Delacorte Press
June 10, 2014
384 pages
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If high school is all about social status, Indigo Blackwood has it made. Sure, her quirky mom owns an occult shop, and a nerd just won’t stop trying to be her friend, but Indie is a popular cheerleader with a football-star boyfriend and a social circle powerful enough to ruin everyone at school. Who wouldn’t want to be her?
Then a guy dies right before her eyes. And the dusty old family Bible her mom is freakishly possessive of is stolen. But it’s when a frustratingly sexy stranger named Bishop enters Indie’s world that she learns her destiny involves a lot more than pom-poms and parties. If she doesn’t get the Bible back, every witch on the planet will die. And that’s seriously bad news for Indie, because according to Bishop, she’s a witch too.
Suddenly forced into a centuries-old war between witches and sorcerers, Indie’s about to uncover the many dark truths about her life—and a future unlike any she ever imagined on top of the cheer pyramid.
Hexed - main character, Indigo, especially - and I had an interesting time. The novel was billed as 'The Craft meets Bring It On' which drew me to it immediately. I wasn't sure how those two, quite disparate stories, could 'meet;' I definitely wanted to find out. At first, I didn't see it and was, honestly, kind of annoyed by Indigo. She was supposed to be a smart girl but she was letting someone else decide her life.
Once the supernatural element was introduced into the story, however, things got better.
The mix of the Los Angeles setting, the cheer squad, and the magic is quite different but also really fun. There's the definite mean girl, cheerleader aspect while there's also possible - if not likely - mortal danger.
In fact, it made me think of Buffy more than The Craft or Bring It On. As Indie learned of who - what? - she truly was, she had to avert disaster while on school grounds, trying to maintain her 'normal' identity. Add in Bishop who could be the Luke Perry character from the Buffy just updated and in a different role . . . There was not quite the same level of snark and wit as Buffy, but Indie was a cheerleader dealing with supernatural things that put her in danger and that needed to remain secret.
The nearer the story got to the end, the more you could feel both the tension and the suspense. Even when something seemed to be resolved and/or danger averted, you could never be too sure. There was almost always something waiting just around the corner (or page turn).
After a rough start, Hexed was really a very fun read. Some of the characters changed in ways that could have been explained/drawn out/developed more but as those changes were for the better of the story, I didn't mind. I am looking forward to seeing where Michelle Krys takes Indie, Bishop and the rest of the characters and the story in Book 2. Hexed is a fast-paced, tension filled ride with just the right amount of emotion and magic thrown in.
Rating: 7/10
Other books you might also enjoy: Earthbound by Aprilynne Pike and Hex Hall series by Rachel Hawkins
thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my copy to review
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