Review: Hexed by Michelle Krys

Last week I mentioned I was reading Hexed by Michelle Krys on the train to New York to attend Book Expo America. I finished the novel just before I got into the city, and I recommended it to several people over the course of the week.

Sixteen-year-old Indigo Blackwood is the best friend of the most popular girl at her Los Angeles high school. She has blond hair, is a cheerleader, and dates the captain of the football team. She also has the third highest GPA in her school, which she is quick to let you know. There are, however, just a few tiny problems with her life, including the fact that her mom owns an occult store and sometimes even tries to casts spells.

Regardless, Indigo is usually content with the status quo, until the day she witnesses an unexplained accident near her mom's shop. From that moment on, she becomes entangled in an centuries-old battle between the witches and warlocks of the Family and the sorcerers of the Priory. Of course, there is a cute guy, a nerdy neighbor who turns out to be not so bad, some family secrets, and few witchy powers. There is also plenty of action and not every situation has a predictable outcome.

Hexed is a fast-paced young adult paranormal story with plenty to love. I liked Indigo's growth as she went from being obsessively focused on her social status to realizing that true friends are not necessarily found among the cool kids. I also enjoyed getting to know Bishop, an eighteen-year-old warlock who becomes Indigo's mentor. Although I was sure romance would bloom, it was fun to read their initial almost-hostile banter, and their relationship developed in a believable way.

Despite the Priory guys' tendency toward violence, I had to laugh at their obvious imitation of some of Hollywood's famous villains. And, in fact, Krys uses humor to lighten some of the darker moments of the book, which is a plus, especially for younger readers.

The primary negative is that the back story of the feud between the Family and the Priory remains somewhat murky. I hope Krys intends to address the history between the two groups in the next book, which would add a nice layer of depth to the novel.

All in all, I recommend Hexed to anyone looking for a cute read (and I don't mean that in a bad way). Indigo's world is not complex and sophisticated, making her story perfect for a summer afternoon. The intended audience is for younger teens, but Krys kept my attention throughout and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

A note on the audiobook. I listened to the unabridged audio edition (Listening Library; 8 hr, 34 min), read by Tai Alexandra Ricci. This is my first experience with Ricci, and I thought she did a great job capturing the personality of the teenage Indigo. She was particularly attentive to her pacing, pulling me into the action just as easily as she kept me invested in the sadder moments of the story. Ricci wasn't as strong with her adult male vocalizations, but that didn't stop me from liking the audiobook.

Published by Random House / Delacorte Books for Young Readers, June 10, 2014
ISBN-13: 9780385743372
Source: Review (print & audio) (see review policy)
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