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 bl...
read full description
reviews
Oct 20, 2011
Wendy Darling
rated it: 
I can pinpoint the exact moment when I stopped trying to enjoy Blood Magic. As the book began, I was uneasy about the wordiness of the prose, but this is the point at which I gave up:
My heart beat faster, and I had to blink away the halo surrounding him. He was Mephistopheles, smiling and tempting me, his Dr. Faustus, to dance.
If this crazy talk had happened even after a lifetime of knowing each other or under the influence of recreational drugs or if they were both 600 y More...
My heart beat faster, and I had to blink away the halo surrounding him. He was Mephistopheles, smiling and tempting me, his Dr. Faustus, to dance.
If this crazy talk had happened even after a lifetime of knowing each other or under the influence of recreational drugs or if they were both 600 y More...
67 comments
like
(57 people liked it)
May 16, 2011
Tatiana
rated it: 
I can't finish it. My tolerance for YA PNR is very low, but I was looking forward to reading Blood Magic after seeing some really favorable early reviews of it. Can you blame for hoping this book will be another Unearthly?
The novel starts with Silla performing blood magic for the very first time at the cemetery where her parents are buried. Her mother and father recently died in a horrendous murder-suicide; and an enigmatic friend sent Silla her father's notebook of spells which each More...
The novel starts with Silla performing blood magic for the very first time at the cemetery where her parents are buried. Her mother and father recently died in a horrendous murder-suicide; and an enigmatic friend sent Silla her father's notebook of spells which each More...
25 comments
like
(44 people liked it)
Jul 17, 2011
Isamlq
rated it:
It's just a little over four hundred pages and, honestly, there may have been one chapter (or fifteen) too many. From the get, the first thing that came to mind was that I'd read it before: a girl with a tragic past meets hot boy who doesn't get along with his stepmother. Then there's the alternating points of view between Silla and Nick as well as glimpses into someone's past. It was a chore! Normally, switching POVs is something I enjoy... What's not to love when you get the same story told
More...
4 comments
like
(9 people liked it)
Jul 17, 2011
Silent
rated it:
I'm warning you, it's long. When i picked this book up, the plot reminded me of Gillian Shields' "Immortal," which i like; I'd probably lower the rating if i read it again, because back then i was a very lenient reader. Now on to "Blood Magic." There are choppy sentences, unneeded and unwanted details, and it's repetitive. I think Tessa hates the word "that," or doesn't know its use. Tessa likes to compare things to stone.Why is this book so long and slow? Their fi
More...
0 comments
like
(5 people liked it)
Oct 21, 2011
The Romantic Cynic
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Aug 11, 2011
Giselle
rated it: 
Blood Magic is about witches: Finally something other than Vampires and Werewolves! I liked it, I thought it was fun and fresh, but it wasn't enough to really compel me to say "you know, this is a very good book". It was missing something though I cant quite put my finger on it. Regardless, I still almost gave it a 4 star.
The plot is part magical lore, part mystery. Silla's parents died tragically, and although everyone is convinced it was a murder suicide, Silla is not. Afte More...
The plot is part magical lore, part mystery. Silla's parents died tragically, and although everyone is convinced it was a murder suicide, Silla is not. Afte More...
Aug 28, 2011
Jen
rated it: 
This is dark, passionate, bloody and creepy - and I really enjoyed it.
Silla discovered her parents dead in a pool of their own blood, her mother apparently murdered by her father, who then killed himself. This has left deep scars on her psyche, and it continues to play on her mind through the novel. As you can imagine, this is a pretty bloody start to the story, and the blood continues to flow right until the end as all magic requires a blood sacrifice. This might be the most bloody More...
Silla discovered her parents dead in a pool of their own blood, her mother apparently murdered by her father, who then killed himself. This has left deep scars on her psyche, and it continues to play on her mind through the novel. As you can imagine, this is a pretty bloody start to the story, and the blood continues to flow right until the end as all magic requires a blood sacrifice. This might be the most bloody More...
5 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Feb 13, 2011
Because Blood Magic isn't out until May, I don't want to give too much away. Really, here's all you need to know: this book is fantastic.
I love literary books, and I love a good paranormal story -- the darker, the better. However, I haven't found that many books that combine both: literary, layered writing in a ultra-dark paranormal that's super-commercial in concept. Blood Magic is all that, and more.
From the first page, Tessa's prose blew me away. It's absolutely gorgeous. More...
I love literary books, and I love a good paranormal story -- the darker, the better. However, I haven't found that many books that combine both: literary, layered writing in a ultra-dark paranormal that's super-commercial in concept. Blood Magic is all that, and more.
From the first page, Tessa's prose blew me away. It's absolutely gorgeous. More...
2 comments
like
(7 people liked it)
Oct 21, 2011
Amanda
rated it:
Blood Magic is the story of Silla, whose parents had just tragically died, and her discovery of magic through the use of blood. She develops a relationship with new-guy-on-the-block, Nicholas. Fortunately, however, this novel does not revolve around their "romance", but the mysteries behind Silla's parents' death.
I found the story itself engaging. Nothing new, I admit, but interesting nonetheless. It had enough twists, and one thing I appreciate is the fact that Tessa Gratt More...
I found the story itself engaging. Nothing new, I admit, but interesting nonetheless. It had enough twists, and one thing I appreciate is the fact that Tessa Gratt More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Aug 04, 2011
Casey (The Bookish Type)
rated it: 
In Blood Magic, Tessa Gratton weaves together fantasy and sorcery to create an utterly original story -- a mythology of magic and sacrifice, betrayal and death. One of the most bewitching aspects of the novel was its lore, the history and the mysteries of blood magic, the double-edged sword of sacrifice and the seduction and destruction of power. Just when readers think they've got it all figured out, Gratton sweeps them away on a tide of uncertainty. The world Gratton creates isn't black or whi
More...
0 comments
like
(4 people liked it)
Jul 16, 2011
Izabela
rated it:
TEN STARS!! :D
Minions and Minionettes of Awesome, I'm here to tell you that there's *way* more to this novel than a B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L. cover ... which, incidentally, has everything to do with the story and is about ten times MORE gorgeous in person ... matte, lumpy, shiny, *SQUEE* ... :D Blood Magic is one of the most W.O.N.D.E.R.F.U.L. books I've ever read. Take my word for it: Paranormal Young Adult doesn't get a whole lot better than this.
"I am Josephine Darly, an More...
Minions and Minionettes of Awesome, I'm here to tell you that there's *way* more to this novel than a B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L. cover ... which, incidentally, has everything to do with the story and is about ten times MORE gorgeous in person ... matte, lumpy, shiny, *SQUEE* ... :D Blood Magic is one of the most W.O.N.D.E.R.F.U.L. books I've ever read. Take my word for it: Paranormal Young Adult doesn't get a whole lot better than this.
"I am Josephine Darly, an More...
5 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Oct 26, 2011
Katherine
rated it:
"slowly, I crouched down and touched my palms to the ground. They tingled, especially my left palm where the scar was. It pulsed, as though the blood just under my skin wanted out."
RATING: 3.5 out of 5
This book was surprisingly good and unique. I loved that the book was told from two different characters: Silla and Nick but along with that was also diary entries from a woman named Josephine Darly who we aren’t sure for most of the novel what she has to do with t More...
RATING: 3.5 out of 5
This book was surprisingly good and unique. I loved that the book was told from two different characters: Silla and Nick but along with that was also diary entries from a woman named Josephine Darly who we aren’t sure for most of the novel what she has to do with t More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
May 04, 2011
Mocha ღ Latte
rated it:
More of my reviews at my blog A Cupcake and a Latte
Firstly, I'm going to be starting off with what i didn't like then get on over to what i did.
I'd like to point out that the summary for Blood Magic is pure crap, don't like it at all. I mean, really? "It's a natural next-read for fans of Stephanie Meyer, Carrie Jones, and Becca Fitzpatrick". That line nearly made me not want to read it, the only author of the three i'm a fan of is Becca. Stephanie Meyer and Carrie Jones; More...
Firstly, I'm going to be starting off with what i didn't like then get on over to what i did.
I'd like to point out that the summary for Blood Magic is pure crap, don't like it at all. I mean, really? "It's a natural next-read for fans of Stephanie Meyer, Carrie Jones, and Becca Fitzpatrick". That line nearly made me not want to read it, the only author of the three i'm a fan of is Becca. Stephanie Meyer and Carrie Jones; More...
4 comments
like
(4 people liked it)
Aug 25, 2011
Brandi ;)
rated it:
I can not write my review or even give this book a rating right now. If I do, it will NOT be pretty and I will ramble on and on in anger. So, I will get back to this one later, once time has helped me partially forget some (please God most) of this book. Time....I need time.
Time has passed so here goes ...
Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton
I just can't give 1 STAR anymore unless the story is so horrid (think Fallen) I want to hurl objects and hurt others. So 2 More...
Time has passed so here goes ...
Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton
I just can't give 1 STAR anymore unless the story is so horrid (think Fallen) I want to hurl objects and hurt others. So 2 More...
2 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Jun 30, 2011
Rachel
rated it:
Another stunning 2011 debut, rich with magic, secrets, romance and death. Silla has just lost both of her parents in a freak incident, which the town rules as a murder cum suicide (her father shooting her mother and then killing himself). She knows better. When a spell book is sent to her by someone called the Deacon, she realizes her father is keeping secrets of a type of magic- blood magic, secrets which took his life. Together with Nick, a new boy who has just moved to the small town, they di
More...
2 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jun 28, 2011
Evie
rated it:
This is going to sound completely ridiculous, but it's the truth: I hate going to book signings. And this is exactly why. I'll love the author--not to mention Gratton is from my town!-and automatically want to support all books that he/she writes. And while I will still support Gratton and look forward to seeing her grow, this book just didn't work for me. I'm going to sound a bit mean for a second, forgive me. But it felt as though she went to the Overdone Paranormal Romance Store, picked up a
More...
0 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Jan 15, 2012
Tamara
rated it:
Une histoire de sang sans vampire...
Blood Magic. Voilà un bon bout de temps que je l'avais repéré. Je voulais connaître son histoire, ce qu'il contenait. Et maintenant c'est fait. Maintenant, je sais comme il est incroyablement sombre, ténébreux et terrifiant.
Blood Magic est l'histoire d'une jeune fille nommée Drusilla Kennicot - Silla - et qui a perdu ses parents. Ou plus exactement, elle a découvert ses parents dans une marre de sang et en subit les séquelles. Là où elle vit More...
Blood Magic. Voilà un bon bout de temps que je l'avais repéré. Je voulais connaître son histoire, ce qu'il contenait. Et maintenant c'est fait. Maintenant, je sais comme il est incroyablement sombre, ténébreux et terrifiant.
Blood Magic est l'histoire d'une jeune fille nommée Drusilla Kennicot - Silla - et qui a perdu ses parents. Ou plus exactement, elle a découvert ses parents dans une marre de sang et en subit les séquelles. Là où elle vit More...
Dec 14, 2011
Liyana
rated it:
I didn't like this book, and I really wanted to.
The problem was that the message I got completely contradicted the events and conclusion of the story: that blood magic was bad. No matter how Gratton worded it, the characters were fascinated with blood magic, and their actions and inner thoughts showed more of a revulsion with the magic, despite the complete turnaround of mindset they had in the last few pages of the book.
Perhaps the lessons that were taught to Silla and Nic More...
The problem was that the message I got completely contradicted the events and conclusion of the story: that blood magic was bad. No matter how Gratton worded it, the characters were fascinated with blood magic, and their actions and inner thoughts showed more of a revulsion with the magic, despite the complete turnaround of mindset they had in the last few pages of the book.
Perhaps the lessons that were taught to Silla and Nic More...
Apr 14, 2011
I'm a fan of switch POV. Mostly, I prefer Third Person narrations but I'm not picky as long as I can read the wider spectrum as oppose to being stuck with one person. Blood Magic not only switches between Silla and Nick but also includes journal entries from the antagonist.
The blood element I found fascinating in a twisted way. I couldn't help but think of all the scars that would be left after making blood offerings- I may be a loner on this but I'm pretty selfish with my blood More...
The blood element I found fascinating in a twisted way. I couldn't help but think of all the scars that would be left after making blood offerings- I may be a loner on this but I'm pretty selfish with my blood More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 18, 2012
Maggie
rated it:
I've said before: the paranormal romance genre is a fraught one for me. There's the godawful tropes, for one, that aren't inherently worse than those you find in any other genre but grate on me more because they inescapable and seem to be seeping into every YA subgenre even when it makes no sense (the mysterious beautiful stranger romance in brutal, vicious dystopia lit, anyone?). There's the typical cliffhanger endings. There's the ratio of "cashing in on a trend" authors to "do
More...
Jan 18, 2012
Bianca
rated it:
Slight Spoilers. :D
First of all, I'm not sure what it is with magic and I. For some reason I just don't seem to go too much on witches and spells and all that. It just feels so unrealistic... I know that vampires and werewolves are hardly realistic but somehow magic just seems to cross the line.
I enjoyed the story and loved watching Silla get to know Nick better, they are a cute couple. Although they begin dating after knowing one another a very short time, but then again. Th More...
First of all, I'm not sure what it is with magic and I. For some reason I just don't seem to go too much on witches and spells and all that. It just feels so unrealistic... I know that vampires and werewolves are hardly realistic but somehow magic just seems to cross the line.
I enjoyed the story and loved watching Silla get to know Nick better, they are a cute couple. Although they begin dating after knowing one another a very short time, but then again. Th More...
Jan 15, 2012
kamelin
rated it:
Gute Idee, schwache Umsetzung
Nachdem ihre Eltern gewaltsam ums Leben kommen, wird der sechzehnjährigen Silla ein Buch zugespielt. Es ist in der Handschrift ihres Vaters verfasst, der sich offensichtlich mit Magie befasst hat, denn das Buch ist voller Zaubersprüche. Als Silla die Blutmagie erfolgreich an einem Blatt ausprobiert, ändert das alles. Sie begreift, dass mehr hinter dem Tod ihrer Eltern steckt, als im Polizeibericht steht. Wie zur Bestätigung taucht urplötzlich Josephine Dar More...
Nachdem ihre Eltern gewaltsam ums Leben kommen, wird der sechzehnjährigen Silla ein Buch zugespielt. Es ist in der Handschrift ihres Vaters verfasst, der sich offensichtlich mit Magie befasst hat, denn das Buch ist voller Zaubersprüche. Als Silla die Blutmagie erfolgreich an einem Blatt ausprobiert, ändert das alles. Sie begreift, dass mehr hinter dem Tod ihrer Eltern steckt, als im Polizeibericht steht. Wie zur Bestätigung taucht urplötzlich Josephine Dar More...
Jan 10, 2012
Anorielt
rated it:
(Hörbuchrezension)
Leider bin ich wirklich froh das ich mir dieses Buch aufgrund des schönen Covers niemals gekauft habe, denn es ist absolut nichts für mich! Versteht mich nicht falsch, Blood Magic ist keinesfalls schlecht, es trifft nur einfach nicht meinen Geschmack. Aber mal etwas genauer:
Die Sprecher und der Schreibstil des Buches gefallen mir eigentlich recht gut. Es ist einfach sich in die Geschichte hinein zu finden. Auch ist der Plot wirklich sehr interessant und More...
Leider bin ich wirklich froh das ich mir dieses Buch aufgrund des schönen Covers niemals gekauft habe, denn es ist absolut nichts für mich! Versteht mich nicht falsch, Blood Magic ist keinesfalls schlecht, es trifft nur einfach nicht meinen Geschmack. Aber mal etwas genauer:
Die Sprecher und der Schreibstil des Buches gefallen mir eigentlich recht gut. Es ist einfach sich in die Geschichte hinein zu finden. Auch ist der Plot wirklich sehr interessant und More...
Dec 27, 2011
Christina (Reading Thru The Night)
rated it:
*ahem* I. Did. Not. Like. This. Book.
Okay. I said it. Loud and clear, huh? Because honestly...HONESTLY...I think I'm, like, one of THE ONLY people who did not like Blood Magic. Seriously. If you click on the title link it will lead you to my Library Thing account and show you that the average rating is FOUR FREAKIN' STARS.
I gave it a one-point-five. So, giving the props up to that -point five, I thought I'd share five points explaining my disdain.
(In no partic More...
Okay. I said it. Loud and clear, huh? Because honestly...HONESTLY...I think I'm, like, one of THE ONLY people who did not like Blood Magic. Seriously. If you click on the title link it will lead you to my Library Thing account and show you that the average rating is FOUR FREAKIN' STARS.
I gave it a one-point-five. So, giving the props up to that -point five, I thought I'd share five points explaining my disdain.
(In no partic More...
Dec 21, 2011
Charlotte
rated it:
Just as the author on the front of the book has said, I to adored this book. It was a nice refreshing read, a little more upgraded from the twilight sega infact. Instead of vampires we had witches, but not witches as we know them, blood witches. So in some ways there was a whole new twist to the story that added a bit of excitement and refreshment to the read. I felt that the book really held a lot of depth and description to it that engages the reader to really become a part of the novel. You s
More...
Nov 28, 2011
Marcia
rated it:
This is a tricky book to review. There were things I really liked, other things, not so much so. And a few things that were downright disturbing. There is definitely a lot of blood in the book, as the cover clearly indicates. But I wasn't expecting quite so much cutting. I'm not sure a book being marketed for a young audience should be so filled with detailed self-mutilation, even though it is being done for magical purposes, as opposed to having an emotional disorder that involves hurting
More...
Oct 02, 2011
Rhiannon
rated it:
Don't let the sub title confuse you (the Blood Journals), according to Tessa Gratton's site this is a stand alone novel. To quote Jeff Hirsch from the Speed dating with children's and YA authors "I know right? Probably the only stand alone book on the planet" (of course he was talking about his own, but it's the reaction these days to anything that, egads! isn't part of a series). Stand alone's are pretty appealing in a book; a fully wrapped up story contained in one book, already in
More...
Sep 19, 2011
Bibliojunkies
rated it:
*** ½
From Goodreads:
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 arr More...
From Goodreads:
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 arr More...
Sep 04, 2011
Ashley
rated it:
This book wasn't what I expected at all. I usually stay away from the magic books. They confuse me. But I actually liked this one. It all boils down to mystery and romance. Both of which I love!
Silla has had a pretty good life, until one day she comes home and her parents are murdered in the library of their home. Things just get worse from there. They live in a small town where everyone knows everything, even the bad stuff. Her parents used to be loved by everyone, now they think Robe More...
Silla has had a pretty good life, until one day she comes home and her parents are murdered in the library of their home. Things just get worse from there. They live in a small town where everyone knows everything, even the bad stuff. Her parents used to be loved by everyone, now they think Robe More...
Sep 04, 2011
Amy
rated it:
After coming home to find her parents dead, Silla soon recieves something froma a mysterious man who claims to be a friend of her father's. The book filled with spells requiring blood as the main ingredient. To test and see if the book is true she goes to the cemetary and tries it out and she soon finds out that it does but the thing is is that someone was there watching her. Nicholas moves into a new town and decides to go exploring he goes out into the cemetary out in his backyard and finds a
More...
