13 Feb 2012 No Comments
Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton
Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton
ARC : 416 pages
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (May 24, 2011)
Blood Journals Series # 1
Everywhere Silla Kennicott turns she sees blood. She can’t stop thinking about her parents alleged murder-suicide. She is consumed by a book filled with spells that arrives mysteriously in the mail. The spells share one common ingredient: blood, and Silla is more than willing to cast a few. What’s a little spilled blood if she can uncover the truth? And then there’s Nick—the new guy at school who makes her pulse race. He has a few secrets of his own and is all too familiar with the lure of blood magic. Drawn together by a combination of fate and chemistry, Silla and Nick must find out who else in their small Missouri town knows their secret and will do anything to take the book and magic from Silla.
As you peruse your local bookstore shelves, you can definitely see that the paranormal genre is a focal point in the literary world, and finding a good paranormal read can be a daunting task. Look no further because Gratton has produced a satisfying novel that will surely please. “Blood Magic” offers more than the typical adventure into the genre, giving the reader a lot to gnaw on as the plot unfolds. Gratton’s “Blood Magic” is a twisting tale that unfolds in layers, as the characters’ journey into the world of blood magic progresses. From the moment the main character, Silla, receives a book of spells that her father had written, the intensity increases, giving birth to a fantastic and mysterious adventure. Silla is lured into the world of magic, learning much more than how to cast a spell. There are so many levels to this novel that you can easily get sucked into the characters’ lives, personalities, and the world of blood magic.
The novel is told from several points of view, which can be unsatisfying for some readers. As the point of view shifts from Silla Kenicott to her neighbor, Nick Pardee, you feel the intensity of their personalities take hold of the story, sucking you in to each and every detail of the twisting plotline. The third POV is told from an unusual, yet intriguing source, a diary from the early 1900’s. This viewpoint was as enthralling as, and in some cases, more so than the present-day adventure. The detailed descriptions of the time period were vivid and realistic, adding a dramatic quality to an already intense story. Jumping back and forth between the journal entries and the present day story was fantastic, Gratton gives you just enough of one before dropping you into the other, keeping you on the edge of your seat and begging for more. The climatic intersecting of the parallel storylines is a moment that is both shocking and unbelievable.
Overall, I found “Blood Magic” to be a mesmerizing read that is a fitting for both young adults and adult alike. Gratton definitely weaved a dark, mysterious and gripping tale that sets her novel apart from others in its genre. There are moments that are not for the faint of heart, but these moments are rare and last mere seconds. Readers that enjoy a gripping tale filled with magic, mystery, and adventure will definitely enjoy Gratton’s debut novel. “Blood Magic” is the first book in the Blood Journals series. More Please!
