I really enjoyed this book. It's got some mystery element to it and some surprising twists/reveals towards the end of the book. My favorite character in this book is Paige (she reminded me of Penn from the Fallen series by Lauren Kate). I loved Paige and how she was always there for Indie no matter how Indie treated her in the beginning. I did not like Indie in the beginning; I thought she was stuck up and superficial but towards the end she starts to change and I liked her more towards the end. Bishop at times felt really immature for his age. He's supposed to be 18 and I know teenage guys can be pretty immature but at times he felt more like a 14 or 15 year old. I liked Indie's aunt Penny, we don't see her too much in this book but hopefully she'll be in the 2nd book more. The ending is a major cliffhanger and leaves you with so many questions and wanting to know more right away. This book was a quick read and overall a really good start to a series. ( )

Wants to be Buffy. Doesn't pull it off. Disappointing. ( )

Sad about who dies. Makes sense why, but it doesn't make it easier to swallow. Glad to see Indigo grew up a bit by the end. Author could've easily written her as shallow from start to finish. Excited to see where the series goes. ( )

So. The opening paragraph of the publisher's blurb turned me off immediately. Based on the description of Indigo Blackwood, our heroine, alone, I already did not like her. Not a good start for a book. But, well, witches. I do like stories about witches. Why not give it a try? I crossed my fingers as I began reading that this would be a light and entertaining book to read.

Fortunately for both of us, Indigo and I made our peace quickly and I enjoyed reading Hexed. It was fun and at times quite intense, especially towards the end. Indigo, or Indie as her friends call her, narrates the story and I came to really like her snarky attitude and sensitive nature. She grows over the course of the book and is someone I wouldn't have minded hanging out with in the end.

My favorite characters, however, have to be Paige and Bishop, both of whom proved to be handy in tight situations. I especially liked how strong a character Paige was. She came across as a little desperate in the beginning--if you are to believe Indigo--but she's actually got a good head on her shoulders, which includes some self-respect. Bishop is all mystery at first, but the more of his character that is revealed, he proves he is a force to be reckoned with.

I liked the world the author has created, the mythology around her witches, including how and when they come into their powers. There are two opposing magical forces in Hexed, the witches who are good, and the sorcerers who are bad. The differences between them is slight, but evidently the two groups do not like each other. The sorcerers covet the power and want to destroy the witches once and for all.

The bad guys in the novel were more caricatures than anything else, which was both good and bad. It fit with the overall story's style--a balance of dark and comedy--but it also took away from my enjoyment a bit. It was hard to take them seriously as a threat at times.

While the mystery in this story comes to an end, the story isn't quite over. There is a cliff hanger at the end of the novel. And based on the epilogue, I am guessing the next book in the series will focus on another of the characters. As entertaining as Hexed was, I am looking forward to seeing what Michelle Krys comes up with next. It's always nice to be proven wrong, and I am glad I did not let the synopsis of the book put me off it completely. Hexed was an enjoyable book--just what I was hoping for: a mystery, humor, suspense, romance, and a lot of magic.
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Synopsis: Indigo Blackwood is a cheerleader with a quarterback boyfriend and to her sorrow a best friend who wants him. She also has a quirky mother and aunt as well as a nerdy friend. What she doesn't know is that she is a witch. This realization comes suddenly when she is thrown between two battling occult groups.
Review: Billed as 'Harry Potter meets Stephanie Plumb', this is another teenage angst book with a paranormal twist. ( )