Days of Little Texas

By R.A. Nelson

A ghostly love story from the author of Teach Me.

Welcome, all ye faithful—and otherwise—to a ghost story, a romance, and a reckoning unlike anything you’ve read before. Acclaimed YA author R. A. Nelson delivers a tantalizing tale set in the environs of the evangelical revival circuit and centered around Ronald Earl, who at ten became the electrifying “boy wonder” preacher known as Little Texas. Now sixteen, though the faithful still come and roar with praise and devotion, Ronald Earl is beginning to have doubts that he is worthy of and can continue his calling. Doubts that only intensify when his faith and life are tested by a mysterious girl who he was supposed to have healed, but who is now showing up at the fringe of every stop on the circuit. Is she merely devoted, or is she haunting him? Fascinating and original, this is an unusual story whose reverb will be deeply felt and which will inspire lively book discussion.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Jul 14, 2009
• ISBN: 9780375853616

R.A. Nelson

R. A. Nelson made an exhilarating YA debut with the “by turns terrifying [and] poetic” Teach Me ( Horn Book) and followed that up with the “incandescent” (Kirkus) Breathe My Name. He lives with his family in north Alabama.

Reviews for Days of Little Texas

[abbylibrarian_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Summary from publisher: Welcome, all ye faithful—and otherwise—to a ghost story, a romance, and a reckoning unlike anything you’ve read before. Acclaimed YA author R. A. Nelson delivers a tantalizing tale set in the environs of the evangelical revival circuit and centered around Ronald Earl, who at ten became the electrifying “boy wonder” preacher known as Little Texas. Now sixteen, though the faithful still come and roar with praise and devotion, Ronald Earl is beginning to have doubts that he is worthy of and can continue his calling. Doubts that only intensify when his faith and life are tested by a mysterious girl who he was supposed to have healed, but who is now showing up at the fringe of every stop on the circuit. Is she merely devoted, or is she haunting him?Beautifully written and seriously creepy, this was one ghost story that I had a hard time putting down. I'm not a huge fan of ghost stories, but the beginning was so atmospheric that it really drew me in. The characters didn't feel fully developed to me, but the unique setting and plot almost made up for that. Recommended to fans of horror and ghost stories (like, maybe, Bliss by Lauren Myracle).

[bluesgal79 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is one of those times I wish GoodReads would allow us to award half stars, because this is better than a ***.

R.A. Nelson got my attention a couple years ago with Breathe My Name, so I was anxious to start this one when the ARC made it to the store.

Little Texas is a preaching phenom who travels from revival to revival with an unlikely group of handlers. At one of these stops he heals a young woman who continues to "haunt" him throughout the remainder of the story.

My radar for anti-religious plotlines went up, but I needn't have worried. Nelson respects Little Texas and his genuine faith and abilities while being unafraid to introduce healthy cynicism when the adults handling his career come into play.

The central question with which Little Texas has to wrestle is this: What if everything we believed was only a littleright? Does that mean we are wrong, or does it simply mean we are meant to open our minds and hearts wider?

The only thing that kept this from being a **** was a weak denouement, but I can well imagine that the readers for whom the book is intended will not find it as unsatisfying as did I.