Blood Magic (Blood Journals, #1)

by Tessa Gratton

[notajammiedodger]

I really liked this book. I've never really read anything like it before, so it was a very refreshing change. The only other book that I have read about magic is Beautiful Creatures, but Blood Magic was still really different from that.

Nick and Silla are special, they can do magic. Blood Magic. Silla came home one day and discovered her parents in a pool of their own blood. They told her that her father shot her mother and then shot himself. Nick is the new guy in town who we learn had a disturbing childhood with the magic. When their paths cross and Nick finds Silla in the cemetery doing magic he is instantly worried and partly intrigued. Nick, Silla and Silla's brother Reese all work together to try and learn what really happened to their parents and stumble across someone who uses the blood magic for evil.

The story was really well written. I like stories that switch between the guy and the girl, it gives you more of an insight to both of their stories and feelings. The journal entries were an interesting way to get some of the background story of the characters. I enjoyed reading about Silla and Nick's relationship. It was very real. There was no, they see each other for the first time and know that they're meant for each other, it's just normal. They're two teenagers, they develop crushes on each other, they're full of regular teenage desires.

I liked all of the characters in the story. Nick calling Silla babe so much, and so early in their relationship was a little annoying, but other than that I really liked Nick. Silla was interesting. The Silla we see in the book is very opposite from the person she used to be. The Silla we meet is broken and very damaged from what she has gone through. I found it interesting how she used the idea of masks to keep her emotions hidden from people. Gram Judy was sweet. Reese was a really good brother. Josephine was a really well written and developed character. She was fun and really interesting to read about.

I really enjoyed this book. It was really different, I have never really read anything like it before. There was a lot of blood and dead bodies in this story. So some of it would be a little scary and disturbing for some people. I would probably recommend of 14 or 15 +

I love the cover of this book. The copy that I read had a plain white cover. I personally like the black better. The white seemed too pure and good, where I felt the blood magic was a little bad and maybe even a little evil. So the black cover with the forest looming in the back ground suits the story much more for me. I love the chipped nail polish, very nice touch. It makes me think of Silla. Going through such a traumatizing experience, just trying to go with the flow and just get through the days, neglecting something as mundane as repainting your fingernails.

This review is also on my blog The Confessions of a Book Nerd :)