Nathan is the seventeen-year-old son of a White Witch and a Black Witch, and in the viciously divided community of English witches that makes him an outcast. Questioned, brutalized and eventually imprisoned, the Council will stop at nothing to make sure that Nathan's half-Black Magic side doesn't corrupt the rest of the underground magic community. It doesn't help that his father is one of the most violent Black Witches in the world, responsible for more deaths than any other living witch. But Nathan doesn't feel evil...although he doesn't necessarily feel good either, and this duality haunts him as he struggles to break free of the Council and find his mysterious father.
Half Bad is British author Sally Green's debut novel, and while it is less intricate and whimsical than other notable British books about magic, it has a grittiness and an intimate focus on the protagonist that makes the world seem vivid and believable. Nathan's voice is clear and honest, and Green's prose is beautiful without being heavy. At times the world-building can seem a little thin and the secondary characters lack depth, but the dimensionality of Nathan's character and the entertaining premise overshadows these minor problems. Sold in over 42 countries and already with a movie deal, this first in a trilogy is sure to capture the imagination of adults and teens alike.
