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Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt


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I wanted to write a review for this one, but I'm not really sure the best way to do so, so this is more a collection of some thoughts. The author explains that this started as a shorter novel, in Dutch, and it has been edited, moved to a US setting, and expanded. I think I'd really like to read the original version.

 

Hex is not going to be liked by everyone, and different readers are going to take different things from it. I've already see a selection of reviews, with readers liking and disliking differing aspects of the book, and it's understandable. For me, it worked, although not in the way I expected...

 

From the description, cover etc I was expecting something a little different.. maybe a more isolated, dark village, more obvious scares, etc. Instead, we are greeted with a town which has accepted it's witch into their everyday lives, has cameras everywhere to observe her, and even an app where people can report in when they spot her! The witch herself is an actual person, and yet she can come and go like a ghost. She can turn up anywhere, and when she turns up in people's houses, they simply have to leave her alone until she goes again. It's the strangest thing, and rather creepy.. can you imagine?!

 

We are introduced to the idea of the witch pretty much straight away, and yet the story has a slow build up.. we learn more about her history, the grip of fear over the town, and the lengths they go to keep her hidden from the outside world. 

 

It comes down to a group of teenagers to start off a change, by starting to fight back a little.. against the witch herself, but also the town, and the people in charge. Small acts of rebellion however, have deadly consequences.

 

I had built up my expectations a bit for this, with comments that it had kept people awake at night etc. This is all going to depend what you've read before, I guess, and on exactly what scares you. For me, the thought of living under those circumstances in the town was rather chilling, and it's the actions of others which scared the most, rather than the witch. It's not going to keep me awake at night, but it has kept me completely hooked.. and I'm really looking forward to discussing it with others. A strong contender for my book of the year!

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  • 1 month later...

Cool, thanks. I just wondered because of the teenagers. I wouldn't have a problem with it being YA, but I'm even more interested in it knowing it's for adults (and therefore hopefully spookier :)).

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