Hocus Pocus & The All-New Sequel- A Disney Nerds Book Club Review

Every Halloween, I watch “Hocus Pocus.” It’s a Halloween tradition of mine and I never just watch it once. But this year I decided to find out what happened next to our favorite characters by reading “Hocus Pocus & The All-New Sequel” by A.W. Jantha!

So what did I think of “Hocus Pocus & The All-New Sequel?”

I have to admit that I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it because it’s a teen/young adult book but I thought I’d give it a try. When you first pick up the book (if you get a book and not a digital copy), it’s easy to be intimidated by the 528 pages. I know I was! But the book consists of the story that we all know and love from the film in addition to the sequel. So two stories in one!

I loved reading the story from the films! There were a couple more pieces of detail to enhance the story and made my appreciation of the film better. But when I got to the sequel, it took a minute to peak my interest.

Spoiler Alert!

The story started off slow. It is based around Max & Allison’s 17-year-old daughter, Poppy. It’s been 25 years since Max, Allison, and Dani sent The Sanderson Sisters away and now we find Poppy lured by the story of the sisters. Her parents don’t usually celebrate Halloween but this year they are throwing a big Halloween party at their house. This seems a little suspicious to Poppy because she knows the story from 25 years ago. She knows that her parents worry about Halloween and about The Sanderson Sisters coming back. Poppy is a typical teenager, trying to figure out who she is and what she thinks about all of this Sanderson business. So like father like daughter, Poppy ends up bringing back the Sanderson sisters.

It’s very predictable as far as what happens in the sequel.

The Sanderson Sisters come back to Earth because what’s the point of a sequel without Winnie, Mary, and Sarah Sanderson! This time Poppy and her friends have to defeat the witches. Poppy has never been 100% sure that the story her parents and Aunt Dani have told her all these years was true. But, of course, seeing Winnie, Mary, and Sarah in person makes her realize that everything DID happen. She now has to figure out how to stop them. The witches are back!

It’s fun to read about The Sanderson Sisters discovering the changes to our world since they were last here (think about the technology). It made me want to read more about them and their side of the tale. One thing I did notice from the sequel is there were not as many funny moments with the witches. Their mistakes from being brought back to a different time are fewer. They are almost a little eviler this time because of their plan. This time there is no black flame candle and The Sandersons are not trying to brew a potion. They have another scheme to stay alive but I won’t give it all away.

I have a mixed opinion of this book once I finished it.

I enjoyed reading it. I loved reading about the characters I loved in the movies. The nostalgia of this story was entertaining but I wanted more. I wanted more of The Sanderson Sisters and more depth of the new characters. I’m not sure if it’s because I grew up with the characters from the film but I wasn’t as invested in Poppy and her friends as I was her parents. Also, I felt like there could have been more story. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was a quick development of a sequel to celebrate 25 years of the “Hocus Pocus” film when the book came out in 2018. There could have been more depth to the new characters to make me more interested in them but it seems like there wasn’t enough time. Even with the sequel starting off slow and introducing Poppy and her friends and what her life is like, it still felt like more detail should be added to help the reader be more invested in the characters.

Would I recommend this book? Yes and no.

It’s great for the nostalgia aspect of it. I still love the original story and the first part of this book goes over that tale. My love for The Sanderson Sisters, Max, Allison, Dani, and Binx isn’t diminished. This book doesn’t take away from that. But as I mentioned before, the sequel was predictable. I knew that Winnie, Mary, and Sarah Sanderson would come back with some plan to stay alive. I also knew that they would be defeated.

I also felt like it was meant for a much younger audience. This is definitely a teen/young adult book. But I’ve read young adult novels and enjoyed them immensely. This book just left something to be desired. I can’t put my finger on it exactly but it needed something more. If you decide to read this, then go in it with the pure desire of the love of the film and you should be happy. If not, just turn on your TV and watch the film a couple of dozen times.

Once you read it, let me know what you think! Email me at Morgan@thedisneynerdspodcast.com I’d love to hear your thoughts on this book or any of the other books we’ve reviewed each month for our Disney Nerds Book Club!