The land of stories
Delightful
Emotional
Playful

The land of stories the wishing spell

Chris Colfer2012
"Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, twins Alex and Conner leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about"--
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Reviews

Photo of Kyla Bourne
Kyla Bourne @nightlyangel
5 stars
Jun 28, 2024

Loved it

Photo of Annika Arguemore
Annika Arguemore@arguemore
5 stars
Jan 14, 2024

Although it took me a while to get into it, it grew on me as fast as the vines from the cursed pit could get a hold of someone's ankle. The plot was quite elaborate and engaging. It was fast-paced and adventure-packed. I absolutely loved it! Can't wait to read this to my future kids!

Photo of Cassie Casaburi
Cassie Casaburi@swiftliketaylor
4 stars
May 22, 2023

Loved the tale. Felt very nostalgic. This book felt like a classic fairytale book written in a contemporary, fresh perspective. New spins on characters we have all grown up with is something that is both refreshing yet somewhat unusual. Anyone with a very set idea of who these classic characters are may find it hard to adjust their perspective, but with an open mind this truly is a magical adventure you won't want to put down. If you were a reader of the magic wishing chair, faraway tree, - anything Enid Blyton really, you may find comfort and joy in the pages of this novel.

Photo of Azalea Wolong
Azalea Wolong @azaleawaffle
5 stars
Nov 30, 2022

Fun and entertaining book.

Photo of jess
jess@brekker
3 stars
Aug 18, 2022

[review from 2012] So, I just finished The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer. I started it with a little ray of pride that one of my favorite actors has written and published a book. I came out of it completely amazed that someone could have so much talent in them. The man can act, write scripts, write books, sing, dance… anyways. To the book. It’s about two twelve-year-old twins, Alex and Conner Bailey, who are polar opposites. It’s also about The Land of Stories itself, a sprawling land full of fairy tale characters, and it is beautiful. One of the things I like most about this book are the one-liners. The one-liners are amazing. I highly enjoy sarcastic, witty and funny lines (and for some reason YA fantasy writers are talented at writing sarcastic, witty and funny lines… AF, PJatO, HP, RA…) and this book had no shortage of them, mostly from Conner. I loved the character of Conner. He was hilarious and many times I found myself laughing out loud. Alex was also wonderful. She was me–not many friends, a complete bookworm. I related mostly to her. The book was obviously written for younger kids. I found many of the plot twists predictable, and ended up predicting something much more complicated than it actually was. But it was great. I also loved the remaking of the characters from the fairy tales. And Evly. I loved Evly’s story. Jack and Goldilocks made me cry. All the queens are so charming and likable, except for Red–and Red joins the cast of comical characters. She was hilarious as well. All in all, this is a great read, and I’m not just saying that as a fan of Chris Colfer’s. I think that it’s just as magical as the Land of Stories in the book and if you’re not reading it you’re missing out on something.

Photo of jo solimo
jo solimo@jo123
5 stars
Aug 14, 2022

I really liked it. It made me feel as if I´m living with my favorite Fairy Tales.

Photo of mighty dragon
mighty dragon @naga
5 stars
Aug 13, 2022

this is just soooo beautiful, I cried a lot

Photo of Kaya
Kaya@kaya_kobold01
4 stars
Aug 12, 2022

Wir haben die deutsche Übersetzung gelesen. Ich würde 5 Sterne geben, die geneigte Zuhörerin hatte jedoch sich mehrfach über die Sprache beschwert.

Photo of ✧*̥˚ ema *̥˚✧
✧*̥˚ ema *̥˚✧@oneirataaxia
5 stars
Jul 7, 2022

it was pretty good

Photo of Helene Skjørvold
Helene Skjørvold@farseer
3 stars
May 11, 2022

3.5⭐️ Throughout the entire book I could feel it was a middle grade. The writing was not really good, the characters I didn’t really care for them, until the last 60 pages. I’m intrigued to read the second book now that I know the world. It was a quick fun read, especially if you are like me and love fairytales!

Photo of Crystal A.
Crystal A.@roguephoenix
4 stars
Mar 12, 2022

I knew i was going to like the book, but I never expected to fall in love with it. So much adventure! This book had a Magic Treehouse/The Chronicles of Narnia feel to it.

Photo of Vanessa Egger
Vanessa Egger@vanessalovesbooks
3 stars
Mar 8, 2022

Die Zwilinge Alex und Connor machen nach dem Tod ihres Vater eine schwere Zeit durch. Umso mehr freuen sich die beiden, als an ihrem Geburtstag ihre Großmutter zu Besuch kommt. Von ihr bekommen Alex und Connor ein altes Märchenbuch "Land of Stories" geschenkt. Bald schon merkt vor allem Alex, dass das Buch magische Kräfte zu haben scheint und es dauert nicht lange da landen die Zwillinge im Buch und treffen dort auf alle ihre geliebten Märchenfiguren und erleben wunderbare Abenteuer. Doch um wieder nach Hause zu kommen, müssen Alex und Connor verschiedene Dinge sammeln und das stellt sich als schwieriger heraus als zuvor angenommen. Chris Colfer, bekannt aus der Serie "Glee", hat hier eine magische und zauberhafte Welt geschaffen, die mich stark an meine Kindheit erinnert hat. Meine Familie hat mir als Kind immer Märchen vorgelesen. Absolut zu empfehlen ist hier das englische Hörbuch, das von Chris Colfer selbst vorgelesen wird.

Photo of Robin M Cabana
Robin M Cabana@rmcabana
3 stars
Mar 2, 2022

There are many takes on fairy tale characters in pop culture lately and I really wanted to like this book more, mostly because I like Chris Colfer so much! And while I enjoyed the adventure of Alex and Connor in the Land of Stories and some of the characters, the writing was just not good. I listened to the audiobook version and just kept rewriting sentences in my head. (This is second book I've read recently by a celebrity based on twins in fantastical situations in which the writing was just not that strong. Are editors overlooking writing because of the names?) I did really like Connor and his snarky take on fairy tales. Some of his lines really made me laugh. And I also liked the Goldilocks vs Red Riding Hood plot. The story was a bit predictable, but still had some charms, because like Alex, I have a soft spot for classic fairy tales.

Photo of Nadine
Nadine @intlnadine
4 stars
Feb 18, 2022

#fantasy Great storytelling weaving traditional fairytale with a tale of two young adventurers. Very popular with my upper primary students

Photo of Shannon Leigh Williams
Shannon Leigh Williams@lifeinmybook
4 stars
Jan 31, 2022

This was such a fun, tumultous adventure!

Photo of Caroline Lewicki
Caroline Lewicki@clewicki20
5 stars
Jan 30, 2022

The Wishing Spell is a really fun, seriously well fleshed out book. Colfer is great at character and setting development. I enjoyed getting to know Alex and Connor and the fairytales they encounter throughout the story. The fairytales get an interesting make over that I liked a lot! I’ll definitely be recommending this book to young readers who enjoy fantasy!

Photo of Georgia Carr
Georgia Carr@greatgatsbys
4 stars
Jan 16, 2022

Chris Colfer is a genius. Enough said.

Photo of Pela Kolsto
Pela Kolsto@pela_reads_books
5 stars
Jan 7, 2022

Nice! Some iffy parts but I love it!!!

Photo of Sophie Collins
Sophie Collins@collinssophie03
4 stars
Dec 14, 2021

The land of stories is a cute and fun book following twins Alex and Conner and their adventure into their grandmother's fairytale book. This usually isn't the type of book I like to read, but I really enjoyed how light-hearted and quirky the book was. Surprisingly enough, this book's action-type scenes were well written and everything you would expect from an adventure book of this age level. I would recommend this book for anyone stuck in a reading slump or looking for a light and easy, yet still very much entertaining, read.

Photo of Katie Holem
Katie Holem@katieskozybookcorner
5 stars
Dec 9, 2021

4.5 out of 5 stars

Photo of Jordan Heustis
Jordan Heustis@mylifeasjordanreads
5 stars
Nov 27, 2021

I adored this book as always’

Photo of laura
laura@booksandpops400
5 stars
Nov 20, 2021

so good! i listen to and chris colder was so amazing. The end was a tad predictable but some surprises were still had! i can't wait to read the sequel :)

Photo of Lulu Bonning
Lulu Bonning@lulu282
3 stars
Nov 17, 2021

I realized I hadn't read a middle grade since I was the target age group and I was curious what the hype was about from an adult point of view. Would it whisk me back to the whimsical fantasy of the child-like mind? Or would the experience shed light on the fact that I had become old and cynical and no longer appreciated the youthful lens of middle-grade literature? As it turns out, this book gave me a bit of both. The world was so, so happy. And I was happy being there. Despite the many mishaps and misadventures that Alex and Conner experienced along the way, it was easy going. As you would expect for an adult reading a middle-grade novel. A lot of the things I didn't love about this book I'm sure would have gone over my head had I been younger. But as an adult, there were a few things that bothered me. First, the typos. I noticed them. And they irked me enough to comment on them. Then, there was the way that whenever Alex and Conner were in trouble, there was an adult - a random stranger - who was willing to give up everything to help these two children on their very mysterious quest. I know we're in a world of fairytales, so talking about what's realistic becomes a kind of moot point - but it was highly unrealistic. Third, I wanted more descriptions! I loved this world, but I still feel like I barely know it. I wanted more description words, I wanted things dragged out, I wanted a longer book! Which leads me to conclude that this is a middle-grade book, and perhaps my biggest gripe is that I am not a middle-grade reader. 10-year-olds don't want a book longer than this one. They don't need extra descriptive words because their super young and supercharged imaginations fill in the blanks. For the intended audience, this book is brilliant.

Photo of Tianna Davis
Tianna Davis@cupcakexx
5 stars
Oct 28, 2021

When I first saw this book I picked it up as it reminded me of Disney! I didn’t expect it to be that good!

Highlights

Photo of Emily
Emily@emilywright

I loved the twist on fairy tales


Photo of Emily Holt
Emily Holt@mothergoose

Courage is the one thing no one can ever take from you - Goldilocks