Welcome to another edition of FDL Teen Reads, brought to you by the Teen Advisory Board!
Reviewed by: Katelyn Kern, Teen Advisory Board
Genre: Fantasy
Suggested Age: Teens
What is the book about?: There are two kinds of witches. There are the Whites Witches that are supposed to be all sugar, spice, and everything nice. Then there are the Black Whites that are said to go around eating people’s hearts and killing babies and they’re just the worst…not really. Nathan is a black witch on his father’s side and his mother was a white witch. He lives with his Grandmother, his sister Jessica, his brother Aaron, and his other sister Deborah. Everyone tells him he is a black witch, not a white witch, simply because he is a half of each. He is also the only one said to be able to kill his father, Marcus, the most Black of all the Black Witches who eats the heart of other witches to gain their abilities. On your seventeenth birthday witches have to be given three gifts, one of which has to be the blood of a relative to receive your ability. If you do not receive the gifts you will die. Nathan’s only living relative that he can safely get in touch with is his father. Half Bad tells the story of Nathan going through his torment, of him growing up and being victim to cruel white witches one of whom he has fallen in love with, and him on his journey to find a way to escape the path that has been laid out before him.
My review: I want to give this book a solid 5 so bad, but Nathan is so focused on his “immeasurable love” for the white witch unbearably annoying. All of his choices go back to her, and how the outcomes might affect her. If he only thought about her half as often I would give this book a six.
Rating: 4/5
About FDL Reads
Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!