Hexed

September 1, 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.

May 15, 2014
A cheerleader discovers she may actually be a witch in this enjoyable but formulaic paranormal romance.Los Angeles high school student Indigo Blackwood has a hot (if phony) boyfriend and a secure spot in the upper echelons of the popular crowd. Though relations with her jealous, supposed best friend have been somewhat strained, she's reasonably happy with life, helping out at her mom's occult store and dodging the friendly overtures of her nerdy but kind neighbor, Paige. However, from the moment she observes a strange accident just outside her mom's shop, all of this changes, and she is pitched headfirst into a centuries-old war between the Family-made up of witches and warlocks-and their sworn enemies, the Priory, who are sorcerers. Fans of the genre will be unsurprised that Bishop, a gorgeous but gruff 18-year-old warlock, is assigned to help Indigo as she navigates her entrance into this world. Plenty of witty banter between Bishop and Indigo will please readers. Their bonding over shared similar tragedies in their lives is convincing and adds a bit of depth, though it does little to mitigate the predictability of their relationship, initially antagonistic, then inevitably romantic.For teens that can't get enough of supernatural love stories, this one will fill the bill just fine, and the cliffhanger ending will leave them eager for more. (Paranormal romance. 14-18)

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May 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-Sixteen-year-old Indigo Blackwood wants nothing more than to focus on her position on the cheerleading squad, her new boyfriend Devon, and patching things up with her jealous friend Bianca. Hoping to increase her popularity, Indigo is eager to avoid her nerdy former friend Paige. The teen is also embarrassed by her New Age hippie mother, who runs an occult shop in Los Angeles, and her party animal aunt Penny. After witnessing an apparent suicide, however, Indigo soon finds herself in the center of a top-secret bloody feud between dueling factions of wizards and sorcerers. Her family has been tasked with protecting a witchcraft Bible that holds the key to destroying witches everywhere. Villains Frederick and Leo's powers are truly far-reaching, as they wipe memories, use telepathy, and freeze the entire city for their epic showdown. With the aid of a hunky stranger, Indigo must quickly master her newly developed magical flying abilities in order to protect her friends and family. There is a hint of a love triangle and plenty of drama as the protagonist discovers who her true friends are. Krys's debut novel offers a fast-paced plot with plenty of shocking twists and turns and a cliff-hanger ending that will appeal to fans of paranormal romances.-Madigan McGillicuddy, Atlanta-Fulton Public Library, Atlanta, GA

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2014
Grades 8-11 Debut author Krys finds the funny and fantastical sweet spot between magic and high-school drama in this mash-up of Mean Girls and The Craft. Snarky L.A. teen Indigo Blackwood, popular girl and cheerleader extraordinaire, has a pretty normal life dating the captain of the football team and avoiding her dorky neighbor, Paige, as much as humanly possible. That all comes to a crashing halt, though, when Indie and Paige witness the death of a young man right in the middle of Melrose Avenue, setting off a string of supernatural events. As it turns out, Indigo is the latest in a long line of witches who protect a powerful heirloom book called The Bible. Before she knows it, Indigo gets yanked into a war between witches and sorcerers, and she is forced to grow up fast while discovering the extent of her power. Indigo is not always relatable and sometimes very shallow, but Krys deftly balances the teen's personal growth with the well-paced twists and turns of this series opener.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)