I just barely liked it. The imagination behind it is strong, in a Clive Barker, Neil Gaiman kind of way.

The writing is terrible. I thought it must be the result of a bad translator, but I guess not. ( )

Picked this up only because the cover and inside illustrations were done by Jillian Tamaki, whose art I really like. It was a good story and decent read, though I'm not really into fantasy or magic, so I can't say I liked it all that much. It just wasn't my genre, even though I generally like dark Asian-inspired fantasy a bit more than the regular fare of knights and wizards. ( )

Devastating and unforgettable. The book starts out so dark that I had to pace myself, taking breaks after reading something particularly harrowing. The tension is constant, from the first pages until we're back in the Realm of the Flesh for good. The book does lighten up towards the end, though, and the last few chapters were gentle and sweet.

I gave it 4 stars overall, but an extra star because it was an epic where the heroine commits no violence. Melanie was an ordinary girl, but her commitment to not doing harm, especially in a place where violence was the norm, was extraordinary. I loved that she was an overweight heroine, and that her physical appearance wasn't a focus aside from the times that cruel characters used it to humiliate her. I loved how the story showed us more and more of Melanie's ingenuity and her dedication in very realistic ways. I also loved how much of the story was shrouded in mist - that we don't know the origins of the realms splitting, we only have a broad outline of how Half World works, and we don't know what will happen to Melanie past when we leave her. The story was too short, but in a way that worked perfectly.

A really powerful work. I'll be thinking about it for the next few days. ( )

3.5-3.75 stars. This was an eerie, cool book about "the Realms" with a lot in common with Coraline and a few other "weird" YA books. I didn't quite take to the main character, though I thought her quest narrative was pretty strong. And I don't think this was BAD by a long shot, just I'm not sure it will stick with me forever. ( )

Full Review can be found at www.sevenacrebooks.com

In Half World, we follow young Melanie on a life changing journey through the realms. Melanie is always on the outside, lonely, unpopular, and living with her unstable mother. Living on the edge of poverty and without any family, Melanie is barely hanging on to her mother who is spending more and more of her time drinking. While trying to avoid the mean girls at school, Melanie finds herself at home in an empty apartment. Her mother, who barely leaves the apartment is now missing.

Following a string of mysterious clues, Melanie learns of the three realms: the Realm of Flesh, the Realm of Spirit, and Half World. With the help of a kind neighbor and her magical gifts, Melanie makes her way to Half World to find her mother. Once there, Melanie finds a world of unlikely human-animal hybrids, impossible buildings, and nightmares come to life; a world ruled by the evil Mr. Glueskin. Melanie must believe in herself in order to find the strength to rescue her mother from the evil ruler and free all of those who are stuck in his vicious cycle of half living.

I’m not usually one for coming of age stories. They tend to be overly sweet and angsty. This one really hit the right balance for me. Melanie is fourteen. She’s overweight, unpopular, and not the best at school. Yet, she is still able to find her way to another realm, defeat every obstacle that comes her way-barely, and save the world. It’s the barely part that I appreciate. She nearly gives up over and over again.

In to YA Fantasy? Try this one out. It doesn’t disappoint. ( )