Witch and Wizard Writing Style

Zippy, Plot-Driven, Melodramatic

James Patterson's all about super short chapters that move the action along at a clip—you might even call it his signature style. And with 104 chapters that are only two or three pages apiece, Witch and Wizard follows this formula to a T.

The text is focused mainly on the action, which is never in short supply; the dialogue is where the melodrama comes in. Take Michael, one of the kids in the rebellion camp who tells a dramatic story. Of his survival, he says, "Don't ask, don't you dare ask. I have no idea why I was spared. I don't even care anymore" (65.18). Fine, Michael—we won't dare ask. We wouldn't want to send you into a frenzy, after all.

The worst offender when it comes to melodramatic declarations, though, is The One Who Is The One. This dude often issues over-the-top demands, like, "Double their workload, double the tests, double the discomfort! I want answers!" (42.19). Pretty much every time The One Who Is The One opens his mouth, we know he's double the trouble.