Nathan has the magical power of self-healing but hasn’t yet come of age. He is being guarded and trained by a middle-aged witch named Celia. In following Nathan’s life and the abuse he suffers, the novel explores the themes of Separating Good from Evil, Wild Versus Tame, and Identity and Identification.Īt the story's beginning, 15-year-old Nathan Edge is imprisoned in an outdoor cage in a rural area of England. Since Nathan is half Fairborn and half Blood, he has drawn the ire of the Council of Fairborn Witches, which seeks to control him for its own purposes. Part 2 of the book and all the succeeding chapters describe Nathan’s suffering at the hands of Fairborn Witches who have a vendetta against the faction of Blood Witches. The boy unsuccessfully tries to escape and suffers numerous injuries, which he self-heals. The reader soon learns that the boy has magical abilities and is being confined by a witch, who seems to be both his jailer and caregiver. He is a teenage boy who repeatedly tries to escape. However, events are consistently described from the perspective of the teenage protagonist, Nathan.Īs the novel begins, an unnamed speaker describes the experience of living in an outdoor cage. The point of view occasionally shifts between second and first person. The novel's timeframe is not linear and frequently consists of flashbacks by the main character from when he was four until his 17th birthday. Half Bad is set in contemporary England, where witches live alongside ordinary humans and blend into mainstream society. Such material may be inappropriate for younger or more sensitive readers. This study guide and all its page citations are based on the book's Kindle edition.Ĭontent Warning: The book contains graphic descriptions of torture, violence, and physical abuse, much of which is directed at or perpetrated by children. It is classified under Teen & Young Adult Fiction on Social & Family Violence and Teen & Young Adult Fiction About Parents.

Half Bad is a young adult fantasy for readers over 12 or in grades 7 to 12.

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