georgiarousi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
lolasreviews's review against another edition
5.0
I really like this book. It is about blood magic, a subject I never read a book about before, so that's a plus point. The story contains two perspectives one about Silla a girl who finds out blood magic is real and Nick the boy who falls in love with her and knows things about blood magic too. Then there are pieces of someones dairy that you get between the chapters, only in the end you learn to who the dairy belonged to. I really liked these different perspectives, because you get to know what three people are thinking and this leads to more understanding and depth. It is the debut novel of this author, but it is really well writen. Another good point is that the story starts right where things get interesting without the long intro some other books have. The story is dark, but contains romance too. It is about their normal lives and the blood magic. This is a book you have to read.
bokbubblan's review against another edition
1.0
Nä, inte bra! Först när jag läste de allra första kapitlen verkade den spännande och intressant, men efter exakt 246 sidor gav jag upp. Jag menar vilken boksugssläckare! Egentligen vet jag inte riktigt vad det är jag stör mig på... förmodligen hela storyn. Till min besvikelse var det här inte någon bok för mig. :(
seffra's review against another edition
4.0
This book was good but you felt how long it was... with some books, you don't feel it's length. The story is really good and the characters are likeable. I'm still looking forward to a sequel!!
amarylissw's review against another edition
2.0
This book might've been good . . . if it was half its size. I kid you not, so much of this book was wasted — completely dull dronings that no one really cares about fill way too many pages. A simple paragraph could summarize chapters and chapters and do a much better job of it. (Also, half of the book is also spent kissing. I'm really not joking here, people: if you were to count the number of times Silla and Nicholas kiss I can bet it's over a hundred (or a thousand).)
rosekk's review against another edition
4.0
I loved the characters of this book - Silla with her masks and Nick with his sarcasm. It was good to hear the story from both their points of view as well. There are a few mysteries still left, so although the story seemed to finish I wonder if there might be a sequel.
demonsreadtoo's review against another edition
4.0
There’s just something about witches, magic, it’s just so much fun to read. I mean, who hasn’t grown up imagining they had their own powers, flinging their hands about, casting spells. It’s fun. Blood Magic throws us into a world full of secrets, yet does it in a way that doesn’t try and choke you with information up front. It allows you to grow with the main character, Silla, as she discovers the magic an actually care about the people in her life. Yes, it’s another ‘dead parents’ book, but their deaths play a strong part in building Silla, rather than it done just to let her roam free for the span of the book.
Read the full review at my blog, Demons Read Too
Read the full review at my blog, Demons Read Too
alli_the_bookaholic13's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Death of parent, Death, Animal death, Drug abuse, and Blood
Minor: Eating disorder, Gun violence, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
taliaissmart's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. Just wow.
This book was incredible. I don't know what anybody meant by it being "too slow." For me, it was really hard to put down.
I loved the majority of the characters. Silla drew me in immediately, I found Gram Judy hilarious, and I wished Reese were my big brother. I liked Josephine at first, and her slow descent into power-hungry insanity was interesting to follow. The only character that I didn't like quite as much was Nick. He seemed nice, for sure, but the way he went from total obnoxious bad-boy in the beginning to sweet and fearless in only a couple of weeks/days(?) seemed unrealistic. (Not that I always mind things being unrealistic. I'm totally down with instalove :P) Also, it drove me crazy when Nick called Silla "babe." If you respect her, you should use her actual NAME.
Multiple narrators in books tends to irritate me, but I thought it fit this story very well. Especially the use of Josephine's diary entries to let the reader in on why she turned out the way she did. I looked forward to each of the main characters' perspectives on things, and couldn't wait to read each of Josephine's diary entries.
The plot was wonderful. Immortality is tempting, but it comes with a price, for sure. All the possession creeped me out, and made me totally paranoid along with Silla, Nick, and Reese. It was impossible to know when the villain would take someone else's body. Speaking of the villain, the mystery shrouding his/her identity was FANTASTIC. I never would have correctly guessed that The scene at the end, filled with destruction, was super-satisfying.
The actual ending of the book, the last chapter, was so-so. I thought it wasn't over yet, so I turned the page and there were the acknowledgements. I hate it when that happens :/
Great book overall. :D
This book was incredible. I don't know what anybody meant by it being "too slow." For me, it was really hard to put down.
I loved the majority of the characters. Silla drew me in immediately, I found Gram Judy hilarious, and I wished Reese were my big brother.
Spoiler
When he died, I almost cried :'(Multiple narrators in books tends to irritate me, but I thought it fit this story very well. Especially the use of Josephine's diary entries to let the reader in on why she turned out the way she did. I looked forward to each of the main characters' perspectives on things, and couldn't wait to read each of Josephine's diary entries.
The plot was wonderful. Immortality is tempting, but it comes with a price, for sure. All the possession creeped me out, and made me totally paranoid along with Silla, Nick, and Reese. It was impossible to know when the villain would take someone else's body. Speaking of the villain, the mystery shrouding his/her identity was FANTASTIC. I never would have correctly guessed that
Spoiler
Ms. Tripp was Josephine, but it totally makes sense now.The actual ending of the book, the last chapter, was so-so. I thought it wasn't over yet, so I turned the page and there were the acknowledgements. I hate it when that happens :/
Great book overall. :D
hollylash's review against another edition
1.0
I had many problems with this book, but one overall trumped the list. I. Was. So. BOOOOOREEEDDD!!!!
Usually, I never not finish a book. I usually find some reason to plow through.But this... I just--. I don't even know.
The summary on the jacket basically explains the first hundred pages. Silla (Drusilla) heroine of mysterious dead parents gets magic book written by father, figures out it works, proceeds to make stupid choice after stupid choice all the while swooning over her love interest who is not all that interesting: Nick.
This book drags. I read about 200 pages and I could summarize everything that happened in one paragraph. One of the biggest things that bugged me was the characters' denseness. It takes them several chapters to figure out something we've already put together from page one and it's frustrating to have to sit there and read them putting every thought together to comne to 1+1=2. We know from the start that there's something odd about Silla's parent's deaths, but it isn't until about mid one hundreds that Silla finally goes, "Maybe, there's something here."
And the characters! The characters were just vapid. At first, I thought Silla was interesting, but, over time, her apathy around everyone but Nick proved to be grating. I get that it's tramatic to find one's parents dead and it's made even worse by the rumor going around that her dad killed her mom and then shot himself. But, as a reader, I don't want to read hundres of pages of her listlessly drifting from scene to scene, bemoaning about everything until Nick appear and hangs the moon in her sky and puts the spark back in life with one look. Now, I wouldn't mind this so much if Nick was the least bit interesting, but he's not. He's an asshole (he states this himself) and thinks hes too good for this small town he's ended up in. He also keeps complaining about his step mother and, from what I read, despite the creepy vibe, she never does anything that's OMFG-terrible-kill-the-bitch. He justs comes off as whiny and annoying.The sad thing is Silla had potential, but it was never realized. Maybe in the next 200 pages or so she blossoms, but nothing I read ever hinted at that.
The romance was just MEH. It wasn't good, it wasn't horrible enough to send me throwing the book across the room. It was typical love at first sight, drown in each other's eyes, the sun does not rise until I see your smile stuff without one hint of actual reasons for such devotion. I'm used to it by now, sadly.
Second, and this was my major problem with the book: the dual perspectives. The book alternates between Silla and Nick. There are two things wrong this. 1) the author can not write for a guy's persepective. Nick sounds like Silla. Silla sounds like Nick--they both sound like teenage girls. Dont' wrtie from a guy's point of view if you can't; just don't. Some people have it (see Gena Showalter who I think does this fabulously) and some people don't. Men and woman sound different, notice different things, and have different thoughts. As an author, you need to show that, otherwise it sounds weird and awkward. 2) the perspectives change at the most awkward times. Right in the middle of the scene, Silla's part will end and the same scene will pick up with Nick narrating it from a few moments before where Silla ended. This leads to some awkward backtracking and needless sentences and it's just all very BLAH and uninteresting.
Let me tell you what scene I came to right before putting this book down and giving up. The rabbit scene. Other reviewers have already talked about this and now let me add my two cents.
Silla's sitting there, wondering if other blood will work for the spell. So she does what any sane teenage girl would do: she goes and chops a rabbits head off and lets it bleed out into a tubberware container. Now, let me start this off by saying that I have no problem with books taking it to dark places, dealing with unnerving, sometimes disturbing topics. BUT IT HAS TO HAVE A POINT!!! Silla, right after killing the rabbit, waits too long to use the blood and ends up throwing it out. But not before her brother finds her with it and doesn't even state the obvious like: "YOU NEED SOME SERIOUS HELP!!!!" Silla just goes about as usual. In real life, this girl would be a psyche ward by now, her sanity being evaluated. (This probably would've made for a more decent story line.) But in this world, all she gets is therapy sessions as she listlessly drifts about until Nick comes along again. THERE HAS TO BE CONSQUENCES FOR THIS AND YET THERE AREN'T. IT'S ALL VERY FRUSTRATING.
Silla is the heroine. We're supposed to root for her. How can we root for a character who obviously has problems and yet is excused beacuse her parents died. Silla has issues, she needs help, yet this is never acknowledged outside the few comments from her classmates and they're usually brushed off because, 'They don't understand. They're shallow and stupid compared to the ocean of depthness that is Silla. And they're rude and obnoxious for stating the obvious.'
So overall, I found Blood Magic to be a dull, listless (word of the day) read. I could see why people might like it though. The writing's decent, stuff happens at least, and there's this omninous tone present. Unfortunately, I didn't have the patience to trudge through all the crap to find that something alluring.
Usually, I never not finish a book. I usually find some reason to plow through.But this... I just--. I don't even know.
The summary on the jacket basically explains the first hundred pages. Silla (Drusilla) heroine of mysterious dead parents gets magic book written by father, figures out it works, proceeds to make stupid choice after stupid choice all the while swooning over her love interest who is not all that interesting: Nick.
This book drags. I read about 200 pages and I could summarize everything that happened in one paragraph. One of the biggest things that bugged me was the characters' denseness. It takes them several chapters to figure out something we've already put together from page one and it's frustrating to have to sit there and read them putting every thought together to comne to 1+1=2. We know from the start that there's something odd about Silla's parent's deaths, but it isn't until about mid one hundreds that Silla finally goes, "Maybe, there's something here."
And the characters! The characters were just vapid. At first, I thought Silla was interesting, but, over time, her apathy around everyone but Nick proved to be grating. I get that it's tramatic to find one's parents dead and it's made even worse by the rumor going around that her dad killed her mom and then shot himself. But, as a reader, I don't want to read hundres of pages of her listlessly drifting from scene to scene, bemoaning about everything until Nick appear and hangs the moon in her sky and puts the spark back in life with one look. Now, I wouldn't mind this so much if Nick was the least bit interesting, but he's not. He's an asshole (he states this himself) and thinks hes too good for this small town he's ended up in. He also keeps complaining about his step mother and, from what I read, despite the creepy vibe, she never does anything that's OMFG-terrible-kill-the-bitch. He justs comes off as whiny and annoying.The sad thing is Silla had potential, but it was never realized. Maybe in the next 200 pages or so she blossoms, but nothing I read ever hinted at that.
The romance was just MEH. It wasn't good, it wasn't horrible enough to send me throwing the book across the room. It was typical love at first sight, drown in each other's eyes, the sun does not rise until I see your smile stuff without one hint of actual reasons for such devotion. I'm used to it by now, sadly.
Second, and this was my major problem with the book: the dual perspectives. The book alternates between Silla and Nick. There are two things wrong this. 1) the author can not write for a guy's persepective. Nick sounds like Silla. Silla sounds like Nick--they both sound like teenage girls. Dont' wrtie from a guy's point of view if you can't; just don't. Some people have it (see Gena Showalter who I think does this fabulously) and some people don't. Men and woman sound different, notice different things, and have different thoughts. As an author, you need to show that, otherwise it sounds weird and awkward. 2) the perspectives change at the most awkward times. Right in the middle of the scene, Silla's part will end and the same scene will pick up with Nick narrating it from a few moments before where Silla ended. This leads to some awkward backtracking and needless sentences and it's just all very BLAH and uninteresting.
Let me tell you what scene I came to right before putting this book down and giving up. The rabbit scene. Other reviewers have already talked about this and now let me add my two cents.
Silla's sitting there, wondering if other blood will work for the spell. So she does what any sane teenage girl would do: she goes and chops a rabbits head off and lets it bleed out into a tubberware container. Now, let me start this off by saying that I have no problem with books taking it to dark places, dealing with unnerving, sometimes disturbing topics. BUT IT HAS TO HAVE A POINT!!! Silla, right after killing the rabbit, waits too long to use the blood and ends up throwing it out. But not before her brother finds her with it and doesn't even state the obvious like: "YOU NEED SOME SERIOUS HELP!!!!" Silla just goes about as usual. In real life, this girl would be a psyche ward by now, her sanity being evaluated. (This probably would've made for a more decent story line.) But in this world, all she gets is therapy sessions as she listlessly drifts about until Nick comes along again. THERE HAS TO BE CONSQUENCES FOR THIS AND YET THERE AREN'T. IT'S ALL VERY FRUSTRATING.
Silla is the heroine. We're supposed to root for her. How can we root for a character who obviously has problems and yet is excused beacuse her parents died. Silla has issues, she needs help, yet this is never acknowledged outside the few comments from her classmates and they're usually brushed off because, 'They don't understand. They're shallow and stupid compared to the ocean of depthness that is Silla. And they're rude and obnoxious for stating the obvious.'
So overall, I found Blood Magic to be a dull, listless (word of the day) read. I could see why people might like it though. The writing's decent, stuff happens at least, and there's this omninous tone present. Unfortunately, I didn't have the patience to trudge through all the crap to find that something alluring.