(ARC Review) Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton

BLOOD MAGIC
The Blood Journals #1
Author: Tessa Gratton
Source: Amazon Vine
*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (May 24, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0375867333
ISBN-13: 978-0375867330

SUMMARY:

This page-turning debut novel will entice fans who like their paranormal romances dark and disturbing. It's a natural next-read for fans of Stephenie Meyer, Carrie Jones, and Becca Fitzpatrick. But instead of mythical creatures, blood magic has everything to do with primal human desires like power, wealth, and immortality.

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.

MY THOUGHTS:

In her debut novel, author Tess Gratton brings to the table magic, blood, suspense and romance.  This would seem like the perfect combination for an amazing book.  While I had high hopes for the story, and there were great parts through out, I still felt kind of disappointed in it.


When Silla's parents die in a horrific way, the whole town believes that her Father went crazy and killed not only himself, but her mother as well.  Silla refuses to believe that her Father could do such a thing and has never accepted what has been said even though her brother Reese feels that maybe he did do it.  Silla receives a package that is signed by The Deacon and discovers it is a book of spells based on Blood Magic.  When she unleashes the magic within the pages, not only does she involve her brother, but newcomer Nick as well.  What Silla doesn't know is that Nick already knows about magic and knows how evil it can be.  As the three of them try to understand the magic and spells, they realize that there is something more sinister that is going on besides the blood sacrifices they make for spells.


With drama and suspense, the author had my interest from the get go.  There were moments though that the book seemed to falter and the pace slowed to a point to where I wanted to skip pages.  Even though it did this, I kept going because I needed to know what everything meant.  I admit, at times I was a little confused with the storyline.  There were times that things didn't go together and the characters seemed to fall out of the personality that the author had first created.  I also didn't like how the book ended with so many unanswered questions and certain characters not being revealed.  Even with these problems in the book, I still thought it was a very decent read for a debut novel.  It had all the factors that I wanted including mystery, romance, 
heartbreak, paranormal and possessions. 


Not a book that would end up on my keeper shelf, but one that I would read the next in the series.  I am anxious to see what book two will hold and maybe clear up some questions from this book.  Not bad for a debut novel and I hope the author can bring us more in the future!


MY RATING:

 
Okay book, but it left me wanting more! 3 STARS