We have come to learn about witches from TV, the movies, and
of course in literature. Some wiggle
their nose and make things change like in Bewitched,
others cross their arms and blink their eyes like our favorite genie, while
still others wear rounded glasses and attend English manor schooling. Veronica Blade has created her own brand of
witches, indelible to the reader’s memory, right from the hallways of a high
school in her fanciful novel, Something
Witchy This Way Comes.
Analogous to the morphing of a caterpillar into a butterfly,
so do witches and warlocks emerge with their psychotropic powers once their
hormones begin to percolate during the teenage years while becoming an
adult. Hayden was tested by the school
principle for his, let’s call them “psychic powers” – you know, “Tell me what
color I am thinking or what image I am seeing.” For example, if you think to yourself of a two digit number between 10
and 99, whereas each of the digits are even numbers but not the same number,
what number do you think of? Try it.
(Two digits, even, not the same).
Guidance and direction, along with comradery and protection
all become necessities for Tessa as she realizes just how “special” she
is. Infatuated with a bad-ass young man
Hayden, another “special” person, the two orbit around each another, forming a
symbiotic relationship of survival entwined with acute sexual attraction in
such a way the layers of their character development becomes the story and that
will keep you glued to the book. This
entire novel is written without any use of vulgar language or obscene behavior,
a feather in the writing cap of Veronica Blade as she achieves a wholesome and
adventurous read for her young adult audiences.
Reading other peoples’ minds comes easy for Hayden and
Tessa, as they get “Detected” by Frank, and teamed up with the principle of the
school, who offers Hayden a deal he couldn’t refuse – join in or, well, he
wouldn’t like the consequences. As the
covens of witches and warlocks begin warring, it is crucial to join in with the
right “gang” or wind up a casualty. Hayden is focused on helping Tessa, while Tessa is helping her sister
Bree stay safe – all while the two, Hayden and Tessa, fall into a lusty love trap.
I firmly feel Veronica Blade truly enjoys writing, as she
demonstrates an acumen of knowledge understanding the mindset of young adults
so well. Mixed into the witches brew a
hodgepodge of supernatural powers, high school peer pressures, and the muse of
sex emanates an unforgettable cast of characters and incidents. A delightful read, Something Witchy This Way Comes is an ideal gift for a teenager –
something to show them witches don’t have to fly on broomsticks; instead they can
drive an $80,000 car.
Oh, by the way, if earlier you thought of the number 68, you
might have some witchy powers of your own!
