doesn’t realize is that Jimmy is the least of her problems.

In Las Vegas she meets Russ, a mesmerizing stranger who shows her how to gamble, and who never seems to lose. Curious, Jessie wants to know his secret, and in response, alone in his hotel room, he teaches her a game that opens a door to another reality.

To Witch World.

Suddenly Jessie discovers that she’s stumbled into a world where some people can do the impossible, and others may not even be human. For a time she fears she’s lost her mind. Are there really witches? Is she one of them?

DNF.

I don't usually stop reading a book like this. But I can't take it anymore. Witch world is a disaster. I don't even know where to begin. For someone as famous as Christopher Pike, I expected a lot more from this novel. The premise was fantastic, the cover is really eye-catching... but the story itself, and the way the author developed it?

Awful. 

First of all, let me talk about the characters. Jessie was a decent main character in the beginning - I didn't particularly loved her, but she had some potential - but later on, she was annoying. So, so annoying. She was always asking questions about everything, just like a child would, and while that could be understandable in some circumstances, it also made the dialogues feel forced. It also didn't help that every time she asked a question, someone would start answering with a huge infodump. That was just painful to read. 

Also, Jessia (and all of her friends) didn't feel real. They didn't talk like 18-year old people, they didn't act like they were teenagers, and they sure as hell didn't entertain me. There was this scene in the casino in which Jessie and her best friend, Alex, were playing twenty-one, and the author described the entire game. I don't know the rules of twenty-one, so I was basically lost and confused for about six pages. And it was boring. So, so boring. 

Anyway, moving on. The plot was full of holes, the narrative lacked details, and the concept of witches was very disappointing. Witches, actually, are people with different genes, which makes them special (with "super powers"). I was hoping this would be a urban fantasy novel, and what did I get? A sci-fi novel full of infodumps -_-

Can you see how disappointed I am?

Overall, Witch World is not a good book. If you're into this kind of thing, then go for it, of course. Otherwise... I don't recommend it to anyone.