Book Review: 'Half Bad' by Sally Green

I originally posted this review on The Guardian.

When I saw this in WHSmith, I knew I had to pick this up, placing it at the top of my TBR pile before reads that have been on my shelf for months.

'There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.'


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 you 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 that eats boys.

And do that before your seventeenth birthday.

Easy.

Goodreads | Twitter | Website | Publisher

Sally Green's debut, the first in her Half Life trilogy, is promising; setting out possible plot lines for the sequel, Half Wild, with almost a year until its release. With a unique take on the world of witches - where no broomsticks or cauldrons are included - we experience Assessments, Giving Ceremonies and are introduced to the idea of a council for White Witches in England and Wales. Told using different narrative styles, switching from second person to first, Half Bad is an enjoyable and exciting novel that overcomes the stereotypes that we have come to accept surrounding the supernatural.

 

Beginning with mixed feelings on this novel, finding the narrative confusing, I contemplated returning to it later rather than continuing this debut. The opening pages are crammed with tension, hints about what could happen in the novel filling the pages, but this is soon lost, Green taking a few chapters to pick up this prose again. The author does execute the second person narrative with ease; a refreshing voice in YA fiction, and I can understand why she has been applauded for this in other raving-reviews. Although, the transitions from the different narrative styles could have been smoother, the plot a struggle to follow for the first part, the timeline becoming slightly blurred as new characters crept into the novel.

Our protagonist - Nathan - is a Half Code, half Black and half White witch. His father is the most powerful Black witch; his mother has committed suicide; his every move is watched by the Council. Half Bad documents his life, as he waits for his Father, and travels with him as he tries to discover what - and who - he is. The novel is, in truth, an in-depth study of his character, depicting his thoughts and feelings, showing the brutality he faces at the hands of Hunters. Nathan is a relatable character, falling in love and struggling to 'fit in' at school, and Green writes him with no restrictions. I loved the cast of characters in Half Bad: the combination of villains and heroes, the inclusion of a damsel-in-distress and a sidekick, along with a homosexual character. They were a distinct set, each described in such detail, the history of Nathan's character in particular thought through by the author.

Once the problems with the narrative were overcome, this soon became an action-packed novel, with some adventure aspects tainting the chapters. The slow and steady novel I became used to picked up its pace, with the suspense building as the ending approached;  particular subplots tied-up in preparation for the sequel, others left after a cliff hanger ending. As a huge fan of fantasy novels, this one was worth continuing!

A rocky-start but a worthwhile read all the same.

Recommend for: Ages 13+


4 Stars

Have you read 'Half Bad'?
What did you think?
If not, will you be picking it up?

Tell me in the comments!

Book Review: Leopold Blue by Rosie Rowell

Leopold Blue was the first Contemporary novel I read this year, and it was very-different when compared to the books in this genre that I read in 2013. It dealt with politics, and other beliefs, as well as the equality between white and black people.

'No adventure or tragedy had come my way, nor ever would, not in Leopold...Despair hovered in doorways and oozed down telephone receivers. It formed a film over the eyes of those who had lived here forever, who would and could never leave. It was contagious...Without some miraculous intervention, I was in danger of getting stuck here, being me, for the rest of my life'

 

South Africa, 1993, and Meg is a restless fifteen-year-old in the midst of smothering social and political turmoil. When your own mother is campaigning to educate people on how not to die, your own personal anxieties are belittled. Your life made trivial.

 

Then Meg befriends Xanthe. Self-contained, rebellious and achingly cool Xanthe, and she begins to glimpse a life outside of her family. But by stepping away from her mother and into Xanthe's world, Meg is caught up in the chaos of adolescent longing and the pain of betrayal...And she soon realises that all that glitters is hardly ever gold.

 

Goodreads | Twitter | Publisher

 

'Leopold Blue' is set in a very important time in history; one that many young people are oblivious to, but should be reading about. This was a setting that was very prominent when reading Rosie Rowell's debut novel, especially after the recent death of Nelson Mandela, who was mentioned throughout the book. This was also a novel that not only tackled politics, and this was widely-discussed, but also the way that South Africa was changing during the 1990's and the belief that black people were not equal to those who were white began to end. Rowell writes this stylishly, perfectly capturing life in Leopold, a small-town that our main protagonist, fifteen year-old Meg, fears she will never be able to escape from.

 

Meg is a character that will be familiar to all teenagers who pick up this novel, if not for the fact she has to deal with peer-pressure in her attempt to finally keep the friend she finds, endless arguments with her parents who keep her from 'fitting-in' and the jealousy she feels for a boy called Simon, who's A Grades have meant she has always been compared to him. Meg, when we first meet her, has no friends. She's restless. In a town that runs deep with family-history and ties, with beliefs and traditions that have been there for what seems like forever, Meg's mum makes it difficult for the family to be a part of the community. This was also another aspect of the novel that was an interesting look at the difference between our times, and the 1990s. Her mum has a different-outlook on Leopold, and is trying to campaigning to help people with AIDS, a life-threatening disease but, the town dislikes her for it. Whilst reading, you wonder why Meg is so critical of her mum's choice to try and save lives, but shockingly, something like this separates them from the rest of town.

 

Xanthe is rebellious, outgoing and uncontrollable, and when she is seated beside Meg at school, after recently moving from Cape Town, its clear she is different from the other girls. Not scared of being the centre of attention, Xanthe is very much a force to contend with throughout this novel, and Rowell writes honestly about what it is like to show that you are 'cool' in front of your friends. We can all relate to the way Meg is desperate to keep the first friend she has had, and to follow-her into situations she would rather avoid.  There's peer-pressure, and the need to simply 'fit-in' when Meg is used to not doing so. From missing a school class, to taking drugs and drinking under-age, our main character is willing to go-against those that she loves, including her younger sister, Beth, to not feel lonely again.

 

There's jealousy, anger and upset; friendship, family and feuds. Rowell's debut is a coming-of-age novel that is all about finding-yourself and the pressures of being young. It does have some strong language, which does only make it more believable, and 'Leopold Blue' could have been made better by there being more of a background of life in South Africa, in 1993. The political-side of things is interesting and intriguing, but there were some parts I couldn't understand, as I have never looked at this period of history before. There's no doubt that other teenagers may feel this way. Some parts of this novel were slow-paced, but I could still relate to the characters throughout.

 

4 Stars to Rosie Rowell's Debut!

Thank you to Hot Key Books for providing me with this review-copy, in exchange for an honest review!

 

Book Review: That Burning Summer by Lydia Syson

England, 1940

 

With was raging in the skies above the Channel, Peggy is putting on a brave face, but she knows Germany could invade any day. Though the family farm and her brother, Ernert's, worries keep her busy, it's hard to ignore the rumble of guns, the rumours of spies and the malicious gossip in town. Peggy must grown up fast - and when a young Polish pilot, Henryk, crash-lands near her home, she  faces a terrible test of love and loyalty. When so much could go wrong.

In one extraordinary burning summer, her life will change forever.

Goodreads | Twitter | Website

'That Burning Summer' was an eye-opening book. Bringing forward a hidden part of History in the form of Henryk, it had a sophisticated yet simple writing style that brought alive a captivating romance that I was willing on!  Set in England during 1940, Germany could invade any day but, no one knows when. In the middle of this is sixteen year old Peggy who, does something that may have severe consequences for two of our main protagonists.

 

I felt very connected to the characters from the beginning; their stories were realistic and from the switching point of views, you got a very clear image of their personalities. Not just that though, you got a sense of their fears - and I liked that their experiences had affected them - and a piece of their past in the form of flashbacks from Henryk about his time in the Polish Air Force.  Of course, with Henryk there were always a wavering doubt with him - but, the way Syson has written it allows you to see various sides of the same time in History. Peggy is the driving-force of this novel, no doubt. She is coming-of-age in a difficult time and falling in love when all she can rely on is trust. While reading this book, you won't be able to help imagining yourself in her shoes. Ernest was a character that represented the fact that children can't just be hidden from War - I did like that they all stood for something; that they were all telling the same story although very different ideas. But, siblings and their curiosity get in the way, don't they?

 

A leaflet is presented to you at the beginning at the book that you soon find out was sent out to all members of the public detailing how to act in a German invasion. The novel was set around 'If the Invader Comes' and each part was set around one of the rules listed.  Peggy's brother becomes fixated on these rules, and keeps a watchful eye out for the Germans. Ernest wants to be the man in the family yet, feels he has to prove it to himself. At this point, the excitement really picked up!  The listing idea gave the novel a clear-structure, something I really liked and even foreshadowed what may happen in the next chapter. This was one of the main parts of the book, it kept me reading. I couldn't help but guess, think about and start going 'I know what's going to happen!" Syson took on a challenging part of this period of History - I know the story behind what happened but, only the more well-known information.

 

There was a romance building up throughout this - and, I'm not over-exaggerating when I say this is one of the most well-written I have come across in a while. It was given time to build-up and kept me turning the pages - I was rooting for them, and the danger of things going wrong brought tension into the plot.

 

Although, I enjoyed this, I did find some parts of the plot confusing at times, which meant I had to flick back and try to find out which character it was, for example. Also, 'That Burning Summer' came to a really abrupt ending. At what I felt was in the middle of the action, and a good-chance to throw in a heart-racing scene, it stopped - and an Epilogue that was quite blunt filled it's place. The Epilogue wasn't needed for me, and left me with too many loose-ends. I know there's not any sequel in the works at the moment but, I wanted more from the execution of ending the book the way it began. The writing also lost a poetic-feel it had in the first few chapters - something I adored as it was so unique in a crowded-place. I do feel like I am being a bit harsh on this book - but, I am definitely going to find some time to read Syson's other novel.

 

Thank you Hot Key Books!

 

I had a free-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

I do completely recommended checking out Lydia's website which I linked above! I am the only one who just adores the layout? Also, If you want to check out my new rating system and what it means, you can find it on my sidebar!