Review: Half Bad by Sally Green
As you may have seen me mention, I bought this book because I liked the cover. I&amp;#8217;m ok with admitting that. There&amp;#8217;s no blurb on the back but it was in the young adult section and I decided it was a safe bet that I would like it. I was very lucky. The insides meet and exceed the quality of the attractive cover. In a UK where witches are real and are governed and monitored by a Council, Nathan is faced with the problem of being a half White Witch and half Black Witch. White Witches are trusted, Black Witches are not. Soon he will be assigned one label and whatever it is, it will change everything.
Nathan comes from a family of White Witches but is drawn to the mystery of his father, Marcus, one of the most notorious Black Witches. The question of nature vs nurture is raised and is a question that surrounds Nathan&amp;#8217;s life. As the Council becomes more and more eager to control Half Codes like Nathan, Nathan&amp;#8217;s life and future hangs in the balance as he must make a decision about who he will become. As some White Witches become more and more hostile, the lure of the Black Witches becomes very tempting.
I loved this book. I didn&amp;#8217;t know what to expect at all and I&amp;#8217;m so glad that it was what it was. This isn&amp;#8217;t high fantasy. Aside from the witch element to the story, the descriptions of various locations in the UK and Europe feel very normal and that becomes quite unsettling. The addition of witches feels entirely possible and very real. Sally Green&amp;#8217;s writing is quite claustrophobic and tight which works brilliantly for Nathan&amp;#8217;s growing unease with his identity. The story is so dominated by this lore of the witches that you become engrossed very quickly. An easy book to get into, I challenge you not to become addicted.
This is a refreshing take on YA fantasy. It&amp;#8217;s a book about Witches that fantasy and non-fantasy fans alike would enjoy. If you read this or have read it, let me know what you think! I&amp;#8217;m intrigued to hear other people&amp;#8217;s opinions because I, for one, am eagerly awaiting the sequel.
Rating ***** 5 stars