Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper

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Title: Salt & Storm
Author: Kendall Kulper
Length: 416 pages
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Classification: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Witches, Magic, Historical
Release Date: September 23, 2014
Source: e-galley (I was approved for this ARC via NetGalley. Thank you Little Brown!)
Read: July 2014

GoodReads 
Barnes & Noble
Books-a-Million

A sweeping historical romance about a witch who foresees her own murder--and the one boy who can help change her future.
Sixteen-year-old Avery Roe wants only to take her rightful place as the witch of Prince Island, making the charms that keep the island's whalers safe at sea, but her mother has forced her into a magic-free world of proper manners and respectability. When Avery dreams she's to be murdered, she knows time is running out to unlock her magic and save herself.
Avery finds an unexpected ally in a tattooed harpoon boy named Tane--a sailor with magic of his own, who moves Avery in ways she never expected. Becoming a witch might stop her murder and save her island from ruin, but Avery discovers her magic requires a sacrifice she never prepared for. (From GoodReads)

***I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***



My Rating:

After seeing the cover of this book and reading the summary, I was so glad that I was approved by Little Brown via NetGalley to read an ARC!
The cover is so lovely. I really like that the picture is simple, but at the same time pretty. And I love the font used for the title!

I really liked this take on Witches. I really found their abilities and how they do magic/charms very interesting. 

The Story:

I really like that the story wasn't only about what was happening to the characters in the story, but also about the history of the island and the Roe witches. I think the author did a great job at including a lot of background and information while not overshadowing the plot and storyline. 

I really like the  setting and the descriptions. There were times where I wished I could be on this island, seeing what the characters would be seeing. 

I like that there was a mystery feel to the story as well. I was very interested in the mysterious dream that the main character, Avery, kept having. I also really enjoyed the mystery surrounding the other characters. I felt like they all were mysterious in their own ways. I had fun trying to figure out what was going on with those characters individually and how it relates to Avery.  
 For most of the book, I was left guessing what would happen next. But around the middle of the story, I made a guess for what I thought would happen and ended up being close. But it didn't take away from me enjoying the book. And it definitely did not keep me from feeling emotions about the events and the ending. 

The Characters:

 I think that the characters are well written with well-developed backstories. I found them to be very fascinating characters and I enjoyed learning more about them as the story progressed.

Avery is interesting, determined, and at times stubborn. But I really like that she knew what it was she wanted and that she would do whatever she could to fight to achieve it. 

Tane is a very mysterious character. While reading the story, I kept thinking about how there was so much more I wanted to know about his character. I was very happy with the development and found his backstory to be captivating. 

Avery's Mother is a frustrating character for me. We view her from Avery's POV (point of view) and as a reader I could feel the anger and frustration that Avery had for her mother. 

My Recommendation:

If you like reading about witches and like informational stories, then I would recommend giving this book a read. The story was fascinating and mysterious. I liked the characters and the island. 

Half Bad by Sally Green

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Title: Half Bad (Half Life #1)

Author: Sally Green

Length: 394 pages

Publisher: Viking (Penguin Group)

Classification: Young Adult, Paranormal, Witches, Magic

Release Date: March 2014

Source: ARC (ARC tour hosted by On The Same Page)

Read: May to June 2014

GoodReads

Half Bad by Sally Green is a breathtaking debut novel about one boy's struggle for survival in a hidden society of witches. You can't read, can't write, but you heal fast, even for a witch. You get sick if you stay indoors after dark. You hate White Witches but love Annalise, who is one. You've been kept in a cage since you were fourteen. All you've got to do is escape and find Mercury, the Black Witch who eats boys. And do that before your seventeenth birthday. (From GoodReads)

First I want to thank Brittany, Alyssa, and Amy (On The Same Page) for hosting the ARC tour. It is fun to get to borrow a book that I am interested in reading.

My Rating:

I wasn't really sure what to expect when I first picked up this book to read. I saw that a lot of bloggers had marked it as To-Read on GoodReads, then I saw the sign-ups for the ARC tour and decided to give it a try.

The Story:
I started to read the book and was instantly confused by the writing style. I kept reading, but there were a couple times in the beginning I started thinking, "This might not be for me. I might end up DNFing this one."

But I kept reading. And I am so GLAD that I did!

Once I got past the interesting writing style, I loved the story. It was interesting and unique. And it gave me a lot of feelings, there were times that I was frustrated, upset, angry and heartbroken for Nathan, the main character.

The further I got into the book, the more the story and the characters hooked me.

I really loved the concept and plot of the story. And I liked that the author took the time to explain things without it just being a bunch of information thrown together.

The story kept me guessing. I wasn't sure what was going to happen next and I only guessed something that would happen a couple of times. And most of the time it was just small things.

This was a great starting book for an interesting series. I enjoyed this story enough that I know I will read the next book, and I am anxious to find out what happens next.

The Characters:
I thought the characters were all very well written. There were characters that frustrated me, (but they were supposed to) and there were characters that I felt for.
There were characters that I think were full of depth and they weren't exactly what I thought they were. And there were some characters that I was left wanting to know more about them.
I felt that these are characters that I can feel for and care about. And I am excited to find out more about their lives and the things that will happen to them in the next book.

My Recommendation:
If you like interesting stories that involve witches and magic, then I think you should give this book a try. The writing style probably isn't for everyone, and it was a bit different and unique. But once you get used to the writing style, I felt hooked to the story. And I am looking forward to book #2 coming out (hopefully) next year!