#wisty

Dex and Wisty managed to avoid getting chewed out for being late, though Wisty did get scolded for not answering her phone.

Roughly 3 months before Skully’s arrest, Wisty has a “graduation exam”. She is to spar against two Cadets chosen by Ela; who exactly they are is kept secret from Wisty until they are face to face.

The first is Oat, leader of Team Hemlock, a group of senior BC members. Although rotten and withered, Oat’s skill with his plant magic is formidable, making him an ideal opponent for the younger and inexperienced Wisty to show off her ability to hold her own against a magic user. Wisty’s fiery red and orange inks served her well in the fight.

However, Wisty’s true test is their second opponent, Dex. No easy feat, he’s one of the more skilled BC members when it comes to fighting. A glass cannon with some of the best speed of all the Cadets, Dex hits hard and fast while avoiding taking damage himself. He proves to be a very difficult fight, briefly gaining the upper hand. However, Wisty had anticipated Dex would be their second opponent, and as such had already formulated a plan. Dodging and bouncing out of the way with the help of their elastic pink ink, Wisty blinds and disorients Dex by creating a thick smokescreen with their silver ink. They further obstruct his vision with white ink, which lets off a bright light.

Following his scarf through the smoke, Wisty is able to get the jump on him and land the solid blow needed to stun him.

Their constant jokes and witty retorts completely distort the tone of the book. The idea of an all-powerful government hunting down witches and wizards sounds terrifying, but all the protagonists do is act like snarky teenagers. If cringy one-liners were all it took to save the world, these two would have resolved the entirety of the plot in about one chapter. Here is Wisty's retort when a man hits her while they are imprisoned and awaiting execution:

When that bullying, cowardly freak smacked Wisty’s hand with his snake whip, I almost lunged for him. I was ready to fight to the death, whatever it took. Nobody hits my sister. Wisty bravely cradled her hand and watched him, her jaw set. I glared at this Visitor creep, trying to distract him. “Let me guess. No one loved you as a child. Or as an adult. Well, tough noogies!”

I know you may look at that and think "Sure, 'tough noogies" is a bit... dumb, but it's a book for younger audiences! Of course you can't be so hard on the dialogue." First of all, this is a YA novel, and we're all well aware that young adult audiences have read and are fully capable of reading serious, dark stories with violence and consequences (think The Hunger Games or even Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which is technically a middle grade book and deals with similar heavy topics). There's really no reason why the two teenage protagonists need to come off so bratty and immature. The writing itself feels rushed and unplanned. It is choppy and inconsistent, jumping from conflict to conflict with way-too-convenient resolutions and no time for tension. The chapters are also incredibly short (a few were only two pages), and their frequently shifting POV doesn't really allow for any development between Whit and Wisty. Readers get whipped between the characters repeatedly as the POV shifts suddenly in the same scene. Everything is blatantly spelled out for the reader as if they are unable to understand the most basic action:

"The Matron and the guards were right behind us, halfway through the frozen dogs. So I rushed at the wall like I was a quarterback again—and I went right through the portal to the other side. But I lost my grip on Wisty’s hand. She just slipped away, screaming my name. I lost Wisty!"

You already told us she "slipped away, screaming my name", so there's no need to add that last sentence.

Overall, I was really let down with how the book handled an otherwise very interesting concept, especially since the manga did it so well. I'll leave you with this scene that really sent me:

Here, Whit and Wisty have just arrived at their first prison and begin talking to another inmate, who is 13.

“I’m prisoner number 450209A,” said the voice. “Trust me, there’s been no mistake. And they didn’t forget to read you your rights. And they aren’t going to give you a lawyer or a phone call. And your mama and papa aren’t coming to get you. Ever. And that’s a long, long time.”

At this point, I thought what he was saying was strange, as the Order has only been in place for a very short time and he's making it sound as if he's been here for nearly a lifetime and truly knows the ways of this particular prison. Then he adds:

“I’ve been here nine days—I was one of the first. But in the last three days, this rat hole has really filled up.”

NINE DAYS??? Why's he acting like a super hard prison inmate when he's been there for a bit over a week? I've had colds that lasted more than that.