Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton

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

I liked the beginning of this book much better than I liked the end of this book. It was a great plot, great concept, but it just kept going. Had it stopped when Reese was killed, and that been the cliffhanger, my opinion of this book would have been better of this book, but it just kept going, and I just kept skimming the pages to get it over with... God that sound harsh. There were some really great points.

One - Ms. Silla - This poor girl. Her world is just shredded. She's not the I'm-so-defenseless girl but more a 16 year old girl who has dealt with too much and is unstable. It was real. Nick, or Nicholas, is very stereotypical, but the stereotypical that I like: I'm-a-tough-guy-with-a-sweet-side-for-a-girl. They have some great romantic scene, which clearly I enjoy, creepy part? They all take place in the cemetery. They make it hot. Trust.

The gist - some crazy woman who refuses to die comes after Silla and her brother. Nick is wrapped up in it more than he realized, going as far back as his super unstable mother's teenage years. It's a tightly woven story where EVERY detail has a purpose. I think the author did a great job there. I had this reaction several times: Why did she put that in there? *three chapters later* Oh, that's why she put that in there.

Some quick thoughts:

There's a sequel - eh.

I would like to see the origin of the Deacon come out more

I would also like to see the origin of Blood Magic and the beginning of that be told.

Crows are creepy ass birds. "Lenore"