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briarsreviews's review against another edition
4.0
Book Title: Halfway Dead
Book Author: Terry Maggert
Introduction: Terry Maggert asked me to review his book, so I was more than happy to give an honest review!! It's always a pleasure when authors actually ask me to read their books. It makes me feel all kinds of special, like they think I'm a good enough reviewer or reader to read it. Maybe that's just me though!
All of my thoughts/opinions are my own. I am under no obligation to write a nice or good review.
Review:
Paranormal.
Witches.
Magic.
Monsters.
So many incredible topics and themes thrown into an incredible book.
At first glance, I wasn't sure if I'd be interested in this novel. I had been slowly moving away from YA/Fantasy fictional realms slowly and the plot synopsis seemed like my old interests. But when I actually got into reading the book, I realized it wasn't just some typical, super common fantasy novel. Was there fantasy and witches? Yes. But, was it the same old plot, the same old setting that you find in every witch novel? Nope. That was the great initial aspect of this novel. It started off in a different manner, and I loved that.
The magic in this novel is definitely interesting, and readers need to pay attention to understand what's happening. It's not some ooey gooey romance novel that requires no thought. I enjoyed this aspect of the novel, seeing as many magical novels these days require no thought or mental effort.
The book is original, and as I continue to type about how different this novel is, I want to make sure readers understand that. I love an original novel that isn't by the book. It's neat, interesting, and really cool! In my opinion, I wish more books were outside of the box like this one!
Our main character is hilarious and reading from her point of view is excellent. I rarely like reading First Person POV but when your main character is funny and intelligent, my opinion instantly changes on this form of writing. Carlie is also a very happy person, and not depressing like some characters who have narrated other books I have read. This makes the book more interesting, to hear from a nicer, happier point of view. The background and side characters are also equally as amazing (and sassy in some situations!).
This book features a strong, independent female lead, a witty sense of humour, an intelligent choice of wording and an engaging plot. What more can a reader ask for? Reading Terry Maggert's writing was a nice change from all the cookie cutter authors out there. I really appreciate his style and how he words his thoughts and splashes them onto the page. I will definitely be continuing on with this series.
The cover (which I know we aren't supposed to judge a book by it's cover), is beautiful. I find books that are well written that also have an incredible cover always seem to spike my interest more than well written books with boring covers. Superficial? Probably. But sometimes the little extra beauty makes the book one step higher than all the others!
Now for the negatives. There are always negatives in every book, but the positives outweigh these negatives. There was a slow pace, which is one of my biggest pet peeves. But, this slow pace was not constant. It happened only a few times and for short periods of time, which made this book bearable.
Overall, this was an incredible introduction to a new series for me to sink my fangs into (haha...fangs...get it? Monsters? Vampires...ah, nevermind). This breathtaking series is a must read for fantasy readers who want an out of the box, original title!
Four out of five stars!
Book Author: Terry Maggert
Introduction: Terry Maggert asked me to review his book, so I was more than happy to give an honest review!! It's always a pleasure when authors actually ask me to read their books. It makes me feel all kinds of special, like they think I'm a good enough reviewer or reader to read it. Maybe that's just me though!
All of my thoughts/opinions are my own. I am under no obligation to write a nice or good review.
Review:
Paranormal.
Witches.
Magic.
Monsters.
So many incredible topics and themes thrown into an incredible book.
At first glance, I wasn't sure if I'd be interested in this novel. I had been slowly moving away from YA/Fantasy fictional realms slowly and the plot synopsis seemed like my old interests. But when I actually got into reading the book, I realized it wasn't just some typical, super common fantasy novel. Was there fantasy and witches? Yes. But, was it the same old plot, the same old setting that you find in every witch novel? Nope. That was the great initial aspect of this novel. It started off in a different manner, and I loved that.
The magic in this novel is definitely interesting, and readers need to pay attention to understand what's happening. It's not some ooey gooey romance novel that requires no thought. I enjoyed this aspect of the novel, seeing as many magical novels these days require no thought or mental effort.
The book is original, and as I continue to type about how different this novel is, I want to make sure readers understand that. I love an original novel that isn't by the book. It's neat, interesting, and really cool! In my opinion, I wish more books were outside of the box like this one!
Our main character is hilarious and reading from her point of view is excellent. I rarely like reading First Person POV but when your main character is funny and intelligent, my opinion instantly changes on this form of writing. Carlie is also a very happy person, and not depressing like some characters who have narrated other books I have read. This makes the book more interesting, to hear from a nicer, happier point of view. The background and side characters are also equally as amazing (and sassy in some situations!).
This book features a strong, independent female lead, a witty sense of humour, an intelligent choice of wording and an engaging plot. What more can a reader ask for? Reading Terry Maggert's writing was a nice change from all the cookie cutter authors out there. I really appreciate his style and how he words his thoughts and splashes them onto the page. I will definitely be continuing on with this series.
The cover (which I know we aren't supposed to judge a book by it's cover), is beautiful. I find books that are well written that also have an incredible cover always seem to spike my interest more than well written books with boring covers. Superficial? Probably. But sometimes the little extra beauty makes the book one step higher than all the others!
Now for the negatives. There are always negatives in every book, but the positives outweigh these negatives. There was a slow pace, which is one of my biggest pet peeves. But, this slow pace was not constant. It happened only a few times and for short periods of time, which made this book bearable.
Overall, this was an incredible introduction to a new series for me to sink my fangs into (haha...fangs...get it? Monsters? Vampires...ah, nevermind). This breathtaking series is a must read for fantasy readers who want an out of the box, original title!
Four out of five stars!
dani_reviews's review against another edition
4.0
Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Halfway Dead was an unexpected delight, a taste of something a little bit different in what I’ve been reading recently. It was told from the first person perspective of Carlie McEwan, a white witch (as in white magic) who lives in the small town of Halfway, New York, working as a diner cook during the day and fulfilling spell requests at night.
This book was… different. It was not as dramatic as YA and even NA can be, but it was still interesting. It had an easy tone while still adding mystery and intrigue.
On the whole, Maggert has a talent for fleshing out people and worlds. I had such a full sense of the Adirondacks that I almost felt like I was there; in fact, I really want to visit now. I could imagine the diner, Carlie’s house, the woods, Wulfric’s (awesome) cabin and the gradually introduced beasties. The magical creatures were a mix of ones we see frequently (e.g. vampires) and ones that are less common (e.g. wisps, wyrms and wights).
Carlie struck me as a combination of Sookie Stackhouse, Buffy Summers and Willow Rosenberg. Badass with a cheerful, down-to-earth disposition. I loved that she was confident, and in a settled, sure way, not arrogant. Well, maybe there was a touch of arrogance here and there, but that can’t be helped. She seemed genuinely clever and mature while still retaining youth and relatability. She enjoyed drinking wine and shopping online!
I also loved how she was not a morning person. I CAN RELATE. She was not self-conscious in the slightest, but she hated short jokes. I felt like she was a real person, with positive and relatable negative traits.
The relationships were a bit two steps forward, one step back for me. Forward: there were two lead male characters for Carlie’s one female lead. Other authors may have gone for the love triangle, but it was great to see Maggert exercise restraint in this. Forward: Carlie was not clueless. She noted one guy’s interest, interest which she returned; instead of being all shy and coy, she was brilliantly direct with her “I see you seeing me, so let’s explore this” attitude. Back: The slower pace and build of the story and familiarity between the various characters did not prepare me for the sudden jump in the relationship towards the end. What was a realistic development seemed to take a turn for the insta-love. (Well, not quite love, but still a change in tone and pace.)
Now about that pace. I already mentioned that it was a slower pace. This wasn’t a high-paced, action-filled read. All conjuring the world and people, Maggert had to sacrifice speed. What resulted was a lazy day read, not one that you stay up until 3am reading with your heart beating fast. In fact, they didn’t even go into the woods until around the halfway mark. Then, towards the end, things sped up drastically, and I had to flick back pages here and there because I got a little confused. I also expected a bit more at the end, and I felt a little disappointed.
Another thing that perturbed me a little was the lack of emotional reaction to what I saw as a big loss at the end. Given Carlie’s emotional reactions to nameless people dying peacefully at the beginning, when bad things happened to good people that she actually did know towards the end (and in a rather shocking and confusing manner), I expected her to react a lot more strongly. But no, nothing. And this repeated at the end when a note was left that should have resulted in a lot of anger and panic from a certain someone, but date night was more important?
Overall, I did enjoy this book, and I’ll be reading the next book, Halfway Bitten, soon! This is a great paranormal indie if you like witches and Viking vampires. ;)
Halfway Dead was an unexpected delight, a taste of something a little bit different in what I’ve been reading recently. It was told from the first person perspective of Carlie McEwan, a white witch (as in white magic) who lives in the small town of Halfway, New York, working as a diner cook during the day and fulfilling spell requests at night.
This book was… different. It was not as dramatic as YA and even NA can be, but it was still interesting. It had an easy tone while still adding mystery and intrigue.
On the whole, Maggert has a talent for fleshing out people and worlds. I had such a full sense of the Adirondacks that I almost felt like I was there; in fact, I really want to visit now. I could imagine the diner, Carlie’s house, the woods, Wulfric’s (awesome) cabin and the gradually introduced beasties. The magical creatures were a mix of ones we see frequently (e.g. vampires) and ones that are less common (e.g. wisps, wyrms and wights).
Carlie struck me as a combination of Sookie Stackhouse, Buffy Summers and Willow Rosenberg. Badass with a cheerful, down-to-earth disposition. I loved that she was confident, and in a settled, sure way, not arrogant. Well, maybe there was a touch of arrogance here and there, but that can’t be helped. She seemed genuinely clever and mature while still retaining youth and relatability. She enjoyed drinking wine and shopping online!
One night a few months ago, after a few glasses of wine, I sat down and scrawled a manifesto defending my choice to shop online whenever possible. It looked something like this: Nearest good store is sixty miles away. Pants are required. Stores don’t serve wine. They don’t serve pizza, either.
I also loved how she was not a morning person. I CAN RELATE. She was not self-conscious in the slightest, but she hated short jokes. I felt like she was a real person, with positive and relatable negative traits.
“Ugh. Could you quit smiling, please? It’s offensive.”
The relationships were a bit two steps forward, one step back for me. Forward: there were two lead male characters for Carlie’s one female lead. Other authors may have gone for the love triangle, but it was great to see Maggert exercise restraint in this. Forward: Carlie was not clueless. She noted one guy’s interest, interest which she returned; instead of being all shy and coy, she was brilliantly direct with her “I see you seeing me, so let’s explore this” attitude. Back: The slower pace and build of the story and familiarity between the various characters did not prepare me for the sudden jump in the relationship towards the end. What was a realistic development seemed to take a turn for the insta-love. (Well, not quite love, but still a change in tone and pace.)
Now about that pace. I already mentioned that it was a slower pace. This wasn’t a high-paced, action-filled read. All conjuring the world and people, Maggert had to sacrifice speed. What resulted was a lazy day read, not one that you stay up until 3am reading with your heart beating fast. In fact, they didn’t even go into the woods until around the halfway mark. Then, towards the end, things sped up drastically, and I had to flick back pages here and there because I got a little confused. I also expected a bit more at the end, and I felt a little disappointed.
Another thing that perturbed me a little was the lack of emotional reaction to what I saw as a big loss at the end. Given Carlie’s emotional reactions to nameless people dying peacefully at the beginning, when bad things happened to good people that she actually did know towards the end (and in a rather shocking and confusing manner), I expected her to react a lot more strongly. But no, nothing. And this repeated at the end when a note was left that should have resulted in a lot of anger and panic from a certain someone, but date night was more important?
Overall, I did enjoy this book, and I’ll be reading the next book, Halfway Bitten, soon! This is a great paranormal indie if you like witches and Viking vampires. ;)
See this review in its natural environment, Dani Reviews Things.
brittradomski's review
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
jmcutler1's review against another edition
3.0
*contains some spoilers*
I attempted to read this book once before since it was recommended for fans of my favorite book series, The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden. I gave up about 30% through because I found the pacing slow and the story boring. I picked it up again more than a year later because it was a free audiobook from KU that I could listen to during work. I made it all the way through this time and I’m not particularly impressed. It wasn’t terrible but I felt like something was missing, it wasn’t very interesting or exciting. I don’t see how this has any similarities to the amazing series other than it involves witches and magic. It’s an insult to Arden to compare these books.
There’s no closure, the loose ends are never tied up, like Major might as well not have existed at all, he was wholly unimportant to the story. All of the action happened in like 5 pages and it went by so quickly and anticlimactically. It only takes Jim one sentence to die and it’s easy to miss.
Maybe this is sexist but I was wary of this book from the beginning because it was a sort of paranormal romance written by a man and usually that doesn’t sit right with me. I have nothing against reading books by men I just have experienced that they don’t write romance with the same nuisance and believability that women do. There were several times where it was glaringly obvious that this book was written by a man. The descriptions of the women in the beginning was a tell tale sign. I’ve never read a book by a woman (and i read A LOT) that blatantly describes other women as unattractive. Such as when he describes certain women as sort of attractive but they wear too much makeup etc. stuff like that rubs me the wrong way. Of course unattractive characters exist but it could be said more delicately, idk this is just a personal pet peeve of mine.
Also the romance develops so inorganically. One second Wulfric and Carlie are suddenly attracted to each other, no build up, no nothing. It’s awkward and unbelievable. I absolutely hate when that happens. Female writers do this too sometimes but far less often.
All in all, I didn’t really like this book but I will read the next in the series because it’s a free audiobook and I need something to keep me occupied during work and my commute. Would I recommend this? No.
I attempted to read this book once before since it was recommended for fans of my favorite book series, The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden. I gave up about 30% through because I found the pacing slow and the story boring. I picked it up again more than a year later because it was a free audiobook from KU that I could listen to during work. I made it all the way through this time and I’m not particularly impressed. It wasn’t terrible but I felt like something was missing, it wasn’t very interesting or exciting. I don’t see how this has any similarities to the amazing series other than it involves witches and magic. It’s an insult to Arden to compare these books.
There’s no closure, the loose ends are never tied up, like Major might as well not have existed at all, he was wholly unimportant to the story. All of the action happened in like 5 pages and it went by so quickly and anticlimactically. It only takes Jim one sentence to die and it’s easy to miss.
Maybe this is sexist but I was wary of this book from the beginning because it was a sort of paranormal romance written by a man and usually that doesn’t sit right with me. I have nothing against reading books by men I just have experienced that they don’t write romance with the same nuisance and believability that women do. There were several times where it was glaringly obvious that this book was written by a man. The descriptions of the women in the beginning was a tell tale sign. I’ve never read a book by a woman (and i read A LOT) that blatantly describes other women as unattractive. Such as when he describes certain women as sort of attractive but they wear too much makeup etc. stuff like that rubs me the wrong way. Of course unattractive characters exist but it could be said more delicately, idk this is just a personal pet peeve of mine.
Also the romance develops so inorganically. One second Wulfric and Carlie are suddenly attracted to each other, no build up, no nothing. It’s awkward and unbelievable. I absolutely hate when that happens. Female writers do this too sometimes but far less often.
All in all, I didn’t really like this book but I will read the next in the series because it’s a free audiobook and I need something to keep me occupied during work and my commute. Would I recommend this? No.
ramblingoutloud's review against another edition
2.0
It started out with potential, but then something happened. I didn't follow, honestly, in the turns and nooks of this book and the ending left some things to be desired. Still, I didn't hate it, it was an okay read.
elylibrarysec's review against another edition
4.0
"The Witch Had Me Mesmerized"
What made the experience of listening to Halfway Dead the most enjoyable?
I think that Ms. Spencer was the perfect match for this book. She had the perfect tone that will have you sit back, relax, and just listen as she tells this tale. Ms. Spencer also left me wanting more by the time the story ended.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Halfway Dead?
My most memorable moment came as we were getting toward the end of the story. Carly had an agenda, she actually had two but it was nice to see that she was able to help her family. It was a teary moment - it will touch your heart.
Which scene was your favorite?
My favorite moment came when Carly was able to kick a** against the evil of the piece. She has a confidence in her ability and with some help from Wulfric and Jim she is able to defeat him. But it's also a scene that had me feeling sorry for Jim.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The moment, actually moments, that moved me were when Carly and her grandmother were together. It brought back great memories of the times I spent with my own grandmother - minus the extra abilities. That just made me jealous.
Any additional comments?
It's a story that had me wanting to take a walk in a forest to see if I could discover its secrets. But you have to make sure that you go in there with the right people because you just never know what you are going to find. So if you love getting out and enjoying nature, why not take something to help pass the time. Ms. Spencer made my choice easy as to whether I would enjoy reading this series or listening to this series. For me, personally, she was Carly and if I wanted to continue getting to know her I'm going to have to listen to the rest of the series.
I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
What made the experience of listening to Halfway Dead the most enjoyable?
I think that Ms. Spencer was the perfect match for this book. She had the perfect tone that will have you sit back, relax, and just listen as she tells this tale. Ms. Spencer also left me wanting more by the time the story ended.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Halfway Dead?
My most memorable moment came as we were getting toward the end of the story. Carly had an agenda, she actually had two but it was nice to see that she was able to help her family. It was a teary moment - it will touch your heart.
Which scene was your favorite?
My favorite moment came when Carly was able to kick a** against the evil of the piece. She has a confidence in her ability and with some help from Wulfric and Jim she is able to defeat him. But it's also a scene that had me feeling sorry for Jim.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The moment, actually moments, that moved me were when Carly and her grandmother were together. It brought back great memories of the times I spent with my own grandmother - minus the extra abilities. That just made me jealous.
Any additional comments?
It's a story that had me wanting to take a walk in a forest to see if I could discover its secrets. But you have to make sure that you go in there with the right people because you just never know what you are going to find. So if you love getting out and enjoying nature, why not take something to help pass the time. Ms. Spencer made my choice easy as to whether I would enjoy reading this series or listening to this series. For me, personally, she was Carly and if I wanted to continue getting to know her I'm going to have to listen to the rest of the series.
I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
reviewsmayvary's review against another edition
4.0
Not too bad. The author was forcibly holding me at gun point to read this... Of course, by that I mean he introduced himself on social media to a bunch of people and I made him talk to me.
It totally worked out. Halfway Dead is about Carlie, a white witch who gets sucked into the search for a rare tree and a mythical fountain. More importantly, there's a hot half- vampire and a horrible rotting wyrm. This would be urban fiction if it wasn't in the mountains. Am I understanding that right? Speculative fiction, then? I don't know. Worth the quick read. I'll definitely be reading part 2.
A little smut might've earned it that last star. But you can't have everything, I guess.
Edit: Hmmm... You guys know I mean white witch as in practicing white magic, not as in a witch who is white, right?... Though, I guess both are true. Carry on.
Related blog post: http://bookedupandbossy.blogspot.com/2016/03/Outbox-March102016.html
It totally worked out. Halfway Dead is about Carlie, a white witch who gets sucked into the search for a rare tree and a mythical fountain. More importantly, there's a hot half- vampire and a horrible rotting wyrm. This would be urban fiction if it wasn't in the mountains. Am I understanding that right? Speculative fiction, then? I don't know. Worth the quick read. I'll definitely be reading part 2.
A little smut might've earned it that last star. But you can't have everything, I guess.
Edit: Hmmm... You guys know I mean white witch as in practicing white magic, not as in a witch who is white, right?... Though, I guess both are true. Carry on.
Related blog post: http://bookedupandbossy.blogspot.com/2016/03/Outbox-March102016.html
ciannareider's review against another edition
5.0
**This review has been done in conjunction with NerdGirl Official. For more information, visit them on Facebook! **
You have done it again, Mr. Maggert!! :)
This book was amazing! I've read previous books by this author, all of which I have loved, but this book will hold a special place for me! It's got waffles, cooking, tea, and creepy creatures, and oh year, Carlie is magic! She's a witch with some amazing powers, and a really good heart. I loved this book from page one to the end. It's clever, fantastic writing, and a story that could entertain anyone.
What I always love about Maggert's books is he doesn't write off the side characters. He's a genius with the details of fleshing out characters other then the narrator. He gives us details, and character traits, and by the end of the book, you know the characters like you know your friends. That's how it was her. After I finished this book, I missed Carlie, Gus, Gran, and even Major. I missed the story. I felt like it was a movie playing only in my head, and I wanted to rewind and watch it all over again.
There's the perfect level of suspense, story, humor, and wit in this novel. They journey deep into the heart of a ancient forest to find a magical grove of trees, and there's a few twist and turns I didn't see coming, but this story was perfect! We got to see Carlie's magic in action, and we got to deliver some much deserved justice to some spirits. Take a chance on this story! You will not regret it!
Can't wait for book 2, and the audio book version! Very well done!
*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
You have done it again, Mr. Maggert!! :)
This book was amazing! I've read previous books by this author, all of which I have loved, but this book will hold a special place for me! It's got waffles, cooking, tea, and creepy creatures, and oh year, Carlie is magic! She's a witch with some amazing powers, and a really good heart. I loved this book from page one to the end. It's clever, fantastic writing, and a story that could entertain anyone.
What I always love about Maggert's books is he doesn't write off the side characters. He's a genius with the details of fleshing out characters other then the narrator. He gives us details, and character traits, and by the end of the book, you know the characters like you know your friends. That's how it was her. After I finished this book, I missed Carlie, Gus, Gran, and even Major. I missed the story. I felt like it was a movie playing only in my head, and I wanted to rewind and watch it all over again.
There's the perfect level of suspense, story, humor, and wit in this novel. They journey deep into the heart of a ancient forest to find a magical grove of trees, and there's a few twist and turns I didn't see coming, but this story was perfect! We got to see Carlie's magic in action, and we got to deliver some much deserved justice to some spirits. Take a chance on this story! You will not regret it!
Can't wait for book 2, and the audio book version! Very well done!
*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.