The premise of Bad Blood was pretty great and I enjoyed for the most part. The characters were okay, and if we didn't get multiple POVs from them, their arcs would've suffered greatly so the author or editors made the right call. I like that it had a subtle fantasy to it that didn't overwhelm the overall story. My qualm with it is that there was graphic self-harm with no warnings, and I hope that's rectified in the final publications.

DNF at 63%

This book just didn't hold my attention at all. The characters were pretty generic and bland, with nothing for me to latch onto to really invest in anything they did. And that went for ALL the characters, not just some, which is never a good sign. Even worse was the fact that the book alternates perspectives so I had to read through all these character points of view that I didn't care about. 

As for the magic which I had hoped would be a redeeming factor, it just lacked logic entirely. A magic system needs to make sense in SOME way and this just didn't. Nor did the world really feel like anything new or exciting. Which really just matched the story. The pace was SO slow and there was no tension, and a lot of emphasis on self-harm which could be highly triggering to readers. All in all, not a good combination. Hard pass on this one.

First things first: it's interesting to see cutting taken seriously as a problem for troubled teens, while at the same time used as a major plot point in a supernatural horror story. But I do hope that any younger readers of this book who may be latent cutters will take it as a sympathetic deterrent, and not as a guidebook a la The Craft.

That being said, I enjoyed this book but the plot didn't wow me. Decent atmosphere, recognizable modern Scotland. Likeable characters in Heather and her friends. The writing is average; it gets the job done. The tone is a little uneven, in that there sure is a lot of lightness for a story that's so dark. This is a common trend in YA, but in this case it doesn't feel intentional.

An interesting YA paranormal novel that looks at the effect that the past has on the present, with a dose of Scottish history to boot.

I will be reposting an updated review on my site soon. I am so glad I decided to give this book another look

I had this book as an eARC and I ended up giving it two stars and DNFing it. Then I found it at the library and decided to give it another try. And I am so glad I did because this book was amazing! I do have to say that the cutting THAY is in this book was one of the things that turned me off of it the first time I tried it. But now that I have read it all the way through I understand why it was there. So although it should be listed as a trigger please know that there is a good reason why it's there.

This story is for the reader who loves mystery and witchy magical things. Overcoming Evil as well as those who want a story about family and first love. This book has it all. It was a very fast read and I read it in 3 and a half hours. And I couldn't put it down. The author did a wonderful job with the flow and giving us little bits and pieces of the story as it unfolded. The POVs of Heather, Primrose, and Prudence was ingenious and it made the story more interesting. The setting of Scotland was beyond magical and I do hope one day to visit. And no that's not just because I'm addicted to all thing Outlander..........😳ok yes that does have something to do with it.

The characters in this one are rich and alive. I couldn't help but feel for Heather and I would love to see another story set in another POV from the side characters. I think that it would be amazing to explore the other families histories.

This is one that I won't soon forget and I think others will enjoy it as well!

Not my type of book, I tried to start it but just couldn't get into anything about this book!

First, I want to say that I really liked the setting in this book. Scotland plus witches? Yes, please.

Unfortunately, that's really the most praise I can give for this book. The pacing was very slow, and it took a long time to develop why Primrose and Prudence's chapters were relating to Heather. Rereading the synopsis, I realize that it says they are dreams, but I forgot about that going in and was a little confused about the flashbacks. For most of the book it was about Heather spending her time in Scotland with her aunt and friends, and occasionally having a huge urge to cut herself. Every time she always wonders why she has to and why can't she be normal, but she never does anything to change the impulses. The idea of witches pops up every now and then during Heather's normal day to day life, and it wasn't until about 80% in that it really becomes relevant or start to connect with why Heather.

I felt as if all of the characters were very one dimensional and very cliche. We don't really get a sense of who they are, and I never felt like I could connect to any of the characters as well while reading. For the most part, I kept thinking why was I still reading this book when I don't even care about the characters?

By around the 80% mark though I started to become a little bit more invested and wanted to know how the whole story would play out. When the big showdown happened though, I was a little disappointed that what Heather did was all it took for everything to stop. I felt after all that (slow) buildup there should have been a bigger showdown between Heather and the twins.

Overall, it's a decent book to read in between series or if you just need a book to read while waiting at the doctors office or something. It's a slow build up, but at least the writing style was very nicely done. I definitely found myself reading in a Scottish accent whenever anyone talked, and Heather had a very distinct American one. Would probably make for a very good audiobook.

It’s taken me a while to write this review because I still tilt my head and squint at this book. It’s not at all what I expected. It feels like a bunch of ideas mashed up together and flattened to make a solid picture, but really it’s a Monet close up. Good grief, I’m rambling. Simply, a whole slew of story arcs and ideas are strewn together and they don’t quite fit. It feels messy and random. I honestly have no idea how it went from something so serious and heartbreaking like self-mutilation/harm to compulsive blood magic but alright. I’m perplexed. Not to say that this wasn’t an enjoyable read. It absolutely was.

The book begins with Heather, who is recovering after being committed for cutting. She is granted permission to go on her annual summer trip to Scotland and the majority of the story takes place there. What I liked about Heather’s story and this book in general, was the descriptive and emotionally compelling exploration of what Heather feels when she gets the urge to cut. Her struggle to understand why she harms herself, her fear, her shame, and her desperation to hide it from even her closest friends. Getting into her head space was enlightening and helped to understand the many motivations and reasoning behind self-harm.

What threw me for a loop was the dreams/visions. There’s this ghostly, haunting vibe which is pretty cool and carries throughout. But if you’re like me, you’ll spend the entire book trying to figure out what this has to do with anything. And then the witchcraft happens. I just…I feel like the author couldn’t decide on what she wanted this book to be. Or maybe this was the plan all along, it’s not as seamless as it could be, it’s jumbled and flips from one thing to another. Then throw romance in there.

To say some scenes are jarring would be an understatement. Sometimes they’re downright insane. Like out of your mind, how could you ever think that was a good idea, crazy. You might feel the urge to scream at the book or avert your eyes. Plus, vague-booking here, but NO THAT IS NO WAY EVER FORGIVABLE. Not even remotely.

The romance is dreamy. In some ways, I feel like had this book been about Heather’s self-harm and the romance, or just one or the other, it would have been more engaging. Heather and Robby are playful and flirty. They’re discovering attraction when before they only saw each other as friends. It’s sweet and Robby makes the cutest little songs on the spot. He’s seriously adorable. And the kilt.

Primrose and Prudence’s story, when you get to it, it awesome. It’s full of revenge, jealously, heartbreak, and the worst betrayals. I wish there had been more of that.

Overall, this was an interesting read.

This one was just ok for me. I thought the story itself was interesting but it fell a bit flat. The witch aspect is what really grabbed my attention but it didn't really pan out as I expected..

Creepy read. Trigger warning for self harm.

Heather MacNair is looking forward to her summer abroad in Scotland. Longing to feel normal again after being released from an inpatient care unit, she is looking forward to hanging out with her Scottish besties. The compulsion to cut, however, is only growing stronger, and Heather soon learns about some tragic witchy ancestors who might be the reason why her self-harm is escalating. With the help of her aunt and her friends, Heather will learn the story of tragic sisters Prudence and Primrose and stop her family's curse.

Delacorte Press and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Bad Blood. This is my honest opinion of the book.

Sixteen year old Heather MacNair feels a compulsion to cut, to draw symbols into her flesh to mimic that which she sees in her dreams. Thinking that a change of scenery might be helpful, Heather is allowed to go on her annual summer vacation to her aunt's house in Scotland. When the nightmares persist and the compulsion to cut gets stronger, will Heather be able to figure out what the dreams about Primrose and Prudence are trying to tell her?

Bad Blood has an interesting concept, but it felt too much like a YA romance sprinkled with a little supernatural. I wish that the author had committed to the idea of a witch's curse instead of muddying up the plot with teenage romance. The idea of the feud lasting generations could have carried the book on its own, if the story had been focused squarely in that area. Bad Blood was a good book that might appeal to YA readers who enjoy a touch of supernatural with their romance.

I really wanted to love this book. I found I just could not connect with it. I did love the concept and the plotlines. I think it needed more umph to make it a pow book. Overall, it isn't horrible. It may have just been me. I will attempt to read again later down the road :)

I was really hoping to like this one because I love witch-y type stories, but unfortunately it was a major disappointment. It was so boring that I can't even remember the MC's name. Oh yes, I think it was Heather? It's about a girl who cuts herself and makes odd symbols with out knowing why. I didn't think they would go into that much detail, but it was bad. She could not stop no matter how hard she tried. The story later goes into detail as to why she does cut herself, but I feel it could have been dealt with differently. If you're not comfortable with self-harming, then do not read this book at all! Also, the book went really no where until the end of the book. Most of the book just shows how Heather goes to Scotland to visit her Aunt and Grandmother, and goes visiting her friends. No plot whatsoever. By the time I got to the end it felt lackluster and underwhelming. If this is a series I will not be continuing it.

Bad Blood kept me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning. Lunetta's writing is impeccable and she knows how to keep readers engrossed with her story. Highly recommended!

I had multiple issues with this book. First it was soooo slow. Nothing happened. There was a ton of stuff that did nothing to move the,plot along or give insight into the characters. And the solution was so trite. Oh, you just need to forgive each other. Oh, okay. We've hated each other for,centuries but 3 minutes with you just fixed it all! Golly gee! But perhaps my biggest issue was that her cutting was supernatural in origin. I feel like this book was really offensive to people who actually have this disorder. She kept saying she,wanted to be normal. And behold, it wasn't a psychological problem, but evil ghosts making her do,it! Just awful. Shame on the author and,publisher.

I received a copy from Netgalley.

I pre ordered this ages before I requested a review copy from Netgalley. I must admit I pre ordered based on cover and the fact that the title is Taylor Swift song. I probably read the blurb at some point and forgot what it was about.

And to my immense surprise my Netgalley request was actually approved.

Possible trigger warnings for self-harm.

This was a fun book about a girl who’s visiting relatives in Scotland while at the same time having strange dreams about twin girls in the time of the Scottish Witch Trials. (I usually don’t like books where the characters have the same name as myself, but thankfully this was a first person novel so it didn’t grate on me too much). The main character Heather has some disturbing compulsions that make her carve intricate designs into her skin, which make her bleed.

At the start of the novel she’s been caught by her parents and been sent to a Wellness Centre for recovery. Which at least seems to be working, she’s taking meds, talking to a therapist and come home, and been allowed to go on to her annual vacation to visit her Aunt Abbie in Scotland. With check ins with her parents and on line Skye sessions with her therapist.

Only the need to carve the weird designs into her skin haven’t really gone away. She’s got it under control enough to fool the grownups into thinking she’s okay when she’s really not. To be fair though, she knows she’s doing something wrong, there is something unexplainable about the way the sudden compulsion over comes her. But she can’t cope or do anything until the design is carved into her skin. It’s a weird intricate knot type design.

There’s a historical element to the novel telling the story of twin sisters Prudence and Primrose who lived in the 1700s. Their story starts with one of them being burned as witch. Their history is revealed to Heather in the modern day through her dreams. Once loving sisters learning the healing craft of their ancestors with the mother, things turn sour turning the twins into bitter rivals going deeper into magic they should not be messing with.

All this is having a big effect on Heather in the modern day. In Edinburgh with her aunt Abbie, Heather gets some bad news about her aunt, and also has to deal with the fact that her grandmother has dementia and has been put into a home. Not fun on top of increasingly frightening nightmares starring Prudence and Primrose.

Having been to Scotland every summer for years and years Heather has made some really good friends with some of the other teens in town. She gets to see them in the summer. They’re all quite excited to be together again, though initially Heather is a little disappointed the older boy she likes isn’t there that summer, just his brother Robby who she’s known forever is. They’re good friends, but there’s a definite spark between them that everyone but Heather seems to see.

As the dreams get worse and worse, and a few visits to grandma reveal some surprising information, talk of witches in the family, something bad involving using blood for spells, Heather does some digging. And discovers some home truths she never knew.

It’s a good story with a great historical and some really good mystical elements. Some good teen angst added in and with an inevitable romance. My only real issue with this which is why it was a four star rather than a five star read was I found most of the characters very two dimensional. They were all likeable, but I didn’t get much of a sense of personality from any of them really.

The novel was exceptionally well written, so it didn’t really matter that the characters were a little flat, the history and mythology worked well, and the magic elements were well done and quite unique. There’s also a really good sense of place, the Scottish setting is brilliantly done. I really enjoyed the descriptions of Edinburgh and the Scottish countryside. Both modern day and historical it felt really authentic, beautifully written and easy to picture.

Despite a few flaws, it was a really good read and definitely something I would read again.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children’s for approving my request to view this title

I have met Demitria Lunetta before and she is truly a delight. She is a writer who creates characters that make you think long after you have read about them. This particular book is about a favorite topic of mine - witches and magic powers. Heather is a girl plagued with a desire to cut. When she finally arrives at the truth as to why she does this behavior, she understands her entire family and all of their eccentricities. I love the supporting characters in this as much as the main characters as they are just as vibrant and interesting as the others. I cannot wait to read more from this author as she holds a spark that a lot of writers are missing.

A YA novel set in Scotland? Count me in! It is often hard for me to resist witchy novels because they're often very bewitching ;) Bad Blood fulfilled my need for a new witch obsession. There was just the right amount of magic, mystery, and secrets. I found myself completely intrigued. There was a definite The Craft vibe going on. If you enjoyed the Half Bad trilogy and A Darker Shade of Magic, this one might be up your alley. Fair warning, there are self-harming triggers. The setting is detailed and beautifully written. There was a sweet romance that didn't overwhelm the plot. All in all, fans of YA fantasy will want to check this one out!

I really wanted to love this. I was intrigued by the premise and had enjoyed Demitria's other books.

Heather was a decent enough MC. I don't really have anything bad or good to say about her. She wasn't annoying, but wasn't a stand out either. I really liked her friends {especially Fiona} and was mostly entertained by their antics.

Plot wise, it seemed to drag. There are alternating POVs and I didn't care for either of the sisters. I wanted magic and excitement and instead got a lot of self-harm and just a sprinkling of spells. The build up to the conflict was slow, but then it was a rushed ending.

Overall, I was expecting a bit more tension and creepiness.

**Huge thanks to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for providing the arc free of charge**

★★★☆☆

Pros:
~ Interesting Scottish folklore and witchcraft
~ Female characters! A heck ton of them!
~ Scotland!!!!
~ Female friendships that don’t slutshame
~ Herbalist witchcraft and blood witchcraft
~ A romance with potential . . .
Cons:
~ . . . that ended up shallow.
~ Plot? Where is it?
~ Poor usage/portrayal of mental health and self-harm
~ The climax and overall conflict is hinged on dream sequences, which is
boring tbh
If it was 2008, this book would be guaranteed to do well. From the insensitive portrayal of mental illness to the strange mixture of slice-of-life summer vacation and supernatural witchcraft, it feels like a PNR at the height of the Twilight craze.

To be fair, Bad Blood has nothing in common with Twilight. It takes a much more upbeat tone (excepting the dream sequences), includes a healthier (albeit shallow) romance, and showcases friendships and familial relationships.

Heather is a 16-year-old who has a self-harm problem and an night terror problem, and she’s just been released from a stint in a mental rehab facility. This doesn’t stop her from being allowed to leave America for her annual summer trip to Scotland to visit her aunt. Her only condition is to have weekly Skype chats with her therapist, but otherwise she is given complete freedom.

We open in on Heather, who is just leaving the hospital. Personally I didn’t care for the way the mental institution was portrayed (and less so the inhabitants) and I didn’t like that the story tried so hard to tell us Heather had a self-harm problem, not a fucking magical problem. We, the readers, know she is cutting because magic from the get-go, so for the love of God stop bringing “crazy” and diagnosed mental health into this. If you’re at all sensitive to/triggered by self-harm DO NOT READ THIS. Seriously, it’s like cutter porn.

As usual, I’m adamant that mental health not be used as a scapegoat or an edgelord plot prop, so I had to detract points because of the portrayal. On the flip-side I thought the element of blood magic was interesting and I would’ve liked to see more of it outside a contemporary field and more along the lines of The Raven Boys, where mysticism is deeply engrained in the story and modern elements.

Heather’s other problem is her night terrors--she dreams of 17-century witch twins Prudence and Primrose, who are pretty much out to get the other murdered. The dreams were interesting . . . but in the end, slightly flat. I didn’t feel like I knew enough about the twins to care about their fates, so the dream sequences often felt more boring than anything. The fact that the major conflict was hinged on dream scenes was a bore, and the way the conflict was ultimately resolved was rather easy and anticlimactic.

The major major detracting factor though is that there is just. not. enough. plot. Heather spends 80%~ of the book (minus the dreams and climax) literally just hanging out around Scotland with her friends Fiona, Asha, and Robby. While their interactions are cute and I really liked that it had a strong focus on non-slutshamey female friendship, it just wasn’t enough to carry the story.

Heather’s romance with childhood friend Robby had potential, but it felt so shallow on Heather’s end. She’d never considered him romantically before this summer, for one because she was devoted to his older, cuter brother, and two because she didn’t think he was cute (too chubby). After she sees he’s gotten hot, all bets are off! Way to be shallow, Heather.

In all, I think Bad Blood suffers from its lack of depth and delivery. It’s nice if you’re interested in a very light witchcrafty modern fantasy, but pass on this one if you’re looking for complexity and depth.