Half Bad (#1) by: Sally Green (March 2014)
394 Pages
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Genre: Young Adult/Witches
Source: The Library
Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository | Amazon
Goodreads Summary: Half Bad by Sally Green is a breathtaking debut novel about one boy's struggle for survival in a hidden society of witches.You can't read, can't write, but you heal fast, even for a witch.
You get sick if you stay indoors after dark.
You hate White Witches but love Annalise, who is one.
You've been kept in a cage since you were fourteen.
All you've got to do is escape and find Mercury, the Black Witch who eats boys. And do that before your seventeenth birthday.
Easy.
My Review
Half Bad rocked my world hard. I hope you read it and that it ends up rocking yours too. The following is my somewhat nonsensical (it jumps all over the place) but high praising review of the book that I won't soon forget.
Half Bad is unique, it really can’t be compared to any other book I’ve ever read. Those of you looking for something completely new, here is your book. But beware, it’s different, you have to be okay with trying something different to enjoy it. One of its quirks, it starts off in 2nd person point of view. Now that doesn’t last that long if you are worried it will be too weird for you, but I actually kind of liked it.
Half Bad is unique, it really can’t be compared to any other book I’ve ever read. Those of you looking for something completely new, here is your book. But beware, it’s different, you have to be okay with trying something different to enjoy it. One of its quirks, it starts off in 2nd person point of view. Now that doesn’t last that long if you are worried it will be too weird for you, but I actually kind of liked it.
Half Bad is more of a coming of age story than anything else. As readers we get Nathan’s story from when he is little until he is a teenager and getting ready to become an adult in the witch world. He is half white witch and half black witch, and the white witch’s council never lets him forget it. They treat him inhumanely... so much for being white witches. Every character in this novel is complex and has a hidden story and secrets. I love them all and I can’t wait to read more about them in the next installment. I want to learn more about Nathan’s infamous murderous dad and Nathan’s oh so charming best friend Gabriel among everyone else.
Half Bad made me feel so many different emotions. I can’t even begin to pinpoint them all. The writing is dark and excellent. The tidbits of second person point of view is interesting, nothing is black and white, and not to mention there are some good chilling and WTF moments. Although I am sad to say we don’t get a lot of magic in this first book and it could be a little slow at times. Luckily that was the only thing that really bothered me about Half Bad and it ending up not being a big deal. I still loved reading Nathan’s story and can’t wait for it to continue. I think book two will be even better.
This book isn't for everyone, but I think everyone should give it a try to find out if it is for them.
This book isn't for everyone, but I think everyone should give it a try to find out if it is for them.
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