Review: Blood Magic

Title: Blood Magic

Author: Tessa Gratton

Publisher: Random House

Pages: 405

Source: Friend

Rating: 4/5

(Goodreads) Summary:

 It starts off simply.
Draw a circle ... place a dead leaf in the center ... sprinkle some salt ... recite a little Latin ... add a drop of blood ...
Maybe that last part isn't exactly simple. Yet somehow it feels right to Silla Kennicott. And nothing in her life has felt remotely right since her parents' horrific deaths. She's willing to do anything to uncover the truth about her family—even try a few spells from the mysterious book that arrived on her doorstep ... and spill some blood.
The book isn't the only recent arrival in Silla's life. There's Nick Pardee, the new guy next door who may have seen Silla casting a spell. She's not sure what he saw and is afraid to find out. But as they spend more time together, Silla realizes this may not be Nick's first encounter with Blood Magic. Brought together by a combination of fate and chemistry, Silla and Nick can't deny their attraction. And they can't ignore the dark presence lurking nearby—waiting to reclaim the book and all its power.
Tessa Gratton's intoxicating first novel will keep pulses racing, minds reeling, and pages turning right up to the very last drop of blood.
 
My Thoughts:
 
If this is the first time you have stumbled across a review for this book, do not let the summary discourage you. After reading Blood Magic then re-reading the blurb, I found they are completely different. The summary hardly even mentions the antagonist who is a big and fascinating part of the book.
 
I am so glad that Tessa decided to incorporate interchanging perspectives. The book switched back and forth from Silla's and Nick's POV and the antagonist's (Josephine) journal entries. Because I read in the eyes of both lovers, I liked Silla and Nick a lot. But if the book was written only in Nick's perspective, I most likely wouldn't have liked Silla and vice versa. Reading Josephine's journal entries was fun and interesting because there was a better understanding of the antagonist and her intentions.
 
The plot was, for the most part, unoriginal but still enjoyable. It started with the main characters' parents dying in a tragic and unexplainable accident, then a new boy comes to town and together they discover powers they never had before, fall in love, and eventually solve the mystery of the parents' deaths. Despite the unoriginal story line, I still loved reading about the blood magic which is very new to me.
 
Tessa's writing was smooth and easy to read. She does a wonderful job of creating a unique personality for each character that readers are sure to connect to. She added just enough suspense, romance, and (of course) blood to keep the pages turning.
 
 Overall, Blood Magic was a fun and fascinating read.. Anyone who likes witches and magic is sure to lose themselves in this book.