Half Bad by Sally Green - Paul's REVIEW + GIVEAWAY

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Half Bad
Author: Sally Green
Publication Year: 2014

Synopsis: 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 there is no one safe to trust, not even family, not even the girl he loves?

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Review: There are a lot of really cool concepts in this book. It takes place in a modern world where magic exists in a counter culture sort of way. It's similar to Harry Potter's world. There are White witches and Black witches. The protagonist is the son of the most feared Black witch, but his mother was a White witch. There's a prophecy. It's almost like a different take on the Harry Potter "Chosen One" story with the main character the son of the main villain. Don't get me wrong though, this book stands on its own. It is not just a rip off of Harry Potter. The magic system is completely different. When witches turn 17 they receive their Gift, a specific type of magic they excel at. 

I was put off by the writing style in this book. It goes back and forth between first and second person. I found it off putting and never really felt immersed within the world.

There were some really interesting characters throughout the novel. I liked seeing how each character's personalities matched with their Gift. I also liked that White witches weren't always good and Black witches weren't all bad. There is a romantic element to the book, but it doesn't overpower. I was surprised by a same-sex love interest for the protagonist towards the end. That may be one of the reasons I read the second book. I want to see where that leads, if anywhere.

Overall, this book was underwhelming. There were many interesting elements, but it didn't come together for me. I found the writing off putting. I give this book a 3/5. 

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HALF WILD (#2)

out in paperback now

HALF LOST (#3)

on sale March 29, 2016

Praise for HALF LOST, the last book in the trilogy

*    “The Half Bad trilogy ends as strongly as it started in this conclusion to one of the finest recent examples of YA fantasy.”- PW 

*    " An immensely satisfying finale of dazzling magic, hard-earned romance, and the tragic realities of war.”– Kirkus

*    "It’s a poignant finale to a trilogy that for readers, for full effect, will need to absorb from its beginning.”– Booklist

GIVEAWAY

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--PAUL

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff - Ashley's Review

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Title: Paper Valentine
Author: Brenna Yovanoff
Year Published: 2013

My Pre-Reading

Synopsis: The city of Ludlow is gripped by the hottest July on record. The asphalt is melting, the birds are dying, petty crime is on the rise, and someone in Hannah Wagnor’s peaceful suburban community is killing girls.

For Hannah, the summer is a complicated one. Her best friend Lillian died six months ago, and Hannah just wants her life to go back to normal. But how can things be normal when Lillian’s ghost is haunting her bedroom, pushing her to investigate the mysterious string of murders? Hannah’s just trying to understand why her friend self-destructed, and where she fits now that Lillian isn’t there to save her a place among the social elite. And she must stop thinking about Finny Boone, the big, enigmatic delinquent whose main hobbies seem to include petty larceny and surprising acts of kindness.

With the entire city in a panic, Hannah soon finds herself drawn into a world of ghost girls and horrifying secrets. She realizes that only by confronting the Valentine Killer will she be able move on with her life—and it’s up to her to put together the pieces before he strikes again.

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Review: This book was not really at all what I expected. I kind of thought Lillian was going to be one of the murder victims, but that was totally wrong. I also thought that this was set in a different world for some reason... also pretty wrong. But you know what? It was even better because I was wrong about those (and other) things. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it was so hard to put it down so that I could do things that I needed to get done. This book is about love and loss and it's heartbreaking and terrifying and just all the feels.

One of my favorite parts about this book was the setting. We know that Hannah lives in Ludlow, but that's about it. She could be living in the States (which I think is most likely) but we're never told specifically which one. She could be somewhere in Europe. Or maybe it's a fictional Ludlow. Not knowing does not take away from this book, and all of the contemporary references (the girls visit Dairy Queen and Claire's, for instance), make it really easy to connect with this book and the characters. Apart from the paranormal aspects, this story could happen anywhere to any teenage girl. The characters, both minor and major, are all the same types of people that most high school kids know. It's kind of remarkable how well Brenna Yovanoff creates a town that could be any town in the US. 

The setting and not knowing where exactly Ludlow  is really helps the plot, in my opinion. The Valentine Killer could literally be anyone, and yet even in a town where most people know each other and the crime rate is low, nobody is really a suspect. Hannah is only able to put pieces together because of the ghost girls, especially Lillian. Everyone has their secrets, and without the girls it would have been impossible for Hannah to gather all of the information she does. I would be terrified if I was haunted by even my dead best friend, and I loved how Hannah grew and became a stronger person because of the hauntings.

Aside from helping Hannah with the murders, I think Lillian's ghost is really important in helping Hannah move on, stop blaming herself, and become a stronger person. Lillian isn't murdered - she effectively kills herself several months before the start of this book, although she does suffer a very slow death. She's sick, and no matter how hard Hannah tries, there's nothing she could have done to save Lillian. It's actually really sad, and I really kind of liked how Yovanoff worked a real problem into this book and had the characters have to deal with loss that way. Lillian is eventually able to admit to Hannah why she did what she did, and I loved seeing Lillian change over the course of the book just as much as Hannah did. 

And then there's Finny, who is not your typical romantic interest. But honestly? He's one of my favorites that I've read so far. He's huge and scary and he does things that make him seem like the worst person for Hannah to be involved with... but once you get to know him with Hannah, I think you'll love him too. He's really just a big teddy bear, and that made me so happy. There's no instalove, and the relationship is very slow, but it fit the characters and felt very natural. 

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes books like Anna Dressed in Blood  or murder mysteries with a paranormal aspect. It's not quite as terrifying as Anna Dressed in Blood, and is definitely a tamer sort of horror, but I wouldn't really recommend it to a younger audience. The details of the deaths are not gross and bloody or anything, but there are some parts that might be a little scary. I will definitely be reading Brenna's other books! 5/5 for sure. 

--Ashley

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff - Ashley's Pre-Reading

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Paper Valentine
Author: Brenna Yovanoff
Year Published: 2013

Synopsis: The city of Ludlow is gripped by the hottest July on record. The asphalt is melting, the birds are dying, petty crime is on the rise, and someone in Hannah Wagnor’s peaceful suburban community is killing girls.

For Hannah, the summer is a complicated one. Her best friend Lillian died six months ago, and Hannah just wants her life to go back to normal. But how can things be normal when Lillian’s ghost is haunting her bedroom, pushing her to investigate the mysterious string of murders? Hannah’s just trying to understand why her friend self-destructed, and where she fits now that Lillian isn’t there to save her a place among the social elite. And she must stop thinking about Finny Boone, the big, enigmatic delinquent whose main hobbies seem to include petty larceny and surprising acts of kindness.

With the entire city in a panic, Hannah soon finds herself drawn into a world of ghost girls and horrifying secrets. She realizes that only by confronting the Valentine Killer will she be able move on with her life—and it’s up to her to put together the pieces before he strikes again.

Why?: This book has been on my TBR list for a while, and I finally got my hands on a copy. It sounds all sorts of fantastic - some horror and mystery and ghosts and maybe even a little romance? And plus, it's February. So what better time to read a Valentine book that isn't just a romance?

Expectations: I've heard really excellent things about this book, so even though I've never read anything by Brenna Yovanoff, I still have pretty high expectations. I'm also pretty excited that it's a standalone, so I'm really hoping everything is tied up well by the end of it.

Judging a book by its cover: I really love this cover! I love all of the detail in the girl and the heart, and how the red heart stands out from the rest of the dark, dreary cover. The artwork would be enough for me to pick it up off of a shelf somewhere, and it's what drew me to this book initially. 


--Ashley