Hexed

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 1 SEPT 2014

High school junior Indigo Blackwood is a popular cheerleader who dates the captain of the football team. Focused on maintaining her social standing, she ignores her nerdy neighbor Paige, bickers constantly with her mean-girl best friend Bianca, and makes light of her New Age-y mom. But Indigo's priorities change when she and Paige see a young man killed in a traffic accident, Indigo discovers she is a witch, and violent sorcerers begin hunting for a witchcraft bible that Indigo's mother has been hiding for years. In this first book of a planned series, Krys offers a lot of description about life in Los Angeles; sometimes the level of detail slows the story's pace. Narrator Ricci has a youthful, throaty voice that belies much of the violence and gore that takes place in the story. Her female characters are spunky, sassy, bitchy, concerned, tired, exhilarated, or sexy. Ricci also gives the main bad guys distinct pacing and sneering tones, but, unfortunately, all of her other male characters are one-note: they sound very much like low-voiced young women. Ricci is at her best when there is dialogue or when she is reading action scenes. Her voice is very well matched to the tale a sassy soap opera with magic and her scratchy, sexy tones are decidedly appealing. Ages 12 up. A Delacorte hardcover.