Starred Review Black and white, good and evil. Is it really that straightforward? For 16-year-old Nathan, it is not; he is neither. Born the illegitimate son of a white witch mother and a black witch father, he is a Half Code, kept in a cage, beaten regularly, and toughened up for when he turns 17 and receives his three gifts. Both black and white witches want him, hoping he will lead them to his father, the most powerful, evil, and reviled of all black witches. Both plan for Nathan to fulfill his vision and their ultimate goal: he will kill his father. But Nathan has no desire to kill anyone; he wants only to escape his shackles and gain his freedom. First-time author Green has written the first in what looks to be a horrifying, compelling trilogy that pushes the boundaries of what we believe to be good and evil. With racial overtones of such diverse titles as Roots (1976); Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852); Run, Boy, Run (2003); and the Harry Potter books, this will stretch the reader's tolerance for graphic torture while mesmerizing with mystery and heart-stopping adventure. Nathan's survival is tenuous and marvelous d only just beginning. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Green's debut was optioned for film by Fox 2000, and rights have been sold in 27 countries. If that's not enough, an extensive national marketing campaign is in the works.

The novel begins with Nathan--son of a "good" White Witch mother and an "evil" Black Witch father--a prisoner in a cage. Flashbacks reveal his early life with his grandmother and half-siblings among White Witches who ostracize him. Green's characterization and plotting keep readers invested in Nathan's journey as he grows up, figuring out whom he can trust and how he'll survive.

A teenage witch persecuted from birth must find his father, the most notoriously evil witch alive, or die. Nathan Byrn grew up hearing tales of how his father, the famed Black Witch Marcus, murdered his mother's husband and caused her to commit suicide. By age 11, he's been designated a Half Code due to his mixed parentage, a status met with fear and disgust by most. Viewed by the Council as both a threat and a key weapon against Marcus, Nathan is caged by his 16th birthday. Nathan knows that as a Black Witch, he'll die if not given three gifts on his next birthday by a blood relative; Marcus is his only hope. After a palpably grueling ordeal in the cage, Nathan finally, too easily, escapes and resolves to find Marcus. Green propels Nathan forward with the help of often underdeveloped secondary characters, who are overshadowed by the imaginary relationship Nathan builds with his father; it is this that keeps both Nathan and readers going. Readers will hope for Nathan's sake that the fantasy father he's built from stories he's heard and his own imagination won't let him down. A cliffhanger indicates that the arc of Nathan's emotional trajectory will continue. Nathan's harrowing quest to build a father-son relationship will compel readers to the sequel even if the slim romantic subplot and looming threat of the Council do not. (Fantasy. 12 & up)

Nathan is the Half Code son of a White Witch and a Black Witch, and no White Witch will let him forget it. While Whites try to fit in amid normal "fains," secretly manipulating society, the Blacks are dangerous loners who, according to the Whites, have no purpose but murdering other witches to steal their powers. Nathan, whose father is Marcus-the most hated of Black Witches-falls in love with a White Witch girl, is taken into custody by the all-powerful Council, and, for years, is both tortured and trained in secret to murder his father. Then, just before Nathan's 17th birthday, he escapes, with only months to find someone to help him receive his own magical gifts. This grim and thrilling tale, first in a planned trilogy, features understated prose that lets readers' imaginations fill in the blanks, as well as a well-developed sense of Witch culture. Nathan, the damaged survivor of horrific abuse, is an unforgettable protagonist, and Green expertly captures his torment at being caught between the mutually hostile sides of his heritage. Ages 12-up. Agent: Claire Wilson, Rogers, Coleridge & White. (Mar.)

Gr 8 Up-Good witch or bad witch? This is the question that plagues 17-year-old Nathan, the product of two witches, one white, and one the infamous, hated black witch, Marcus. Readers will be intrigued by this work from the very beginning, as it opens in medias res, with Nathan living in a cage but attempting at every opportunity to escape, being submitted to beatings and ill treatment from a strange woman. Soon, flashbacks reveal Nathan's backstory: his precarious position in society is a result of his mixed parentage, and their hatred for his father Marcus, who murdered many white witches, led to the council of white witches taking the boy from his home with his grandmother and half-siblings to a life as a prisoner. While these characters inhabit a world that melds the supernatural with real life, the plot centers primarily on witchcraft, and there are few non-witch characters (or fain, as they are referred to). Nathan's feelings of self-loathing that grow as a result of the ostracism he experiences from those around him, coupled with a yearning to know more about Marcus, will resonate with readers; the first-person narration expertly conveys his anguish and alienation, as well his search for a sense for identity. Other characters tend to be sketchier by comparison, especially as the pace picks up after Nathan escapes and his journey takes off. Some of the violence (beatings, bullying, and even torture feature here) may be off-putting to more sensitive readers, but lovers of dark fantasy should enjoy this energetic, gripping volume. Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal

In a world divided by two factions at war, Nathan is caught in the middle, for he is neither a White Witch nor a Black Witch, but a Half Codehalf White and half Black. Nathan must overcome more than the tyrannical ordinances that govern his life and separation from the girl he loves, for destiny has ordained that he must kill his evil Black Witch father, a man who, more than anything, Nathan just wishes to know. On his journey to escape from the Hunters, cruel White Witches who cage and torment him, Nathan searches to understand his past and find a way to receive the three gifts that will allow him to come into his power, gifts only a family member can bestow. Yet family is something Nathan both desires and fears, for he also seeks to understand his own nature and if he is truly a White or Black Witch.The first in a trilogy, Half Bad follows the beginning of Nathan's journey for self-understanding and escape from persecution as he struggles to decide whom he can trust. Told at times in first- and second-person, the story allows unique insights into Nathan's perspectives, including the fast-paced escapes and heart-wrenching torment. An interesting spin on the paranormal that runs adjacent to some important social issues, Half Bad leaves readers questioning if the division between good and evil is ever as simple as black and white.Meghann Meeusen.