After Reading: Tex And The Gangs Of Suburbia (Tex, The Witch Boy, #2) by Stuart R. West

Tex McKenna’s junior year of high school is just as bad as his sophomore year. Maybe worse. Olivia’s dumped him. He's caught up between two warring gangs and gone “undercover” with the Modern Gangstas to unmask a murderer. All this poor Witch Boy and supernatural trouble magnet wants to do is end the school year alive. And maybe find out who the mysterious punker girl is and how she knows all his secrets.
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)