"Bronxwood" by Coe Booth

I remember loving Coe Booth's Tyrell.  I sped through it, finding it to be a compelling read.  So I was pleased when I found out that there was going to be a sequel.  I guess my expectations were a bit too high, because Bronxwood just didn't hold my attention in quite the same way.  In some ways I think it's because I didn't feel that there needed to be a sequel.  I was quite satisfied with the way Tyrell ended, and didn't feel like the story needed to continue.  So for me Bronxwood didn't quite have the same appeal.  It was also disappointing to see that after everything, Tyrell was still dealing with the irresponsibility of his parents (and that the problems from the first novel have grown- for instance, his young brother, Troy is now in foster care).  When his father gets out of jail (again) Tyrell's problems just get worse. 

I just didn't connect with this book like I did with the first one.  I suppose I was too disapointed that none of the characters really seemed to grow or evolve since Tyrell.  I felt like Tyrell and his parents were simply making the same mistakes over and over again and in doing so were only hurting themselves, their loved ones, and friends.  I do realize that this is a very realistic book as this sort of thing happens all of the time to many families, but I guess I wanted to see that Tyrell had learned from his experiences and was going to make a better life for himself and help improve Troy's life as well.  Instead, I was disappointed in Tyrell and in the choices he made.  I certainly recommend Tyrell, but will leave the decision of whether or not to read Bronxwood up to the readers.

Happy Reading!
-Melly