Life for Lesley, the daughter of a single parent isn't easy. She's never included with the cool kids because she wears hand-me-downs, and apart from her only friend, Phyliss, is lonely. And life only gets more difficult after she sprouts wings, horns and a tail with a wicked point at the end. Her mother uproots their life, and takes them to the Fae haven of Misty Hollow, where she finds out she's a Cambion, the daughter of an incubus demon and a witch; and apparently, something so rare, that she's feared and hated in equal measure for simply existing. When she enrols in the high school there, she soon discovers that the Fae are a mixture of different races who still subscribe to old prejudices of 'Light Fae' and 'Dark Fae'; with the latter being mistrusted and maligned. With a small group of new friends (all of whom are of the 'Dark' variety), she has to learn how to navigate the new, fairy tale world she's found herself in - along with how to accept herself for who she really is.

Only Half Human pulls you into the world of Misty Hollow, and builds up the lore of the magical world using many details from folk tales from around the globe. Wright has clearly done a lot of research into European Mythology, especially with Lesley's Cambion origins, where the first description of one came from William of Auvergne, describing them as 'hideous children born of incubus and succubus demons' (slightly paraphrased). He has taken great lengths to ensure that his lore rings true, with his accurate descriptions of magical rules. That he not only concentrated on the 'classical' European creatures of myth, but included magical beings Asian and African traditions was refreshing. It made for a colourful, bright and interesting cast of characters.

Lesley's character arc was insightful; showing how vulnerable she felt not only when she developed her wings, but when she presented as human was a nice touch. It revealed her desperation to be 'normal', to be 'liked' - even when she asked the popular kids in her human school if she could join them at the movies. She was somewhat ungrateful for her friend, until she lost her after her transformation. This theme continues in the novel, with Lesley seeming to not realise how important her friends are; how much they care - until it's almost too late. She can be frustrating to the reader, as she desperately seeks a way to learn how to hide her demonic features. Her journey of self discovery makes her redeemable; as she understands that who she is is the best she can be. She's neither human nor demon, she's somewhere in between.

S. A