Half Wild (The Half Bad Trilogy Book 2)

Nathan is at it again, picking up right where Half Bad left off. The beginning was a little slow to get going but once new and old friends pop up again the story really takes off. I appreciate the time given to some family bonding (though I won't say more so that there aren't any spoilers). I can't wait for the third book but definitely will have to do just that, wait. The story definitely leaves off on a cliff hanger.If you can't handle that (which it is a little hard to with this book), then I recommend waiting til the third book comes out then just reading them all at once.Content Reminders: This book has scenes of violence described. The main character must kill to survive many times. The acts are described in general terms (stabbing, shooting, biting, ripping, etc.) though I would not say the scenes are graphically detailed. The amount of blood is mentioned though. Also, there is a scene where a character must perform a witch ritual that is mentioned earlier in the book (and previous book) but not performed until this book (trying to avoid spoilers).Recommended Age: 13+ (definitely would be a PG-13 movie if made in the United States).

Sally Green may have borrowed heavily from familiar YA story lines about witches and their craft--there doesn't seem to be much that's innovative in the genre since Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials. However she definitely has, with this second installment put her own imprimatur on the genre. Half Wild is quite impressive, and at times, more than a little revolting. This is not Harry, Ron and Hermione searching for Deathly Hallows. Not by a long shot.The continuing saga of half code Nathan and his enamored companion Gabriel and the fair Annalise is ratcheted up a notch. Like father Marcus, Nathan's gift is to transform into wild animals. Much of the first half is given over to exploring the ability and controlling it, while simultaneously searching for and freeing girlfriend Annalise. I found the first third of the book riveting. Second installments notoriously lag, and Half Wild does a bit in the middle. Also, there's way too much time spent looking for the girlfriend and nattering about "the Alliance".That said, Green does get things back on track for an action-packed, bang-up ending. There's more than a bit of violence in this book--there's loads of it, and only each parent can judge what is suitable for their teenager. The last chapter had an incident between father and son I found absolutely disgusting. To my utter amazement, other reviewers don't seem to be bothered a bit. Perhaps I'm too squeamish. I wouldn't hesitate to let 15 year olds and up read this, but certainly not preteens. The violence may not be indiscriminate or random, but it is lavish and constant. An interesting conundrum for teenage parents--a wonderfully written, problematic book.

A wonderful second part to this awesome series. Now that Nathan is a real witch, he needs to find his place in the world. It is suspenseful and wildly entertaining. What I liked the most about Half Bad was that Nathan, despite being a teenager, is not dumb. Well, Half Wild is all based on a huge, big stupid decision that at first let me down. I wanted to slap him half the time. But the whole point of the book is that he learns how stupid he was and, hopefully, the third part will be all about fixing what his own dumb actions caused.

This trilogy is amazing. You will fall in love with all the characters. This is try it and you will love it and want more. Mrs. Sally Green please give us MORE! Thank you for an amazing story. OHHHH What about a Movie this will be rated up their with all the Vampire stories.

Great author and series got the whole collection

I got this book as a gift and was glad I did. I haven't read a book for fun in a long time and loves the whole white witches vs black witches. Again drawn to the struggles of a character. That poor boy! Couldnt help but route for him to find some damn happiness already. Was a good read, have read the first two now. not disappointed at all.

Good book, cant wait for book 3. Hate the long waits between books, lol- wish I read slower. Lots of twists in the new installment keep you guessing...definitely worth the read.

This book is almost as good as the first except that I had a bit of trouble getting into it. There was so much to take in, at the beginning, that it was harder to get started.

"White Witches hunt him.Black Witches hate him.Nathan Byrn is on the run..."That cliffhanger is sick! (And I mean that in the best way possible because it is awesome.)Half Wild completely blows my expectations out of the water. Ms Green keeps her action-packed and fast-paced storytelling alive and well, but this entry feels way more emotional and has a surprisingly high gore level (which, of course, I love). This series is shaping up to be a fiery, slick and magical conspiracy thriller. And all the components work.There are a few cons of course, like leaps in logic that the plot hasn't earned and iffy writing in places, but overall Half Wild continues the addictive trend of mystical drama in a way that has me begging for the final book Half Lost.Which I have and will be reading as soon as I get myself some sleep.SPOILER WARNINGSynopsis (Not a copy from the book, but I always keep my interpretations close.)Nathan Byrn is alone...He's now a full witch with a powerful Gift, but his friends are few and even they're gone.In hiding and on the run, the future looks bleak.But a war is brewing, a powerful and prejudiced White Witch has taken the reins of power and is intent on eradicating the Black Witch race and anyone who stands in his way.And there are plenty on both sides who intend to do just that.Pulled into the Alliance, an army of White and Black Witches risking all to end the current regime, Nathan is torn between both sides.But can Black and White really work together, and if they can't, what does that mean for Nathan?The only existing person who's both Black and White...Plot - 4.5/5 StarsGreen starts us off by using the second-person narrative, much like she did in the first book, bringing us in to the story with a very personal flourish. We feel a part of the drama and despair, and, boy, is there plenty of that to go around.The beginning is more contemplative than the rest of the novel, but there is plenty of action and intrigue to keep the reader going. We also get more grit and emotion as the author builds this big battle of politics, extremism and magic. There are bigger bad guys to worry about than the simmering tension between White Witches and Blacks, and as that big bad is a White, it further underlines just how murky the divide between good and evil truly is.Then comes the mythology and lore, which are fantastic. Half Wild offers much more of the supernatural than its predecessor, but it does it in a way where it doesn't overwhelm the overall plot. It's grounded and has boundaries, leaving the cast room to use their intelligence and experience.There are a few aspects that leave me a little miffed. Such as some leaps that either haven't been built well enough or even at all. One such instance is near the start, when Nathan meets Van. Van waxes on about Nathan's plans in great detail, and our protagonist agrees that what she's guessed are in fact his plans. The problem with this is it's the first time the reader has heard anything about it. It leaves the reader feeling like they've missed a few chapters.The same can be said for the 'big threat', although I feel the last quarter rectifies this. For a large part of the story we're told of the awful things the new leaders of the White Witches are doing, and how this has provoked a revolution of sorts. Initially it's hard to swallow, I mean, a lot of the bad stuff they're doing they've been doing for decades, and apparently with a lot of support. So what has changed?Luckily, as I said, Green elaborates later on and manages to underline the severity, bringing the war into a new and thrilling light.But it's probably the last quarter of the book that truly elevates Half Wild in my opinion. It brings it straight to Full Wild. It's full of action, drama and betrayals that sting right down to the heart, and then some. It's epic and magical and full of promise for the future (and when I say promise, I really mean chaos and catastrophe).Pace - 5/5 StarsJust phenomenal. Half Wild's addictive narrative and story combine with the action and suspense to form an exceptionally quick read.Characters - 4.5/5 StarsThe author nails her cast on the head. Such a good job is done portraying each individual's personality, quirks and motivations. The chemistry bubbles and each conversation between various cast members is rife with different reactions and attitudes. It's major fun to read.Nathan continues to be a solid lead character, and with a horrific history under his belt, he's taking no prisoners. In a way, as he fights to determine who he is, he already is his best version. He's not wholly good and he's not wholly evil, he's a mix, and a darn great one at that. I love him, I love Van, I freaking love Gabriel, I love Marcus... I love, I love, I love.But you wanna know who I don't love? Annalise. God, they really should have just left her in her coma. I don't know if it's deliberate, but she just feels so empty, so lacking in everything. Nathan's love for her is a mystery, although, that could be because I'm Team Gabriel.Writing - 4.5/5 StarsOdd in places. I feel like there's something trying to come through, to be conveyed at those points, but it never reaches fruition.For the most part Green excels with whatever scene she writes. Be it action or exposition or character progression, it's on point. And while we get brief chapters done in the second-person narrative, Green sticks to the first-person for a smooth, but still personal, experience, with the present tense to push it forward with urgency.Overall - 5/5 StarsHalf Wild has left huge boots to fill with its concluding entry, but if anyone can pull it off, Sally Green can.

The sequel to Half Bad, which I read in April, picks up where it left of with Nathan in the forest having received his three gifts from Marcus. Nathan is much less alone in this book, travelling with his motley crew of Gabriel, Van- a powerful Black witch, and her assistant Nesbitt, on his mission to rescue Annalise from the clutches of Mercury. Nathan is convinced by Van to join the rebel alliance of White and Black witches in Europe fighting against the bigotry of the Council of White Witches, which is now led by Soul O'Brien. The movement and flow of this book is great, there is growth and action and many a sweet moment. Nathan and Gabriel's relationship is one of the best things about it, with THAT moment at Mercury's lair. Annalise and Gabriel representing different sides to Nathan and his struggle with his identity as a half white/half black white is excellent. As is his navigating of his relationship with Marcus as he learns to control his gifts. I am SO looking forward to the next in the series, which is a WHOLE YEAR away, and I will get around to reading the little novelette Half Lies: A Half Bad Story at some point too.

Whilst I loved Half Bad and the grittiness of the witches-living-on-rough-estates feel to the book, this sequel doesn't quite measure up. I felt as if there wasn't enough plot to make up a whole book, and that the first couple of chapters could easily have been condensed to a couple of pages. The characters seem to behave in order to fit the plot rather than having any sense of their own agency. For example,Gabrielle, we're repeatedly told, is incredibly good-looking but has a puppy-like devotion to Nathan, willing to endure unrequited love forever. Given that he can now shape-shift into anyone, why not turn in Nathan's girlfriend for a night of passion? New black witch characters seem indistinguishable from white witches and it all feels a little muddled. That said, this is still a great trilogy and the second books are usually hardest to get right. I look forward to the third installment.One other thing; if you're buying this book, don't bother with Half Lies, as it's already included as a freebee at the end of Half Wild.

{Actual rating: 3.5/5}The point of being good is doing it when it’s tough, not when it’s easy.Unbeknown to humans, two warring factions of witches live among them, one light, one dark. But cooperation between the two factions might be the only thing that can stop a devastating war from entangling half of Europe in its strangling grasp. As a group of rebels emerge, of both Black and White, Nathan knows that there might be the only place he will ever be safe. Hunted by both sides and grappling control with his, what may be, all too powerful gift; the same as his father's. Struggling to stay off the Hunter's radar, Nathan realises that the Hunters will stop at nothing to capture him and destroy his father.As soon as I had finished Half Bad, I dived for Half Wild, wanting to read the rest of Nathan's story. I quickly got through the first fifty pages, but as soon as I put the book down, I found it hard to get back up again. I'm not even sure why but nothing had 'hooked' me like it had in the first instalment. My feelings consisted of 'eh'. Once I got myself going again, I did enjoy it though, the plot was good, none of the characters annoyed me (unlike some books *cough* Talon *cough*)and it writing style was brilliant. I've given this a rating of 3.25 only because of the massive pause I had in the middle of reading it. The only reason I started it again was because I refuse to read more than one book at a time.In conclusion, this book would of been amazing if it had only been a bit more gripping, or had a bit more action towards the middle of the book. The ending was perfectly written though and I do want to read Half Lost when it comes out next year.

Knew that this book would be one that I would devour once started so made sure that I had nothing pressing to do on the weekend. I was right. I couldn't wait to grab moments with it and see what turning the next chapter would take.I have to be honest, the beginning was a little quiet and Nathan alone with his inner thoughts did slow it down quite a lot but it soon picked up and built towards a flashing sudden crescendo of action and mayhem. I loved the introduction of the new characters and Nesbitt made me laugh out loud quite a lot. I have to admit I did not see the ending coming.Glad that I took my time getting round to reading this one because it would have been agony to wait a year. On to the next...