The inspiration for the Netflix series The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself “An enthralling fantasy in the Harry Potter tradition.”—Time magazine “A bewitching new thriller.”—The Wall Street Journal
In a modern-day England where two warring factions of witches live alongside humans, one sixteen-year-old boy is trapped between the two sides. Nathan's father is the world’s most powerful and cruel witch, and his mother is dead. Both groups of witches see Nathan as their greatest threat—or their greatest weapon. Trapped in a cage, beaten and handcuffed, he must escape before his seventeenth birthday, at which point he will receive three gifts from his father and come into his own as a witch—or else he will die. But how can Nathan find his father when his every action is tracked, when there is no one safe to trust, not even family, not even the girl he loves?
In the tradition of Patrick Ness and Markus Zusak, Half Bad is a gripping tale of alienation and the indomitable will to survive, a story that will grab hold of you and not let go until the very last page.
Now streaming on Netflix as The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself.
Praise and accolades for Half Bad
"Highly entertaining and dangerously addictive."—Time Magazine
“Genuinely engaging.”—The New York Times
“Gripping.”—US Weekly
“Bewitching.”—The Wall Street Journal
“Captivating.”— Los Angeles Times
"A page-turner."—The Boston Globe
"An epic journey."—D.J. MacHale, New York Times bestselling author of Pendragon and Sylo
"Brilliant and utterly compelling." —Kate Atkinson, New York Times bestselling author of Life After Life
"This will haunt you." —Marie Lu, New York Times bestselling author of Legend
"Edgy, arresting and brilliantly written." —Michael Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Gone
* "A thrilling tale . . . Unforgettable." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "Marvelous." —Booklist, starred review
* "A unique take on witches." —Library Media Connection, starred review
A Spring 2014 Kids' Indie Next List pick
A 2014 Booklist Top 10 SF, Fantasy, and Horror for Youth
Kieran says, “You know what this is, Connor?” Connor has to think about it, but eventually says, “A hunting knife.” “Yes. To be exact, it’s a French hunting knife. They make great knives, the French.Look at that blade.’ I squirm and grunt and curse them. ‘Hold him still, Niall. The blade folds away beautifully into the handle. Great design.The Swiss go for all the fancy gadgets in their knives, but all you need is a goodblade.” I hear the rip of my T-shirt and feel the cool air on my back. I buck and curse again. “Hold him still.” I feel the blade brushing over my back and now I hold still. The knife stops in themiddle of my left shoulder blade. The point goes in. “I’ll start here. This half is the Black half, I’d say.” And slowly the blade cuts down my back.
