3.5/5

Hocus Pocus has turned 25! Time flies. I’ll be honest, it’s probably been at least a decade since I last watched this movie - so the finer plot points are quite fuzzy. Luckily, this book has it covered. The first third is a straight novelization of the film, which is a great refresher. The second part is Halloween 25 years later (so - now) and the Sanderson sisters are back!

This story was so entertaining, creative and fun. It definitely held on to the tone of the original film - I could picture Bette Midler letting loose with Winnie’s lines. And there was some really positive LGBTA representation, which I LOVED. The main characters are teens and they were solidly written. The adults were a bit more flat, but I’m almost assuming it was intentional - it’s clearly aimed at a younger audience.

Overall, the book was great, but I struggled with the point-of-view in the ‘now’ part of the book. It kept switching between first person and third, depending on who was the focus of the chapter. Every time it switched it threw me a little, and pulled me out of the story. BUT! The ending makes up for my struggles. A cliffhanger! Which means.. potential for more HOCUS POCUS!