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Sally Green

Half Bad Paperback – 3 March 2014

by Sally Green (Author)

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Half Bad by Sally Green is a breathtaking debut novel about one boy's struggle for survival in a hidden society of witches.

Meet Nathan ByrnHe's half White Witch, half Black WitchHis mother was a healer, his father is a killerHe's been kept in a cage since he was fourteenBut if White Witches are goodAnd Black Witches are evil...What happens if you are both?

Reading age

12 - 16 years
Print length

400 pages
Language

English
Dimensions

12.9 x 2.4 x 19.8 cm
Publisher

Penguin (General UK)
Publication date

3 March 2014
ISBN-10

0141350865
ISBN-13

978-0141350868
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Product description

Review

A book about witches with no owls and not a pair of round spectacles in sight. The new Hunger Games,I suspect... Brilliant and utterly compelling - I loved it. (Kate Atkinson, author of Life after Life and Behind the Scenes of the Museum)

Teens rejoice: the inheritor to Stephenie Meyer's crown has arrived. (Fiona Wilson, The Times)

Edgy, arresting and brilliantly written, Half Bad grips you from the first page and doesn't let go. (Michael Grant, author of Gone)

A brilliant debut that is both deeply unique and unsettling, one that chilled me to the bone and broke my heart even as I sped through its pages. This will haunt you. (Marie Lu, author of Legend)

Take our word for it, this book is going to be huge. (Stylist)

Brilliantly paced with more than a few nasty surprises, Half Bad is a wickedly addictive read that will capture the imagination of any fan of YA fiction. (Starburst)

Not since the Harry Potter books - yes, I said it! - have I felt so fully immersed in an author's creation... I couldn't be more stoked over Half Bad, and this launch novel of a trilogy truly deserves all the hype surrounding it - and much more... (Amanda Hurley, Inkwood Books)

Book Description

Half Bad by Sally Green is a breathtaking debut novel about one boy's struggle for survival in a hidden society of witches.

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin (General UK); 1st edition (3 March 2014)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0141350865
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0141350868
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 - 16 years
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.9 x 2.4 x 19.8 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 487,195 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 1,739 in Wizards & Witches Fantasy for Young Adults
- 7,357 in Fantasy Action & Adventure
- 16,453 in Fantasy & Magic for Children

Customer Reviews:
630 ratings

About the author

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Sally Green

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Sally Green lives in north-west England. She has had various jobs and even a profession but in 2010 she discovered a love of writing and now just can’t stop. She used to keep chickens, makes decent jam, doesn't mind ironing, loves to walk in Wales even when it's raining, and will probably never jog again. She really ought to drink less coffee. Half Bad is her first novel.

Customer reviews

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4 star		19%
3 star		10%
2 star		3%
1 star		4%

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AND THEN WE MEET ANNALISE...

Reviewed in Australia on 3 March 2014

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This book commences on a very obscure, shocking and even offensive manner. The reader learns of a young boy kept in chains, tortured, and abused by a woman that we know nothing about, for reasons that are not given until later in the book. I can understand some readers throwing the book / kindle away at this point, but i did not, and at the very least i have learnt what is actually going on.

The young lad (Nathan) in question is a witch. Boys with magical powers are called "witches". His father is / was a black witch. Nathan has not seen his his father for many years. He was brought up with feelings of hatred and repression toward this man. But as he matures he develops the instinct and ability to recognise truth and thus is able to see the wood for the trees when it comes to dealing with the emotions and potential relationship with this figure that he knows nothing about.

Only white witches are "approved of" in this world in which the book is based. Half whites are ok but black witches and half black witches are not. Aaron's mother committed suicide before the book had started (why am i not surprised?) and we learn via a series of relatively interesting flashbacks that he was raised by his Gran (also a witch) and had allies in a brother (Aaran), one nice sister (Deborah) and one seriously sick and evil sister called Jessica. Who hates Nathan.

The author's writing style is certainly compelling. The story and plot line are original (up to a point) and there is no humour in the book. Characterisation is excellent and of course you can't help but become attached to the characters. Some you feel for immediately, and some you hate, instantly. Naturally once you reach the end of part one you want to see how it all develops, comes together and ends. The book is entertaining enough to make it difficult to stop reading.

And then we meet Annalise. The enjoyment factor of the book picks up considerably when Nathan meets his Juliet. She is beautifully portrayed and realised whenever she makes an appearance. The writing and descriptions used when these two interact are electrifying and beautifully depicted, and are perfectly pitched given the book's target audience.

And of course with a love interest involved, the stakes for Nathan (and the reader) are now a lot higher. He suddenly has more to lose.

I shall say no more of the book at this point. Read this glorious tome for both the young, and the young at heart for yourself. Enjoy the good times, weep for the sad times but don't forget it. Read it, keep it, look after it. Pass it on to your kids. It is a classic book for the ages that should be recognised by fans and the industry it comes out of.

In summary, then: I can't award this book five stars. It is dark, violent snd disturbing. At times it is bound to make the reader feel uncomfortable. Parts of it are stunning, and exciting and suspenseful, and despite the elements of light and love that you will come across, the book is not quite the fairy tale ride the publishers are promising. A very good start to a rumoured trilogy, but its not quite perfect.

BFN Greggorio!

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Ross

One of the best series I have read in ages.

Reviewed in Australia on 7 June 2016

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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.

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Top reviews from other countries

Pamela Scott

A cracking read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 November 2019

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I bought this book (in fact, I have the whole trilogy) ages ago and never got round to reading it until now. I have no idea why I waited so long. If Half Bad is anything to go by, I missed a treat. There’s so much to enjoy here. I loved the fact the book is written in the first person. I love this narrative POV as it lets you get very close to the characters. It works perfect here and made this book a pleasure to read. There’s a lot of mystery here and so much is left unanswered. I hope certain questions are answered across the rest of the books. Why do people fear Black Witch’s so much? Why was he locked in a cage? This book fairly rattles along and I feel like I raced through it. I thought Half Bad was a cracking read and look forward to finding out what happens next.

One person found this helpful

Jamie-Lee Turner

Witches with a difference

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 July 2016

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Half Bad is a wonderful integration of witches into modern day society and makes for an intriguing and compelling story that makes you question today’s world(or at least it did for me).

The far superior White Witches or S***es(I love this!) as they become to be known through one character, have control of much of the UK and are in the process of hunting down and seemingly culling Black Witches.

Black witches are attuned to the night, have vastly more powerful gifts but have a tendency to kill each other, and more often that not, their family.

One Black Witch in particular is Marcus, who has killed a lot of witches, white and black alike for his own survival. It just so happens, that through illegitimate courtship with a white witch, he has a son.

That’s bad news for Nathan.

Being a ‘half-code’ as the Whites put it, he can choose either side, though he is constantly monitored, disciplined, isolated and point-blank treated as a criminal although he is just a child.

After years of captivity, caged, cuffed, assessed and punished for minor indiscretions, the Whites offer him a deal.

White code status in return for his assistance in killing his own father.

Naturally, he refuses, though he has no real reason to, his Father is as illusive to him as he is to anyone and hasn’t attempted to make contact.

After this refusal, Nathan was literally branded as a criminal. He is marked as a Black Witch, he is marked magically, all the way done to his bones. Tattoos that cannot be removed no matter how deep you skin the flesh…

Circumstances come to light in which Nathan makes his grand escape, and sets off on his mission to find Mercury, a witch who can give him his three gifts before his birthday, as he fears without, he will die.

This one book has a hell of a lot to digest. It’s a brilliant read, a bit slow in places as the world of witches is built up and explained chapter by chapter, following how Nathan ended up in his cage but we are spared no expense when it comes to the plot kicking off.

We see Nathan’s insecurities, lack of respect for authority, his dreams and hopes for his Father and his capacity to believe there is good in White Witches despite that fact that for 90% of his life, he has been shunned, shamed and tortured by them.

The acts that take place in the book by both adult and teen White Witches are brutal, calculated and cringe-worthy. Not what you’d expect from the self-proclaimed heroes of the Witch world, though we quickly understand that nothing is as it seems.

The hunters are ruthless and don’t let up on Nathan, sparing him no mercy from their hacked up supremacist retorts and punches.

And when we finally encounter Marcus. He seems like a puppy by comparison. Did I mention he eats the hearts of Witches’ by the way?

Come here boy!

Despite his obvious flaws, Marcus is definitely going to be a baddie that you just love to love. Besides, accounts of his attacks are publicised by who? You guessed it, the White Witches. For all we know, they could have killed them and blamed Marcus to save their own skin. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time. Half Bad definitely has a thing for making you doubt even the solidarity of proven facts.

I have extremely high hopes for Half Wild as we delve further into this mysterious world of treachery, darkness and ultimately Nathan’s gift, which judging by the cover, may take after his father’s.

Here’s hoping!

This review was originally posted on: [...]

2 people found this helpful

Book Blog Bird

Half Bad

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 March 2015

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I think I read somewhere (and I can’t remember where, so if this is a load of nonsense I’m happy for the author to tell me to shut up) that Sally Green’s first manuscript was rejected for not being edgy enough.

I think it’s fairly safe to say that this isn’t a problem Half Bad has. And I loved it!

Half Bad is set in our world, but a version where Black Witches and White Witches have their own society and live (kind of) alongside fains (non-magical people). On their seventeenth birthday they receive three gifts (normal presents) and drink the blood of one of their relations (mmm...yum) and then they receive their Gift (psychic power). This could be anything from telekinesis to the ability to control the weather. White Witches use their Gift for good (and their version of good involves torturing Black Witches to death) whereas Black Witches... Well, it just sounds like Black Witches take their Gift, give the Council of White Witches the finger and spend the rest of their lives being persecuted by the Council’s Hunters.

I’ve read reviews that have compared Half Bad to Harry Potter. Well, I guess if you’re talking about a version of Harry Potter where Harry is kept in a cage in the garden instead of the cupboard under the stairs, and he regularly gets the crap beaten and stabbed out of him instead of being educated at Hogwarts, and where people try to force him to murder, and instead of having loads of really nice mates he has no one at all and instead of his dad being a hero he was basically Voldemort, then yes, in that case I’d say Half Bad is exactly like Harry Potter.

*Rolls eyes*

So yes, I’d say that Sally Green took away her (possibly imagined by me) feedback and definitely came up with something edgy. And well written. And fun. And heart-rending.

Can’t wait to read the next one.

One person found this helpful

Anna (Enchanted by YA)

Brilliant debut

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 August 2014

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The sign of a good book is when the characters feel as real to you as someone who is actually real.
The sign of a good book is when you can’t stop thinking about it after the last page.
The sign of a good book is when you would die for the sequel to be released the next day.
So you know what? Half Bad = a good book.

I freely admit that it might not be for everyone; the elements of torture inflicted on “children” particularly when written in the second person definitely turns stomachs. I’m no exception, and that’s why I loved it (worried how much that says about me…). Everything was so dark including Sally Green’s writing with the second person that worked brilliantly in involving you in the story. It’s great when books suck you into the story, and I know I won’t be explaining it properly when I say you literally live it.

Another aspect I loved that is always vital for a good book was the world. The background had a rather dystopian feel with the white witches ruling, and basically killing off every black witch who’s unlucky enough to be noticed. Our main protagonist Nathan is half white witch, half black witch on his father’s side; who just so happens to be the most feared black witch in the world. It might have something to do with the touch of mass murder. Might not (but probably is).

Nathan is then feared and hated, forced to endure a life that no one let alone a child should live, so I was overjoyed he could find light in his world through Annalise. She’s sweet and everything but it was hard to get emotionally involved, especially for the amount of time you see her. Nathan on the other hand is so easy to imagine and picture, you can feel his emotions flowing off the pages enticing your own in return. I wanted everything to work out for him so much that every, single time he hit a hurdle his pain mirrored my own.

I can’t wait to see where Sally Green takes his story, and after this brilliant debut I can safely say that I will be in on what looks like a hell of a ride. I just wish it wasn’t so far away…

Posted on: http://enchantedbyya.blogspot.co.uk

Jo Hogan

A book with attitude that will grip you from the start

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 April 2015

Verified Purchase

I wouldn't ordinarily pick up (another) book about witches, but when Half Bad was shortlisted for one of the YA books of the year, I ordered it to see what all the fuss was about - and boy am I glad I did. This book, like the main character, Nathan, has attitude, with a fresh, confident voice that grabs you right from the start. It tells the story of Nathan, a 'half code;' because his mum is a White Witch, but his dad is Black Witch. He is the only one of his kind, and we follow him as year by year he is continually assessed for evidence of Black Witch tendencies. There is no complex world building or back story explanations. The reader is thrown right into the cage alongside Nathan, when he is locked up by the Council shortly before his seventeenth birthday. There is no cosy Dumbledore here: Nathan must learns what he can from Celia, a large, brutish woman who knocks him about. There are no flying broom sticks - just furtive camping trips to Wales, and like Potter, Nathan is bullied by his fellow White Witches, only here the violence is real and unrelenting. No wonder then, that Nathan is a complex character, with a black temper to match his eyes. The author is unflinching in her portrayal of a teenage boy who is tender to his family and the girl he loves, but is capable of terrible acts of violence. And perhaps it is this that makes the book so powerful and credible. Written in sparse language, it combines energy and pace with moments of understated sorrow. Despite being witches, all of the characters are all believable. Gabrielle is a particular favourite, but it is Nathan, honest, tortured, mixed up Nathan, who pulls the eye of the reader all the way through to a breathless-oh-no-I-must-have-more-now ending. Like others, I am amazed to discover that this is Sally Green's first novel, and delighted that her second, Half Wild, has just been published. I thoroughly recommend this book for fans of YA, particularly for boys.

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