Half Bad by Sally Green

Pages: 394
Intended Audience: Teens
Genre: Supernatural
Notes for Parents: Contains violence that may not be suitable for sensitive readers.

The Inside Cover

Sixteen-year-old Nathan lives in a cage: beaten, shackled, trained to kill. In a modern-day England where two warring factions of witches live amongst humans, Nathan is an abomination, the illegitimate son of the world’s most terrifying and violent witch, Marcus. Nathan’s only hope for survival is to escape his captors, track down Marcus, and receive the three gifts that will bring him into his own magical powers – before it’s too late. But how can Nathan find his father when his every action is monitored, when there is no one safe to trust, not even family, not even the girl he loves?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the author’s first novel, and the first book in a trilogy.

What’s good?

This is a classic story of good versus evil. The trick is to figure out who’s good and who’s evil! This first part of the series is basically a coming-of-age story about a boy, Nathan, who’s rejected by his community because he’s half “good” witch and half “bad” witch. He has to put his trust in strangers if he’s going to develop his magic. Nathan is a natural protagonist and very likeable. The supporting characters are strong and interesting, especially Mercury, Gabriel, Annalise, and Marcus. The setting is modern but still has an old feel to it. The plot is simple and easy to follow.
Best Part: Despite what people say, Nathan still gives his dad the benefit of the doubt.

What isn’t good?

I’m not sure if it was the pacing or the plotting, but the second half of the novel was difficult to read. Things were happening, but it also felt like time was standing still. I was bothered by the terms white and black to describe good and bad witches. It’s an old habit that seems highly outdated for a novel set in modern times. The overall mood of the story is sad, peppered with unfairness, unkindness, suspicion, distrust, threats, blackmail, and some outright hatred. It leaves little room for hope.
Worst part: Having a few chapters told from second-person point-of-view was unnecessary.

Recommendation þþþoo

The story was good, but not great. Characterization was strong, but the plot was weak. Nothing felt new or unexpected, and it lacked a sense of hopefulness. I’m sure good will overcome evil, but it’s not really clear who or what “good” is. Despite the criticism and probably because the characters were so well done, I still found the story entertaining.

Green, Sally. Half Bad. New York: Viking, 2014. (Hardcover)