Title: Blood, She Read
Author: Sara Hubbard
Genre: YA paranormal
Publisher: Etopia Press
Blurb: Seventeen-year old Petra Maras lives a charmed life—but only in the magical sense. Her absentee father is a criminal, her mother is emotionally dead, and everyone at her new school knows she comes from a family of witches. All she wants is to be normal, but this is impossible given her family. When a cop approaches her and asks her to use her psychic abilities to help him solve a murder she is unsure if she should say yes. Magic has brought her nothing but grief, but in the end she agrees, thinking it might help make up for all the horrible things she did in her past. She sees the scene of the crime but can’t hear a name or see a face. This proves problematic when the main suspect decides he wants to date her.
* A NEORWA’s 2012 Cleveland Rocks Contest Winner (Young Adult category)
** A Finalist in RCRW’s 2012 Duel on the Delta contest (Young Adult category)
My Review
First Line: “The police cruiser turned onto my street and accelerated through spun-up dirt.” – This opening immediately gives the story an ominous and urgent feel and the next few sentences only continue to build the tension.
What I Liked: The story is set in Canada! It makes a lovely change from all the US settings I’ve read lately. Although this story is very much a teen romance, I think the protagonist’s mom steals the show. The relationship dynamic between Petra and Gina is just fantastic, making for some humurous and poignant moments. It is this relationship that elevates Blood, She Read above other books in this genre. The writing is great and extremely voicey. Petra is a great MC and a great narrator, letting the reader experience the tumultuous world through her eyes.
What I Didn’t Like: The ease with which one of the characters seemed to pick up magic but there’s a loose end there that I’m hoping will be tied up in the next book.
Bonus Points: Sebastian. I wish he’d had a bigger role in this story and I’m really hoping he comes back in the next book. I see so much potential for this character and really liked him despite only meeting him briefly.
My Rating: 4 ink splats. This is a great YA read for fans of books like The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. I loved the forest clad Canadian setting, loved the characters – particularly Gina – and really want things to work out well for Petra. If you’re looking for a paranormal story peppered with romance and served with a side dish of family drama, then you should definitely read this book.
