ONLY HALF HUMAN

In Wright’s debut YA fantasy novel, a teenage girl must decide whether to make a deal with a devil.

Lesley Robinson managed to make it all the way to high school without knowing anything about her absent father or that her mother has been hiding a huge secret. While visiting kindly old neighbor Mrs. McKee, the elderly woman surprisingly reveals that Lesley’s mother is a witch and that she senses “a great change” in the teen’s near future. The girl never imagined that change would also involve finding out that her father is a demon—specifically, her dad is an incubus and a servant of Asmodeus, a powerful demon prince. The surprises continue as Lesley develops horns, batlike wings, and even a tail. When Lesley is no longer able to hide her true nature, she and her mother move to Misty Hollow, a haven for fae creatures like herself. Now she must deal with a new town, a new school, and Asmodeus himself, who shows up to stake a claim on Lesley as his newest servant. When he offers her a chance to learn magic—including a spell that would allow her to appear human again and possibly return to her old life—she strongly considers striking a bargain. In this fantasy novel, Wright offers readers a brisk tale of a young half-demon as she struggles to decide her own fate. The plot moves along with some speed, as when Lesley goes from learning about her ancestry to starting to grow wings in the space of only a few pages. It results in a sense of consistent forward momentum that will likely keep younger readers interested and invested. Wright keeps the action intriguing by introducing a host of other creatures in Lesley’s new school, including such monstrous types as vampires, werewolves, and harpies, among others. Overall, it makes for an offbeat blend of brand-new fae creatures and beloved familiar ones.

An engaging coming-of-age tale that quickly takes wing.