The Wizard, the Witch & Two Girls from Jersey

Any fantasy fan should pick up THE WIZARD, THE WITCH AND TWO GIRLS FROM JERSEY by Lisa Papademetriou. This parody of the genre will amuse anyone who loves fantasy, and those who have read classic fantasy novels will recognize the parodies. Veronica Lopez and Heather Simms are two entirely different sophomores. Veronica is the smart bookworm who loves fantasy, and Heather is your stereotypical popular girl. Then they get sucked into Galma, the world of "Queen of Twilight" which happens to be Veronica's favorite book, and Heather is mistaken as the heroine. So begins a hilarious adventure that combines elements from many fantasies in an amusing and creative way. This book is not the most well written, but it's a quick and easy read, and the characters, though stereotypical, are still three dimensional, and the dialogue is realistic. What makes this book so great, however, is the fact that it is a parody, including mocking THE LORD OF THE RINGS, my favorite book. (I love what I take to be the mockery of all the Tolkien's songs.) Give this book to any girl who loves fantasy. Chances are they'll enjoy this derivative yet creative tale as well as the friendship that develops between to Veronica and Heather.

Popular Heather and bookworm Veronica reach for the last copy of Queen of Twilight at the same time, both needing it for English class. Veronica has read and enjoyed the book before, while Heather only wants it for the sake of the assignment. When the bookstore cashier accidentally zaps the girls with the barcode scanner, the two teens end up inside of the story. As the book comes to life around them, they will have to use their wits and wittiness to stay one page ahead of the bad guys, and they must learn to work together in order find a way back home. A cute story-within-a-story that references and spoofs famous fantasies, The Wizard, the Witch, and Two Girls from Jersey is best read with tongue firmly planted in cheek.

This is a great read. It is both a humor and a fantasy book. Lisa Papademetriou is able to successfully make fun of the genre while making sure the adventure within the story stands by itself. There are many surprises, twists and laughs in the book. A must read for anyone who likes humor, fantasy or adventure.

When I read this book, I thought I was acctually there. Ilove the characters like Veronica she was a total bookworm, and heather she was the worst fashion snob. Togather the two girls must face thier worst fears, they learn to value friendship, and to appreciate the help that they receive.When I first looked at this book I never imagined this book would be this amazing. I recomend this book to anyone who likes fantasy, and adventure good luck and have fun!

Veronica Lopez is smart, an avid fantasy reader, and not altogether unattractive. Heather Simms is beautiful, shallow, selfish, vain, and not as dumb as you'd think. The evening before they have to deliver a book report on the classic The Queen of Twilight (Veronica's favorite novel), they are zapped into its pages through the good offices of a malfunctioning bookstore Universal Product Code reader. All they have to do, Veronica figures, is work their way through the plot (which she knows intimately), and then the wizard Strathorn can send them back home. Things begin to go badly from the start, when they accidentally, er, expunge the Princess Arabelle, the prophesied "One," who is supposed to save the land of Galma from the evil Queen of Twilight. Throw in a talking and lascivious squirrel, a bakery elf in exile, a magic-less wizard, a whole bunch of other stuff that's not in The Queen of Twilight, and they may not survive, let alone save Galma and get back home. This novel is hilarious -- a wonderful romp that pokes fun at the conventions of high fantasy and high school. Highly recommended.