Half Bad
 Front cover of the first edition of Half Bad | |
| Author | Sally Green |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Half Bad trilogy |
| Genre | Young adult (Fantasy) |
| Publisher | Puffin Books (UK) Viking Press (US) |
Publication date | March 04, 2014 (US) March 03, 2014 (UK) |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 400pp (hardback, first edition) |
| ISBN | 9780670016785 |
| Followed by | Half Wild |
Half Bad is a 2014 young adult fantasy novel written by English debut author Sally Green. It is notable for its use of second person narrative as part of a wider first person narrative.[1] On March 3, 2014, it set the Guinness World Record as the 'Most Translated Book by a Debut Author, Pre-publication', having sold in 45 languages prior to its UK publication by Penguin books.[2]
Plot
Half Bad is set in modern-day Europe, where witches and humans (fains) live together. There are two primary types of witches: Black (Generally Oppressed and written off as evil) and White(The main population). The 14-year-old protagonist, Nathan, is half White and half Black. His mother is dead, and his father is known as the most powerful and the cruelest Black Witch in the world. Trapped in a cage and abused, Nathan has to escape before his seventeenth birthday, when he will receive three gifts from his father and his magical ability, or Gift. Otherwise, he will die.
The book follows Nathan as he attempts to escape, and later avoid capture, from the White Witches' Council and find a way to receive his Gift with or without the help of his father. Nathan receives help from a series of characters, notably the Black Witch Gabriel who has lost his powers due to an accident.
Characters
Nathan Byrn: The 14-year-old protagonist. He has straight black hair, olive skin and black eyes. Raised in a family of White Witches he is half White and half Black. He can self heal extraordinarily fast.
Jessica: Nathan's oldest half-sister who hates him. She later becomes a Hunter.
Arran: Nathan's half-brother, with whom Nathan has a loving relationship.
Deborah: Nathan's half-sister. She (like Arran) loves Nathan.
Marcus: Nathan's father, the most feared Black Witch of all time. He killed Nathan's siblings' father, among others. His Gift is transforming into animals but he has also stolen Gifts from many other witches by killing them and eating their hearts.
Cora Byrn: Nathan's mother, a White Witch who committed suicide. Her gift was healing others.
Gabriel: A Black Witch stuck in the body of a fain. He helps Mercury to get Nathan to her in order to get his witch body back and later falls in love with Nathan.
Annalise: A White Witch, some months older than Nathan. She later runs from her cruel family. Her and Nathan are in love.
Mercury: A powerful Black Witch who is supposedly part of all different Witches.
Rose: A White Witch and Mercury's assistan, who always blushes and giggles - even though she doesn't look like that type of person.
Celia: A White Witch, Nathan's mentor who he was sent to live with. She abused and locked him in a cage. However, near the end of her time with Nathan, she seens to care more about him.
Development
Sally Green submitted Half Bad to an agent in January 2013; in March, editorial director Ben Horslen acquired the manuscript for Penguin Books children's imprint Puffin Books, billing it "the book of the Bologna Children's Book Fair" after a 6-figure bidding war.[3] In the run up to its publication in the UK on the 3rd March 2014, international rights to Half Bad sold rapidly; within 13 weeks of acquisition, it had sold in 25 territories;[4] by November 2013, 36.[5] Upon publication day, it broke the Guinness World Record for 'Most Translated Book by a Debut Author, Pre-publication' with 45 different translations.[2]
Reception
Even before publication people drew comparisons to The Hunger Games,[6] Harry Potter or the Twilight series. Half Bad has also been compared to Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell.[7] Additionally, Half Bad has already broken two Guinness World Records as the most translated book – and the most translated children's book – by a debut author before publication.[8]
"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."[9] —Publishers Weekly starred review
Half Bad has been longlisted for the 2015 Branford Boase Award, which seeks to acknowledge outstanding debut novels for children and teenagers; it is an award presented both to the author and editor.[10] It has also been shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2015.[11]
Sequel
Half Wild was released on the 24th March 2015.[12] The third and final book in the series, Half Lost, was released in March 2016.[13]
Movie adaptation
A movie adaptation is in the works at Fox 2000 with Karen Rosenfelt set to produce.[14]
References
- ↑ JJ McConnachie. "Interview: Sally Green, author of Half Bad". nzbooklovers.co.nz. Retrieved 2015-02-11.
- 1 2 "Most translated book by a debut author, pre-publication". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 2015-02-11.
- ↑ Charlotte Williams. "Puffin swoops on Half Bad ahead of Bologna". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2015-02-11.
- ↑ Benedicte Page. "'Unprecedented' deals for Penguin's Sally Green". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2015-02-11.
- ↑ "Penguin racks up Half Bad deals". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2015-02-11.
- ↑ "2013 Best Books of the Year: Kate Atkinson Lists Her Favorite Reads of 2013".
- ↑ "Bewitching first novel by ex-accountant casts £1m spell on world of books".
- ↑ "A literary smash: Half Bad, the new Twilight by British author Sally Green".
- ↑ "Publishers Weekly review of Half Bad by Sally Green".
- ↑ "Branford Boase Award 2015 longlist". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2015-02-13.
- ↑ "Waterstones children's book prize 2015 – shortlist announced!". The Guardian. Retrieved 2015-02-13.
- ↑ "Set out to write lots of Half Wild today -wrote approximately three sentences. But read all of Silver Linings Playbook. tweet by Sally Green".
- ↑ "Half Lost (Half Life #3)". Goodreads. Penguin Books. Retrieved 2015-06-20.
- ↑ "Brewing A Franchise, Fox 2000 Nabs Rights To Sally Green Witch Novel 'Half Bad' by Mike Fleming Jr.".