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Summary
Summary
"Highly entertaining and dangerously addictive."-- Time Magazine
An international bestseller, translated into more than 50 languages!
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?
Half Bad is an international sensation and the start of a brilliant trilogy: a gripping tale of alienation and the indomitable will to survive.
Author Notes
Sally Green studied mining geology at university in London and trained as an accountant. She worked in accountancy and in finance departments of various businesses before becoming a stay at home mom. When her son started school, she began writing and studying online to get a degree in English literature and creative writing. She is the author of the Half Bad Trilogy.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up-At its core, this is a story of nature versus nurture; of good versus evil; of the power of human nature to overcome destiny. The book is set in a modern-day alternate England where "good" white witches and "evil" black witches live alongside humans (Fains). There are also half bloods-like Nathan-who are the product of white and black witches. But just as no white witch is wholly good, no black witch is entirely evil. The Council begins systematically codifying half bloods and eventually captures Nathan, shackling and confining him to a cage. As Nathan's 17th birthday draws near, he realizes his only chance for survival is to escape his captors and find his father, who holds the key to the three gifts that will bring him magical powers. He sets out on a journey that challenges the limits of the human psyche-lucky for Nathan, he's a half blood. Narrator Carl Prekopp makes the pages of this book come to life, from gritting through 50 press-ups (and yes, he counts all the way to 50) to capturing Nathan's despair as he finds himself too afraid to even speak his own father's name. Prekopp's spot-on pacing and Green's excellent plot and character development make it hard to stop listening to this promising trilogy starter.- April Everett, Rowan Public Library, Salisbury, NC (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Nathan is the Half Code son of a White Witch and a Black Witch, and no White Witch will let him forget it. While Whites try to fit in amid normal "fains," secretly manipulating society, the Blacks are dangerous loners who, according to the Whites, have no purpose but murdering other witches to steal their powers. Nathan, whose father is Marcus-the most hated of Black Witches-falls in love with a White Witch girl, is taken into custody by the all-powerful Council, and, for years, is both tortured and trained in secret to murder his father. Then, just before Nathan's 17th birthday, he escapes, with only months to find someone to help him receive his own magical gifts. This grim and thrilling tale, first in a planned trilogy, features understated prose that lets readers' imaginations fill in the blanks, as well as a well-developed sense of Witch culture. Nathan, the damaged survivor of horrific abuse, is an unforgettable protagonist, and Green expertly captures his torment at being caught between the mutually hostile sides of his heritage. Ages 12-up. Agent: Claire Wilson, Rogers, Coleridge & White. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Excerpts
Excerpts
Kieran says, "You know what this is, Connor?" Connor has to think about it, but eventually says, "A hunting knife." "Yes. To be exact, it's a French hunting knife. They make great knives, the French. Look at that blade.' I squirm and grunt and curse them. 'Hold him still, Niall. The blade folds away beautifully into the handle. Great design. The Swiss go for all the fancy gadgets in their knives, but all you need is a good blade." I hear the rip of my T-shirt and feel the cool air on my back. I buck and curse again. "Hold him still." I feel the blade brushing over my back and now I hold still. The knife stops in the middle of my left shoulder blade. The point goes in. "I'll start here. This half is the Black half, I'd say." And slowly the blade cuts down my back. Excerpted from Half Bad by Sally Green All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.