Hocus Pocus has become an enduring classic of Halloween time. At times, the book reads as formulaic and stilted as it tries to convert onscreen action to written word, but Jantha is effective overall, particularly for younger readers who have already seen the movie. The sequel brings an interesting new twist to the story and the inclusion of a bit of a diversity is well-welcome. Fun for Halloween, but may not move much outside of that season.

As an avid Halloween lover, it's only to be expected that one of my favorite movies would be Hocus Pocus. When I saw there was a Hocus Pocus book out I just couldn't resist. This book does an excellent job in bringing the movie back to life in a new way, giving more insight into that morning, and the days leading up to it, when the Sanderson sisters took Emily Binx. More detail about Max and his relationship with his sister is also given, before the witches even show up, so you know that the bond they share isn't just due to death they're trying to avoid. I love that the perspective switches back and forth, from 1693 to 1993. I hope to see more books similar to this – or a Hocus Pocus sequel movie – soon.

I was able to read this book thanks to #netgalley
I enjoyed the book. But in my opinion, it's more of a children't book then young adult. If you are a Hocus Pocus fan, I think you will enjoy the book. The first part of the book, is the movie. The second part of the book takes you into years later, the favorite characters from Hocus Pocus have grown up, and now there is a new generation to get into witchy trouble.

I LOVE IT. Listen. Halloween is my #^*%. Okay? So I already knew this was a great book for me. Every October and even throughout the year I break out the movies, and Hocus Pocus is a FAVE AND A HALF. I thought this really kept the tone well and I really loved it. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher!

I absolutely adore the Hocus Pocus movie! It is such a classic Halloween movie and you bet I watch it every single year! So, because of this, I was super excited to read this book! Unfortunately it fell kind of... flat.

*Hocus Pocus... *

I have never before read a novelization in my life. And now I know why: I don’t like them. It is literally just the movie in book form, scene for scene, and pretty much word for word. I am not about that. There were a couple of slight additions, just extra, tiny scenes that were not in the movie, which was nice, I guess, but overall not for me. I would rather just watch the movie. I don’t really see the point of novelizations, tbh. So this first part of the book I was not a big fan of. My recommendation: just watch the movie then read the sequel part of the book.

However, I know some people absolutely loved this *because* they love the movie and don’t mind reading more about it. I guess with novelizations you either love them or hate them. I land in the latter camp, unfortunately.

I did learn one thing from this book, something I am ashamed to admit: all these years I thought the cat’s freaking name was Zachary. It’s not! His name is Thackery Binx. Wtf! My whole life has been a lie!! :O

*...& the All-New Sequel*

In the second half of the book we follow Poppy, the daughter of Allison and Max. They are very open with her about what happened with the Sanderson sisters, but she doesn’t believe them at all. Girl, if you only knew how true it was, then maybe you wouldn't have brought the witches back... again.

Her family's not into Halloween at all, and after what happened to them, I don’t blame them at all! But this will be first year they throw a Halloween party... and then everything goes to hell... more or less literally. Lol.

The new characters in this second part were... okay. Poppy was fine, just a big idiot like her dad was back in the day. It was funny because her parents were all mad at her for going to the Sanderson house when they literally did the same thing when they were her age. Dani reminded them that she, a mere child, was pretty much the only smart one back in the day. Lol. Anyway, I really liked Poppy’s best friend Trevor—he was really funny. And Poppy’s crush, Isabella... she was okay. She was really nice and I liked her, but maybe she was too perfect? Even the book itself admits it. Lol. But I do appreciate the LGBTQ rep! Poppy and Isabella were pretty cute together! That being said, I really wanted more of the original characters, but Dani, Max, and Allison are not in the sequel part very much. Especially not Dani. It’s such a shame. So if your hopes were the same as mine, burn those hopes straight to the ground right now because they got rid of them too freaking easily for most of the book. I did, however, enjoy seeing all these characters I know and love interacting with the new characters.

Another thing I enjoyed about the book was the magic! I really liked the new addition of magic in the sequel! It was pretty cool. And I absolutely loved how Poppy and her friends tricked the witches with modern technology! The part with the cell phone on speaker was pretty great! I loved it!

The story itself was fine... it was pretty much the same thing we went through with the movie, but the characters need to find another way of defeating the witches. And the climax... it was a bit much. I guess they needed a way to top the movie? I don’t know, I wasn’t the biggest fan of that.

Overall, it was just okay. The end was left open enough for another sequel, but I’m over here like, umm... no thank you. I love this world and the movie, but overall, I was not entirely impressed by the book. I didn't hate it though, it was just... fine.

Definitely Middle Grade, quick read, could be appealing to a variety of readers-more mature MG readers may want a little more from the story but reluctant/hi-lo readers may appreciate the recaps and overall simplicity of the plot and writing style. Readers who are fans of Hocus Pocus will probably enjoy the story regardless of age, maturity, or reading level.

I think this was a fun and quirky sequel to an amazing story. This was so fun to read and I highly recommend to all who are looking for nostalgia and an easy read!

A must read if this is one of your go-to movies each Halloween. The beginning of the book follows the first movie and is fun to read. The second part/sequel could be hit or miss with readers. Still, if this is one of your favorite movies I would recommend reading it.

It was fun to read the novelization of one of my favorite movies, Hocus Pocus. I was happy to see that it did include something new and relevant to the sequel. I almost skipped it, but I am glad that I didn't.

The sequel was just as fun and action-packed as the original, and I hope that it does become a movie some day. (A good one, with a theatrical release.) The original characters were back, but didn't totally steal the show from the new heroes. I especially loved that the ending left an opening for another story, which I hope happens, because I can't wait to read it!

This was beyond disappointing...but I'm not surprised at all. I LOVE Hocus Pocus. It's one of my favorite Halloween movies ever. When I heard about this sequel I was excited but hesitant. The first 200 pages of this was literally just a screenplay recap of the movie. If you have never seen the movie maybe this would be helpful...but I am assuming that most people who read this are reading it because they HAVE seen the movie and loved it. I mostly skimmed that section. The second half of the book was the actual sequel part. We follow Max and Allison's daughter Poppy and her battle with the Sanderson Sisters. While I liked....I actually can't think of anything I really liked about this. I mean there was a more diverse cast so that's a plus. The story was super rushed and boring...which is sad. Even the sisters couldn't save this. It came off SUPER juvenile (Maybe if I was still 9 year old reading this I might have actually loved it). It just felt like a waste of time. Maybe it could be redeemable in movie format (and ONLY if the original cast was back to bring it to life).

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Despite being 35, every Halloween I look forward to watching Hocus Pocus. It’s a not-so-guilty pleasure among my generation, and lucky for us, Disney recently released Hocus Pocus and the All-New Sequel (Freeform), a novelization of the original story and a sequel that takes place 25 years later. Personally, I would skip over the first half because the movie was better than the book (for once) and straight to the sequel (which I don’t think has an actual name). Anyhow, fast-forward 25 years to present-day Salem, in which Max and Allison’s 17-year-old daughter, Poppy, has spent her entire life trying to keep her family’s secret about the Sanderson sisters under wraps; she doesn’t believe that her parents and Aunt Dani managed to summon and defeat the Sanderson sisters 25 years ago. On Halloween, in an attempt to impress her friends and debunk the story, Poppy takes her friends Isabella and Travis to the Sanderson house. Not only do they discover that the Dennison family story is real, but manage to summon the Sanderson sisters back to Salem. The sisters are back to finish what they started 25 years ago, and the three teens must figure out how to defeat them in order to save their family and friends. Here’s to hoping Disney makes a movie version soon!

I actually think this will be a prefect halloween read! I think for younger kids who never watched the movie (the horror!!) the first part of this book was nice recap of the original story. But i was really invested in part two. I liked how the leads were connected to the family overall but also how different the story was. I just loved how diverse the cast was and also how the magic effected the story. I really enjoyed learning more about the sanderson family! It was super fun read and I think it will make a great fall read!

5 Starts for Nostalgia, but definitely a Middle grade novel not teen after all these years, I wanted so much more!

Big thanks to Disney and Netgalley for this sequel to my all time favorite Halloween movie! I loved it. I love the Sanderson sisters so much and had no idea that a book sequel was coming. Can we expect a movie too? How amazing would that be! Cover art is so awesome! I may need to buy a print copy for my shelf just for the cover.

This ebook was very very long at over 550 pages but the first part of this book is a book version of the original movie so it's like two in one.

Thank you again and AMOK, AMOK, AMOK!

This book was quite interesting. First you read the original story with some nuances not in the original movie. Next you read the sequel which has relates very well to the original story. More mischief and mayhem ensue in the sequel that is action packed, fast paced and has a satisfying end...or does it?

I could have died and went to heaven when I got a copy of this book to review. It was like halloween in May, and I've never been more excited. Hocus Pocus is one of those movies that I've been obsessed with since I was a child. I don't need a reason to watch it and it can sometimes stay in my DVD player for weeks. That being said, I can admit to being very skeptical going into this book.
The first half of the book was wonderful. It was basically a retelling of the original story with added detail. Those details though, helped so much. As a fan, it was nice to have more to story than what the movie gave us. I also spent a lot of time reading this part of the book whilst replaying the movie in my head. I could hear the characters and see the scenes play out in my head. It was great!
The second half...well, I don't hate it. Max, Allison, and Dani are older now and have their own lives. The story is then told by Max and Allison's daughter. It took me a while to get into the second part of the book but, it did quite enjoy it. It's not as good as the original story but I don't think anything can top that. It would be perfect for younger people who have never seen or heard of the movie to read.
Overall, it was a fun read. The author put a unique spin on a beloved classic and created something completely special. This sequel is it's very own, but with hints of the classic Hocus Pocus we all love. It was a fast and fun read. I'd check it out if you're a fan!

This is a low 3.5 stars for me.
The retelling of the movie was very accurate, but it just didn’t have the same feel as the movie. There was a little bit of extra information which was fun.
The sequel, in my opinion, felt like it was trying too hard. Too many things from today (instagram, Twitter etc) were added in and it seemed so forced. Max and Allison didn’t act like I thought they would when they were grown up. I feel like parts of it were trying to be like the movie and it just didn’t work. Like Dani calling people jerk faces (who weren’t Max), Sarah saying things like “afoot afoot afoot” instead of “amuk amuk amuk.” It may just be because I love the movie so much that I’m just being way too critical.
I did like the story and Poppy, Travis and Isabella. I didn’t really like Katie because it felt like she was a bully and turned her whole life around in 5 seconds and became friends with everyone.
One of my favorite parts was when the witches brooms got stolen (again) Mary rode on a Swiffer and Sarah rode on a Roomba.
Overall, I did like the sequel, I’m feeling like it’s meant to be more middle grade, which could be why I am so critical about it, because the movie seemed anything but a good movie to be made into a middle grade book. It was a really fun read and I absolutely loved the last chapter!

Being a 90’s kid, the story of Hocus Pocus has been a favorite of mine. I completely devoured this book from beginning to end and I loved the retelling of the original film. It gave readers a more in depth detail of the original story and first person point of view. And I enjoyed the small details from the movie that were included in the retelling story.
I thought the sequel was great! With the majority of the original characters returning 25 years later with their children and friends. Poppy, Max and Allison’s daughter is the main character of the story. She and her friends, Travis and Isabella, accidently bring back the sisters with a spirit board. The three of them race throughout Halloween night trying to find the Blood Moon Stone hidden somewhere in Salem and defeat the Sisters once more.
It’s interesting to know how Max, Allison and Dani feel about Halloween since their encounter with the Sanderson sisters. They are physically taken away from earth and are not able to join Poppy and her friends in their quest. But with the help of Binx, Emily and a new character, they are able to connect with them.
This sequel kept me on my toes with its many twists and turns in the plot. I enjoyed reading it and this story kept me waiting in suspense! I truly hope for a movie adaption. It would be the ultimate nostalgic movie in the 21st century.

Rating 2.5 Stars

First off I have to say Hocus Pocus was my childhood so I'm going to be a bit biased in my review instead of judging it like any other book. I just can't help it when you really expected something to be good and be true to the characters and the story but it just falls flat in the end...

I went into this "sequel" thinking we would get to finally see the characters more than two decades later and what they have been up to now that they are grown adults. But no Max, Allison, and my favorite Dani, were only in a sliver of the book. The rest of it was all just their kids facing down the witches. A cool concept but Max, Allison, and Dani should have been involved in taking the witches down once again instead of just banished into hell. Reminded me too much of the disaster the unofficial next installment of Harry Potter was but I digress. I can't really express how disappointed this makes me to have to say this is just another failed sequel to a beloved film.

What really made this fail was also the new characters. They didn't have a strong personality or anything that would have made me overlook the fact that the original character were not a big part of the story. They were just a carbon copy of the typical teenager who thought their parents were lame and were destroying their social life. Also not listening to their warnings and doing something stupid and sometimes illegal. Those details could be connected to several books. I can't even remember their names that's how unremarkable they were.

I also had a problem with the half-assed plot. There was no real explanation as to how playing with an ouijia board was able to open a portal that would let the witches back into the present day world. Also the fact that three souls had to take their places in hell. I was just sitting their completely confused as to how this could all happen with no context whatsoever. It would have been way better if Poppy (I had to go look up her name) just got her hands on the black flame candle that was hidden somewhere and lit the candle just like her father had twenty five years ago and that's how the witches were able to come back. It would have been something she would have done since she thought her parents were crazy and the Sanderson sisters never came back one Halloween night all those years ago. There also was the small scene of Emily and Thackery Binx coming back to briefly help Poppy and their friends. That would have been awesome if they were involved more in helping get rid of the Sanderson sisters instead of the witch's sister Elizabeth. But no no dice on that one either all the original characters I guess had to be basically out of the picture. It was also super easy for Poppy to find the bloodstone that has been missing for centuries. But hey it was the key to defeating the Sanderson sisters so it had to be easy to find right? *rolls eyes* There was more problems but I think I made my point clear.

Here's what made this have at least two stars. I really liked that the first part of the book was the first movie in book form so I enjoyed reading that and it is a good refresher for people have not watched Hocus Pocus enough to remember everything. I also really loved that were was a LGBT part to this story with the romance between Poppy and Isabella. That was a surprising but pleasant surprise and I thought it was cute despite having a lot of issues with the characters. Then there was the characters I did enjoy was the Sanderson Sister's themselves. The author had them down pat they acted just like they did in the movie and it was amusing to hear Sarah sign song "Amok Amok Amok!!" again as well as new words. So I have to give credit that at least the Sanderson sister's did not fall flat in this "sequel" I wish I could say there was more I liked about this book but unfortunately not and I am just going to forget there ever was a sequel and just love the original story as it is.

Hocus Pocus (the movie) is a cult classic, and continues to be a family favorite in my house. This sequel does a smashing job of bringing the Sanderson Sisters, along with Max, Alison, and Dani, into the 21st century. The storyline is appealing, with Max and Alison now “Mr. and Mrs. Dennison” and their daughter Poppy taking center stage. The Sisters are as ghastly and hilarious as ever, and Salem just as colorful.

As a fan of the movie, I found the re-telling of the original story unnecessary and repetitive, since I predict this will be most popular with existing fans. I confess, I skipped much of the original story and went right to the present day. The new story is fun, quirky, and has just the right amount of tongue-in-cheek scariness. Total fun for Hocus Pocus fans.