Review: Dark story on the horrors of bullying
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 09 29, 2013
This is a story about the horrors of bullying, and the encouragement to stand up against it.  The tool used to herald this cause is an entertaining story about a high school kid who discovers his hereditary aptitude for the use of witchcraft, which he uses to stand up against bullies who cross the line of sanity.  For this alone, I would give the book two thumbs up and recommend it to prospective readers.Note however that the level of bullying is pretty intense, and criminal by nature.  Deaths take place just like snap.  So this book is actually very dark - similar to Idle Hands and Final Destination.The story itself is very well-written and edited.  However, something about the plot-development made it feel too abrupt in transition from one scene to the next.  The impact of this strategy was the elevated cause for concern about what was going on.  On the other hand, it led to the loss of a couple of characters almost nonchalantly, which prematurely cuts short whatever connection the reader would have built with the characters. So prospectively, for the next 2 books in this trilogy, it makes me, as a reader, wonder how many more characters will be ushered a dark exit.For a first time author, this is a solid piece of writing.  3-stars means meets expectations and at times exceeds them.  So bravo!