Review: Half Wild by Sally Green

Half Wild (Half Life, #2)
by Sally Green
Published by Penguin UK
Paperback (purchased)
YA, fantasy

After finally meeting his elusive father, Marcus, and receiving the three gifts that confirm him as a full adult witch, Nathan is still on the run. He needs to find his friend Gabriel and rescue Annalise, now a prisoner of the powerful Black witch Mercury. Most of all he needs to learn how to control his Gift – a strange, wild new power that threatens to overwhelm him.

Meanwhile, Soul O'Brien has seized control of the Council of White Witches and is expanding his war against Black witches into Europe. In response, an unprecedented alliance has formed between Black and White witches determined to resist him. Drawn into the rebellion by the enigmatic Black witch Van Dal, Nathan finds himself fighting alongside both old friends and old enemies. But can all the rebels be trusted, or is Nathan walking into a trap?

I read this over a year ago, but it has taken me so long to find the right words; and I'm sure I still haven't managed to do so. Half Wild is many things, including stunning, captivating, exceptional, breathtaking, emotional, action packed, and brilliant. Most of all, my ship sailed and I wish nothing more than it to sail even more in the last book. It has to. All the praise (except for Annalise who I despise more than anything).

The characters, oh my beloved cinnamon rolls. Nathan needs hugs. Plenty of hugs. People need to stop torturing him. There was more Gabriel in this story, and he's precious human being. I love him to the pieces, he's so brilliant and gorgeous inside and out. Marcus is so intriguing and cool, and I need a novella about him when he was younger, before Nathan was born. And all the other characters; Nesbitt, Van, and all of them. Except Annalise, I didn't like her in the first book and now I despise her more than anything because of reasons. I won't spoil the story, but if you read the book, you'll hopefully understand my extreme dislike of Annalise.

The story is intense; so intense and so many feelings that I'm not sure how I can handle it all. And I love how dark this story is, and how wild it really is. Compared to this, most YA stories are so tame, and I love how Green does not shy from difficult topics and from all the core that abuse and brewing war brings. Life's not a fairy tale, and this trilogy certainly seems to show the ugly side, too.

The first half of the book - the part were there was no Annalise - was incredible. Don't get me wrong, it was solid, good, and so full of feelings on the second half of the book, but Annalise was being so annoying that I just wanted her to disappear. But anyway, Half Wild was everything. I felt all the feels; I cried, I laughed, I swooned, I got angry, and everything that there is to feel. I love this trilogy to the pieces - I especially love Nathan and Gabriel to the pieces. Preferably together.

 5 of 5 stars.

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