Speculative 66 Reviews

Half Breeds by Sara Codair
Reviewed by L.L. Madrid

Kicked out of private school, Allen has to brave a public high school where most of the kids don’t know supernatural creatures exist. He expects to be miserable, but he finds himself romantically pursued by two people: a shy, but fascinating boy named Jeremy and a spunky girl named Chloe. The demon in Allen wants to feed off Chloe, but the human part of him is falling for Jeremy. Which will win?
-Description from NineStar Press

When I first picked up Sara Codair's novelette Half Breeds, I was expecting a paranormal tale. While there are demons and pixies aplenty, this is a very human story.  The main character Allen is coming of age, and though his struggles are heightened by the paranormal, the reality is that he’s navigating tough subjects like prejudice, sexuality, and consent. Codair handles these issues with grace and humor. It's easy to empathize with Allen as he battles the raging hormones of both human and demon adolescence burning inside him.

Half Breeds is an engaging and fun read. I hope that Sara is planning on writing a follow up because I’m dying to know what happens next. I’d also love a prequel about the mysterious  Aunty Karin and her pixies. Karin's background is hinted at in Half Breeds, but  I must know more.

If you enjoy paranormal stories, YA, humor, romance, or would simply like to support a worthy writer (and Spec 66 contributor!), I urge you to check out Half Breeds.
 
Half Breeds will be available from NineStar Press on Monday, October 23rd.
https://ninestarpress.com/product/half-breeds/.

You can find out more about Sara at https://saracodair.com/.