Half Bad (The Half Bad Trilogy)

In a new England where witches live silently amongst humans, there are two kinds of witches. Even amongst the small minority, there is prejudice. White and Black, the witches do not mix. Until, they do. In Sally Green's Half Bad, a young boy is the victim of his parentage, for White or for Black. Nathan's father was the evilest Black witch in the world. His mother was a White witch who committed suicide. Every year, Nathan goes for an assessment to see if he has officially coded to one side or the other, but on his seventeenth birthday, the results will no longer be inconclusive. All witches must receive three gifts from an immediate family member and drink the blood of a family witch in order to come into their gifts. For a White witch, not receiving their gifts merely means they lose their opportunity for their gift. For a Black witch, it is said they will die if they do not receive their gifts. Nathan's grandmother has tried to raise him in a White witch household, but his heritage cannot be denied. As a Half Code (Black and White), Nathan's final allegiance is still unsettled, but the council isn't about to let him roam about like a powder keg waiting to be lit. Decree after decree is handed down that specifically limit Nathan's comings and goings. Finally, just limiting his journeys from the house aren't enough, and he is captured and caged until his seventeenth birthday, which is years away. His captor doesn't necessarily agree with the decision, but Marcus, Nathan's father, killed her sister, so she isn't shy about her dislike of Black witches either. But nothing changes the fact that Nathan's birthday is fast approaching, and he has nobody to give him his gifts. Is he Black? Or is he White? I know we have all lived through the Harry Potter era where witches are adorable like the Weasley clan. Sure you have a Malfoy or a LeStrange or a Voldemort in the mix, but for the most part, they are normal folks with some awesome abilities. These witches? A whole different world. I half expected a Potter-esque witch story going in, but I came out like I was ripped through the spin cycle. This is one seriously dark book! I mean, this kid is tortured. He is held in a cage and affixed with a collar full of poison. This is some pretty heavy, dark business here. And Nathan? I am choosing to think he wouldn't be as dark as he turns out. I feel he was made Black by the very same people who feared his Half Code. By imprisoning him and torturing him, they have created a dark individual. In fact, the brutality, the violence, the dark in this story reminded me of a somewhat tamed version of The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosinski. It is the single darkest book I have ever read (makes The Road look like Goodnight Moon), and Nathan just made me think of that little boy the entire time I read it. That doesn't mean this is THAT dark, but it certainly isn't any Harry Potter. Instead, this is a truly unique story that will catch the attention of your students. Especially those who have a dark side! The implications towards prejudice and racism in this story are very thinly veiled. The decrees about Half Codes and Black witches reek of Jim Crow. You can see the allegory here, and it is incredibly interesting when juxtaposed with historical racism. I think any student will be able to make those connections without any guidance, which will give them an added layer to the story. I was really bowled over by this story, even though it was so disturbing, and I will certainly be finishing the series.

Title: Half Bad Author: Sally Green Age Group: Teen/Young Adult Genre: Fantasy Series: Half Bad Trilogy, book one Star Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars I bought a copy of this book and reviewed it. We are currently in the process of moving, and a lot of my books have been packed away. I still have my library stack, but I decided to pick a book I'd bought on my Kindle to mix it up a bit. I bought Half Bad as a Christmas gift to myself back in 2014, and it's been sitting on there ever since, waiting to be read. I knew that the book was a series debut from a brand new author, and that it revolved around witches. It is both of these things and so much more, I really enjoyed it! Nathan is the son of the most dangerous, notorious Black Witches in Britian. His mother was a powerful White Witch, but despite that, Nathan is viewed with fear and disgust by most, even by some members of his own family. Forced into servitude to White Witches who seek to use him for thier own ends, Nathan is forced to leave his family behind and search for what it really means to be himself, as well as a human being. But he soon discovers that to embrace his magic may mean paying the ultimate price... Half Bad is a volatile, exquisitely written story, told through several strange lenses. The narration bounces from one point to another, depending on where you are in the story. It jarred me before I really got used to the pacing; nonetheless, it was refreshing, even if it was hard to follow at first. Once the book really hits its stride, I couldn't put it down--I was captivated by Nathan's dangerous world, where Black and White witches live in war and secrecy, rife with intrigue and betrayal. It was so much fun, and that ending freaking killed me. I need Half Wild immediately! Strange, captivating, and heartbreakingly human, Half Bad has got to be one of my more recent favorite books; I can't wait to finish this series! Next on deck: Until You're Mine by Samantha Hayes!

HALF BAD is the astounding, heartrending and absolutely breathtaking first book in Sally Green’s Half Life trilogy. It is a story whose beautiful writing is in stark contrast with the dark picture it paints for its protagonist, a young half-Black, half-White Witch. It invites readers into a world where Black Witches are deemed evil and White Witches are labeled good, yet both are vicious, vengeful, and bloodthirsty and neither are above intolerable acts of cruelty. It introduces readers to a boy who has been shown little kindness, who has been persecuted simply for being born of mixed witch parentage, who has been tortured and beaten and branded and threatened, but who still strives to be good. Just because he was born the son of Marcus Edge, a dangerous and powerful Black Witch, and comes from a long line of Black Witches who were notorious for being violent, does not mean that he, Nathan Byrn, is anything like them. His mother Cora was a White Witch. He was raised by White Witches. He’d never even met a Black Witch, let alone his father. But to the Council of White Witches in England, that isn’t enough to make him trustworthy. It isn’t enough for them to see him as anything but a threat, a tool they can use, a killer. And with each new Resolution they pass against Half Codes like him, more and more of his freedoms get taken away until he’s left with none at all. Until all that he has and all that he knows are endless days in the cage. Author Sally Green has penned a story that is shocking, captivating and refreshingly original. Told in six parts, most of which are in the first-person narrative, the story begins in second-person narrative, allowing readers to be drawn into the story as if they are a part of it. Allowing them to feel what Nathan feels. Allowing them to experience the cage as Nathan does. Giving them the opportunity to better understand Nathan and what he’s going through. HALF BAD is a must for fans of stories with a unique voice, gorgeous writing, an exciting storyline that will make them think, and a main character that is interesting, likable, sympathetic yet unconventional. Riveting, poignant and thought-provoking, this first installment in the Half Life trilogy invites the question of what is good and what is evil and delivers a heart-stirring story that will amaze.

This is the author's first book, but it's a great showing and shows room for improvement as she continues to write more. (The second book in the trilogy continues to explore the themes set by the first). That said, anybody wishing to read this series should be aware that there is extensive and graphic child abuse, and that the book is more or less in first person, in the perspective of the child receiving the abuse. The core issue at hand is a parable for racism and the way that racist attitudes being normalized and perpetuated by a society that doesn't question racist behavior can lead to gross mistreatment of citizens not matching the desired genetic make-up of those in power. Nathan struggles in an unfairly oppressive world that ultimately has been literally crafted to penalize him specifically, as the story unfolds. It's gripping, indeed, as the reviews suggest, but can be a little exhausting, emotionally-- it seems that nothing ever goes right for Nathan. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it, with the above warning for the abuse.

I got this book because one of my students recommended it. I was interested because it is rare that I get a recommendation instead of being the one giving one. I wasn't disappointed. The story starts a little confusingly with action that is occurring around half-way through the novel while the main character, Nathan, is being held prisoner somewhere. I would liken it to a POW camp with the stuff he goes through. He then begins to fill in the story with his own memories of his life as he continues to deal with the current conditions that surround him. Nathan is a type of half-blood in a world that holds an underworld population of witches: White and Black. The color designation is not about skin, but about magical abilities. Nathan's mother was a powerful white witch with amazing healing abilities while his father was a very dark black witch who killed a lot of bad people and ate their hearts to absorb their magical "gifts" (ala Syler from the original "Heroes" television show). Despite this, with Nathan's mother deceased and a society of witches that hate him simply because of his birth, he truly has to fight for his existence. He lives his young life with his grandmother and three siblings that are from a different father. One sibling hates him and blames him for their mother's death while the other two love and care about him deeply. His grandmother also loves him and wants him to have a happy life. Unfortunately, the rest of the world seems against that idea except for those of black witch blood and one white witch who Nathan falls in love with. It is an amazing story about a young man who has to become more than he or anyone expected without knowing who in his life is friend or foe. Despite the bad things Nathan does and the anger he feels at the world, you can't help but root for him and wish him success. He's a wonderful character and I enjoyed this story immensely. So much so that I immediately ordered book two and preordered book three (which is now available). I will likely be adding reviews of those two books very soon. If they are anything like this one, there will be two more 5-star reviews for this author.

Let's start off by how turned off I am by the cover of this book. Folks had been giving it interesting reviews, though, so I picked it up at B&N and opened to the table of contents...and put it down to check out the next book I picked up. I just had no actual desire to read it. Well, this sounds like it's going to be a negative review. But the truth is, by and large, I enjoyed this book with a few problems. I give it a high 3.5 stars. Sampling on my Kindle worked a lot better than in the store. The 5%, I think, in the sample was engaging. It was also in second person, but it felt so natural, and it was different, which was something I needed right at that moment. So I bought the book. And almost immediately, the book goes into first-person present. This took me a while to get used to because it felt like a flashback that didn't end and having the present tense in the past felt unnatural. However, once I got used to it, I began feeling heavily for the main character, Nathan. Don't be confused. This book isn't as much about witches and magic as it is about discrimination. Some people might feel like the amount of unfair treatment and even torture that he went through is too much, too dark. My heart ached heavily for him, even in those times when he did things I (and he) knew were going to be punished but he did them anyway. By the time we get back to the present (in a brief return to 2nd-person that didn't feel as natural as the original), I was fully invested in Nathan's troubles and search to receive three gifts on his 17th birthday (to make him a full witch, and possibly keep him from dying). The last quarter was a little slower, with a lot of waiting, considering the looming deadline. It did allow us to meet and connect to some new people who I'm sure are going to be incredibly important in book 2, but the slower pace meant for some slower reading from me. After what seemed like a climax, there's a stretch of traveling that I admit I ended up skimming because it seemed endless before reaching the conclusion that was really the perfect ending for this book. Some of the secondary characters felt like they could have been drawn a little more three-dimensionally. In particular, the love interest was kind of just a girl on a pedestal. But the strength of Nathan's character made up for these others' failings. I'm also hoping that the future books will make clear what makes the difference between a Black Witch and a White Witch, since so many of the Whites that we meet act so evilly against Nathan. I had a hard time deciding what to rate this book, because there were so many points that I had problems with. But the strength of Nathan's character plus the emotions I felt for him have made me decide to give the high rating I have. Recommended for fans of: witches (without much magic used in the book), interesting narrative choices, strongly developed MCs but weak secondary characters, books on a deadline, discrimination, your heart aching (in a good way), love interests on a pedestal, interesting eye descriptions.

The first half of this book had me simultaneously crying in horror and yelling in outrage. Poor Nathan is literally brutalized his entire childhood, by his family, his friends, almost all the adults around him. Reading the first half was difficult and heartbreaking. Nathan was just a child when the abuse began! This might be a slight spoiler, so heads up. When he finally escapes and goes in search of his father, the book becomes less... Torturous. Not to read, but to take Nathan to heart. The Fairborn witches think they are the "good ones" and all Blood witches are bad. So bad that they are killed on sight. I myself have experienced this kind of hypocrisy, with people who were supposed to be the pinnacles of society, but we're in fact the cruelest people I've ever met. Art imitates life. I'm not in any way saying that the second half of the book is disappointing. It's every bit as exciting and suspenseful. The addition of Gabriel, a full blood witch who falls in love, sadly, with a straight Nathan, adds another level of turmoil. This is one of the best YAs that I have ever read, and I am going to let my heart get back to beating normally before I dive into book 2.

I am a 17 year old senior in high school. I have read books all my life from all kinds of genres but my most favorite is methodical stories/trilogies. I came across the book through Amazon in the recommended section. They were really good in their selection because I thought the book was very interesting and only had two complaints. My only issue is that I don’t like how it’s through Nathans point of view and it got a little confusing because of it. Like you would think the point of view changed but no, it was just jumping around in the book and is here one minute and another next. The book talks about the diversity of white witches, black witches, and a mixture of the two called BW. How their society treats the different races and how Nathans lifestyle is being a BW Witch. It also shows how important family is in life. How one minute you can have it and gone in the next. Like their life would be in danger if in contact with you. Your life depends on your family in this book. I just had a couple of complaints about this book. However, the dynamic issues of their society is really intriguing also their means of survival. I like the way its descriptive of Nathans point of view and shows what he goes through and the author is really great in getting these characters the way they are. Overall, a very good book on the mythology and keeps you on your toes throughout the book.

Excelente libro mi favorito de todos los tiempos, te engancha el libro desde la primera pagina y hasta la ultima del tercer libro, es una historia inolvidable

A dark, compelling story about persecution, strength of character and the blurred lines between good and evil. First Impressions: Love the cover. It’s intriguing and makes you want to reach out and take the book from the shelf and delve into it to find out more. I found the beginning of the book very dark and depressing, but once I had got into the rhythm of the storytelling and more of the story was revealed, I started to really enjoy it. The Story: It is written in the first person and in the present tense which I think makes the reader more empathetic with the protagonist. You can feel the struggle within, where he is essentially a good person, but there is an inner demon that he strives to control. I believe this is something we all wrestle with to some degree and wonder if the author is commenting on human nature. The pace is steady and consistent. There is no point at which it feels to be dragging or, conversely, skipping details to move onto the next part of the story. The descriptions in the book are detailed, enough that you can see in your mind’s eye the vision the author has of the characters, their features and surroundings, but not so much that you can’t add your own embellishments in your head. I think this is important, because it helps the reader make the experience more personal and tangible. The only negative I have to say, and this is a very individual thing, is that the opening of the book is so dark and depressing that I started to feel quite helpless on behalf of the protagonist and to wonder if anything was ever going to improve for him. I’m glad I persevered. Afterthoughts: I can easily imagine this being made into a film, both because of the subject matter and also because of the excellent, descriptive writing and characterisation which fills the readers head with such imagery. I think this is essential reading for people who enjoyed His Dark Materials trilogy and The Mortal Instruments series. Now that I have finished the book, as often happens with good books, I am missing the characters, particularly the lead character and the opportunity to escape into their world and run with them.

J'ai acheté ce livre après avoir adoré la série Netflix, et zéro regrets, ça se lit facilement et l'histoire est prenante, les personnages sortent de l'ordinaire, difficile de s'arrêter de lire.

I read the entire series in one sitting. This is a great storey using an interesting twist on witches, etc. The book is very well written and the character development was flawless. The story built well and never seemed to drag. I was particularly impressed with the way the main character grew and developed through the series. Do yourself a favour and read the entire series now.

Spannend, spannend, spannend! Die Inhaltsangabe von "Half Bad" verspricht eine außergewöhnliche Geschichte mit einem ungewöhnlichen Protagonisten. Ich erhoffte mir hier etwas Neues, und wurde mit diesem Buch definitiv nicht enttäuscht. Es ist absolut kein Harry Potter, was für den einen vielleicht negativ sein mag, mir hat es jedoch gefallen. Mir gefiel sehr, dass der Leser Nathan schon als Baby kennenlernt und so einen guten Überblick über dessen Kindheit hat. Umso älter Nathan wird, desto detailierter werden die Beschreibungen bis man schließlich zur Gegenwart gelangt. Nathan wird als Mischling -halb Schwarze Hexe und halb weiße Hexe- nicht nur gemieden sondern während seiner Kindheit immer wieder mit feindlichem Verhalten von anderen konfrontiert. Seine älteste Schwester Jessica führt ihm ständig vor Augen, dass etwas wie er gar nicht existieren sollte und beschuldigt ihn den Tod seiner Mutter verursacht zu haben. Sie schreckt vor ihm und jeglichem Kontakt mit ihm davon und sieht nur das Böse in ihm. Ganz anders ist sein Bruder Arran. Dieser steht Nathan immer zur Seite, verteidigt ihn wenn es nötig ist und hilft im wo er nur kann. Er geht nicht automatisch davon aus, dass Nathan von Grund auf böse ist nur weil sein Vater einer der gefährlichstens schwarzen Hexen ist. Nathan selbst ist sich nicht sicher ob er nun "gut" oder doch "böse" ist. Er wird körperlich misshandelt und immer vom Rat der weißen Hexen im Auge behalten, die seine Freiheit schließlich mehr und mehr einschränken, bis sie ihn dann in einen Käfig sperren. Eine beständig wachsende Wut wird in Nathan entfacht, der sich an die Hoffnung klammert, von seinem Vater eines Tages vielleicht sogar gerettet zu werden. Er ist ein sehr komplexer Charakter, der unheimlich greifbar wird und dem Leser sehr nah ist. Besonders durch die vielen Einblicke die man in sein Leben erhält. All das Schreckliche, das ihm wiederfahren ist, erlebt man hautnah mit, sodass man seinen Charakter mehr als nachvollziehen kann und bis in die tiefsten Tiefen seines Ichs schauen kann. Ich fand es sehr schwer die weißen (guten) Hexen. für die sie sich halten, auch wirklich als solche zu sehen und immer wieder gehofft Nathan würde sich mehr wehren können. Natürlich stehen ihm auch die anderen Figuren in nichts nach und sind authentisch und wirken sehr real. Dieses Buch hat etwas sehr Spezielles an sich, das bestimmt nicht jedem gefällt. Mir hat es sehr gut gefallen und ich freue mich jetzt schon auf den zweiten Band in dieser Trilogie.