Review Detail

Something Witchy This Way Comes is a story of budding young sorcerers discovering their supernatural talents and finding love. Author Veronica Blade has created a world of battling witches, each campaigning for new recruits with gentle encouragement, promises of protection, and intimidating threats. The lead characters’ back stories add texture and weight to this tale of otherworldly powers.

When Hayden is recruited by his new high school principal to guard a fellow classmate, Tessa, he is openly resistant to the assignment. His reputation for being a bad boy complete with a history of bullying, fighting and horrible grades makes Hayden suspicious of the principal’s decision to choose him as Tessa’s in-school bodyguard. Tessa is equally puzzled by the principal’s choice of a protector for her. She is also confused about why she needs protection at all. Tessa learns from the principal and his side-kick that she is a sorcerer with many untapped powers. This knowledge changes Tessa’s entire life.

As Tessa learns more about who she really is and opens up to parts of her family history that have been hidden from her, a spark develops between her and Hayden as they spend more and more time together. The pair has several titillating encounters, but Tessa works overtime to keep their relationship from falling into the realm of romance. And much like her initial attempts at sorcery, she fails. But the closeness and trust that develops between the two lead Tessa to an unexpected discovery about her once reluctant protector.

The compelling elements of this book are the author’s ability to entertain while also examining the issues that young adults are faced with every day: family problems, bullying, intimate relationships, and their future adult lives. Both Tessa and Hayden cope with heavy family issues of neglect and abuse and find themselves in the position of having to make very grown-up decisions with little or no adult guidance. By allowing the reader access to Tessa and Hayden’s inner thoughts, Blade encourages a connection between the reader and the lead characters that makes the story even more interesting and adds substance to the plot.

Something Witchy This Way Comes is an exciting, action-filled read with smart, complicated characters. The book offers readers a balance of the supernatural and real-life hardships that a young adult audience will find familiar. The author’s skill at storytelling will make this book a draw for more seasoned adults as well. I highly recommended it.

Melissa Brown Levine
for
Independent Professional Book Reviewers