YA paranormal, suspense, mystery, comedy, romance. The second book in the Tex, The Witch Boy series. (Goodreads)
I reviewed TEX, THE WITCH BOY here :)
Stuart is a great friend of the blog here, and I am super happy to be able to read his second book in the Tex series! (Also, you definitely should check out his blog--it's a blast!) I really enjoyed the first book in this series and the tough issues it took on in the form of teen bullying. Book #2 doesn't disappoint, this time tackling school violence with a frightening level of accuracy. Throw in a bit of fun, some great characters that are realistic and completely identifiable, and a whole ton of stuff going on, and this book was difficult to put down. West has a serious knack for depicting a high school environment that's so real I swear I can smell the cafeteria and see the hallways. He's a talented author, and his books have a great balance of funny and serious (I definitely shouldn't leave out the funny--holy crud were there times I was laughing so hard!). I didn't see the ending coming at all, and loved the twist. Overall, this is a great series by a talented author and I definitely recommend checking it out!
Have you read any of the Tex series? Or books on school violence?
I can't leave this without pointing out that West's third book in the Tex series, TEX, AND THE GOD SQUAD is out now! Great for a holiday gift!Richard “Tex” McKenna's graduating high school. It’s a shame he doesn't have a clue what comes next. There's no time to think now, either. Being a male witch makes Tex a ginormous supernatural trouble magnet. There's an angry witch in pursuit and a maniac in a Grim Reaper's costume on the loose. Why did the cheerleader really kill herself? Is the heinous Clarendon Baptist Church a front for something more sinister? Elspeth’s back, too, trouble trailing on her booted heels. If Tex and his friends don't figure it out soon, Tex won't have to worry about life after high school. (Goodreads, Amazon)
It's always nice to see Meradeth feature a friend of the blog. I feel like we all sort of get to know each other through the comments section :-)
ReplyDeleteBullying is such an important issue in order to empower kids who are made to feel afraid to go to school. All I can say is that I don't think I would survive if I had to do high school all over again. These kids are warriors.
I love introducing all my awesome writerly friends!! :)
DeleteFaith, any kid who survives high school today is, indeed, a warrior. Bullying just seems to get worse. Thanks for reading, and, hey! Nice to "officially" cyber-meet you.
DeleteGood review, Meradeth!
ReplyDeleteThanks, William!! :)
DeleteMeradeth did do an awesome job, didn't she, William? Thanks for reading.
DeleteI read the first Tex book and loved it. I've got the next two on my TBR list.
ReplyDeleteThey're definitely awesome! :)
DeleteHey to my pal, Katie! Hope you like the next two books. I'd like to think they become more ambitious as the trilogy grows. Let me know what you think.
DeleteOh, crap, almost forgot the most important thing here! A big thank-you goes out to my friend, Meradeth. Thanks for believing in the Tex books and supporting them. You're awesome!
ReplyDeleteIt's totally my pleasure to chat about your books today! They're awesome!! :)
DeleteI've never heard of this before now. The series sounds wonderful! My twelve year-old son is going through a bullying problem at school. It's definitely been a hard road for him and has hurt his self-esteem. A once joyful, happy boy has turned into a shy, introvert who begs me not to make him go to school.
ReplyDeleteThe school claims a "zero-tolerance" stand on bullying, but we've yet to see it put into practice. School violence is such a relevant topic and such a tough thing to deal with...everyone wants to ignore it and hopes it'll go away.
Michelle
www.michelle-pickett.com
Hi, Michelle. I'm so sorry for your son. Tell him he's not alone. I, too, survived it. He will, too. If my book can help him through this tough time (which is, really, why I became a writer but the trilogy grew), then have have it. Hell, for someone like you, I'd be glad to toss a free copy if he'd read it. I think he'll dig it. It's the kinda book I wish was around when I was going through the bullying years of high school.
DeletePlease keep in mind there's violence and some PG level language. But I wanted it to be realistic to try and "talk to kids."
If interested, hit me up. Or talk to Meradeth. She'll hook us up.
There's hope! The message of my books.
Michelle, this makes me so sad!! Definitely let me know if you want to get a copy of Stuart's books--hopefully they'll help. Otherwise, I really hope something happens to help your son, that really stinks!!
DeleteThanks for this review, Mer! I've never heard of this series before, so I checked out the first book on Amazon. Looks really good! And now I have my copy . :) Look forward to reading this!
ReplyDeleteThanks Cecilia! You know, I'm getting a lot of people saying they've never heard of the series. Gah! I've been spreading the word like cooties, but still can't get the word out very well. I think I suck at self-promotion. Okay, mini-rant over.
DeleteHope you like the book, Cecilia!
I'm super glad I get to introduce you to a new series!
DeleteAnd, Stuart, I feel your pain!! :)
I enjoy issues books, so I'll look into read this series. Thanks for highlighting it.
ReplyDeleteHappy holiday weekend.
I hope you're having a great holiday weekend, too! :)
DeleteThis sounds great and I love when books make me laugh out loud. When I can't see an ending coming it is awesome! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas!
Jess
I think this is a series you'd really enjoy!! :)
DeleteI have heard great things about this series! Plus, Stuart practices what he preaches! My bestie spearheads an anti-bullying campaign, and he offered his books and time to help! WAY COOL!!!
ReplyDeleteRight?? You're totally going to love these books--definitely pick them up!
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