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!

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.