Hexed by Michelle Krys

Hexed by Michelle Krys, Delacorte Press: 2014.

Indigo Blackwood is one of the popular students, a cheerleader who is dating the star of the football team. Her perfect high school life is only marred by her quirky mother, who owns an occult shop and insists that Indie work there, and a nerdy next door neighbor who keeps trying to be Indie’s friend no matter how many times Indie ignores her or treats her badly. Indie thinks her mom is slightly crazy because of her obsessions with conspiracy and magic and a paranoid concern for the protecting the old family Bible. But then the Bible is stolen, and Indie learns she is actually a witch. Add in a handsome, leather-clad, young warlock and things start to heat up. Soon Indie is caught in the middle of an age-old battle between sorcerers and witches.

This book sounds like a fun, paranormal story with a bit of romance that might appeal to fans of Rachel Hawkins. Instead, Hexed is a predictable story packed with the cliches. The dialogue seems like it is meant to be witty or snarky but just comes across as stilted and obnoxious. Indigo herself is not a likeable character. She’s very self-centered, more concerned with maintaining her social status at school than anything else, even the theft of the Bible, which is basically a death sentence for all witches. Since she’s a witch, she’ll die too. But Indie is more concerned with her lunch table companions. Her realization that the other members of the “In Crowd” aren’t really her friends but that the neighbor girl who sits at the “Losers’ Table” really is feels forced and fake. Why Paige would stand by Indie after the way Indie has treated her is beyond me. Even the romance fell flat for me. I never felt any chemistry between Indigo and Bishop.

As for the magic, it just seemed like window dressing. There are a few scenes of Bishop helping Indie learn to master her magic. But she never really uses it. The conflict between the sorcerers and witches is never explained. Saying the sorcerers are jealous of witches’ abilities is not a satisfying answer. The sorcerers are pretty ruthless enemies. But the witches aren’t exactly appealing allies.

This book is a mediocre rendition of typical high school drama with a thin veneer of magic. If I hadn’t gotten this book as a free digital ARC through NetGalley in return for a review, there is no way I would have finished reading it.