Jessie Jones is used to moving around, thanks to her mother’s high-profile job. But after a health scare, her mother decides it’s time to return to her roots, and moves with her two daughters to the Isle of Wight and back to her hometown. Once there, Jessie is determined to keep her head down, keep quiet, and draw no attention to herself. Unfortunately, the development of witchy powers – coinciding with her period – puts a stop to that, and Jessie finds herself in the middle of storm, metaphorically and literally, as she deals with new friends, possible frenemies, and a culture of sexism at the school that results in boys ‘rating’ girls and bullying those they see as ‘frigid’.

This is one of those YA books I think is absolutely perfect for the target audience; Jessie reads as a teenager struggling with very teenage issues, while dealing with things beyond her control. Even when she tries to do what she thinks is the ‘right thing’, and follows the advice from adults, it doesn’t always work out, and she often has to find her own way forward. The relationship between her and her sister is strained, largely because Jessie can’t understand why, when they have spent so long trying to ‘just be normal’, her sister embraces an influencer lifestyle. There’s also the general growing apart that comes with age, but like a lot of younger siblings, Jessie feels hurt by this and left behind.

If you are reading this as an adult, there are moments where it feels like the answer is “just have a conversation”, but I really think it added to Jessie’s character that she avoids this, largely due to her not understanding the decisions made by the adults (such as her mother) and being annoyed and angry at them. She really is just trying her best to survive, and that’s made worse by the emergence of her powers as well as the difficulties she’s facing in school.

There’s a heavy ‘feminist’ message to this that as an adult reader maybe felt a touch overhanded, but honestly, it works so well for the target audience, and this is the type of book I would have absolutely loved as a teen. It’s a huge shame these issues are rearing up again with the prevalence of certain online personalities and the messages that are filtering through to the younger generations, but I think books liked Hexed can really emphasise that this isn’t something girls have to experience alone, and give them tools to help deal with it, as well as giving boys the ability to see how harmful these things really are.

Overall, this was a really fun and enjoyable read with a very positive message at its core, and is absolutely perfect for teen readers who like their books with a dash of the paranormal.

This was a fun read and I had no idea it was the authors debut. Really really fun read that I’ll be recommending

Did I read this knowing this book was a debut? No. Was I surprised to learn this 'after the fact'? Yes. Tuff's writing style seems effortlessly YA, and fits into the genre of contemporary with magic so well! Perfect for fans of Mina and the Undead and The Babysitter's Coven. I loved the drama between the characters, the heart and - obviously - the magic. I'm really looking forward to getting to the sequel.

A fantasy YA book definitely apt for younger readers.
The story looks at a main character who has to navigate moving away from their home, a mum having a mid life crisis and deciding to completely change hers (and her children’s lives). having to make new friendships, putting up with typical teenage problem (social anxiety/awkwardness, boys getting away with everything, including sexualising girls without their consent or, on occasion, knowledge, trying to fit in, etc.) . Thankfully, her new found powers can help her work through all this and stand up to the absolutely inappropriate sexual behaviours shown by some of the secondary characters. I really liked that she was given the tools to stand up for herself and try to change the narrative.
All in all, this book delivers a powerful message about standing up for yourself and others, the unacceptability of sexism… all perfectly framed for those younger teenagers that might be struggling through it all.

It read a bit young for me, but definitely would recommend for teens in year 8 or 9.

Thanks to the publishers for my free arc in exchange for an honest review

This was such a fun easy read. Classic teenage witch tale, with added feminism! I loved Jessie's character and her voice. It was really easy to get into a just an enjoyable reading experience. I love that she didn't just want to use her powers for personal gain, she wanted to do it to get revenge on the slimy boys who made the school unsafe for all the girls around her!

The only complaint I had with it was that everything felt too easy. I was waiting for everything to fall apart on her as she was using her powers without thinking of the consequences, I was waiting for her to learn her lesson and swear never to do it again, And there were consequences, but they didn't seem to really sink in and register with her. There wasn't a moment of "oh god what have I done".

All in all though, I really enjoyed reading it and can't wait for the next. Look out for a review of that one, coming soon!

Jessie and her older sister Bella come to learn that they are from a long line of Witches, unbeknown to them until a few incidents occur when they are on their periods.

Who would have thought that a period could trigger magical powers!

I personally feel that tackling the stigma of menstruation in a YA book is a great way to bring comfort to younger readers who may be embarrassed by it or may feel its a taboo subject.

Hexed contains an important narrative of how Jessie Jones tackles sexism, bullying and patriarchal issues which are a regular issue at her school.

I felt like there could have been more magical elements but there will be a second book so I look forward to seeing what else Jessie gets up to!

I feel this book will resonate with a lot of younger readers as they may well relate to Jessie or any of the issues raised.

Thank you to Netgalley for my arc copy!

Jessie has moved to the Isle of Wight after her mum had a health scare that made her rethink her life and move back where she was raised. Jessie is not happy about it. She has moved mid-year and her classmates are bullies. However, strange things start happening when she's menstruating and Jessie finds out that she's a witch. She actually comes from a long line of witches and her mother, grandma and sister all are. Jessie now needs to come to terms with this new aspect of her life while also dealing with bullies.

This was a strong feminist story told in a YA book. I loved how the author connected menstruations with being powerful and how Jessie grows as a person and into her powers. She has always taken everything lying down, but now she wants to put a stop at the bullies and show everyone what kind of harassment her and her peers go through daily at their high school. I also loved how Jessie is not perfect—she makes mistakes but she learns from them (mostly) and finds better solution to deal with the issues instead of magic.

Hexed is an absolutely fantastic read. It's got a sassy strong female lead, who has her flaws like we all do, but it makes her instantly relatable and likeable. It's very easy to buy in to the story. Her discovering she's a witch and all that goes with it. It's a fun and more modern Sabrina The Teenage Witch, but it has far more relatable female protagonist.

Being the new girl is never easy, but when Jessie moves to the Isle of Wight in the middle of year ten, she has a magical discovery to contend with too - she's a witch, a powerful if slightly out-of-control one. Bullies, sexist boys and inappropriate teachers are suddenly at the mercy of her desire for revenge - and her period cramps. But can she use her new powers to change her school for good?

I knew from the moment I read the tagline - Don't get mad, get powers - that I'd enjoy this! It definitely didn't disappoint.

Hexed was a quick, fun read that I didn't want to put down. Jessie was a great protagonist and filled the story with so many funny moments.

This book looks at serious topics such as bullying, misogyny and sexism in schools - which is a huge problem at the moment - through a paranormal lens, where all those horrible things Jessie wishes she could do to the people who hurt her and her friend suddenly become a possibility.

As someone who went on a lot of Isle of Wight holidays as a child, I know teenage me would have really appreciated Jessie's thoughts on the Island! I liked the use of the insular setting, where everyone knows everyone else's history and business too.

Hexed is a fun fantasy YA read that fulfilled all of my expectations from that brilliant tag line!

I really, really loved this book! Having grown up on Sabrina The Teenage Witch, all I could think about when reading this is how much I would have appreciated having it around when I was growing up, I'm going to be making sure we have *many* copies in our school library.

I thought this book was well written with an enchanting storyline and well developed characters. I loved the magical aspects of this book, witch fiction is a particular favourite of mine especially when a witch is only just discovering herself/ powers and so forth, so I loved this book.

I love books based on magic and witchcraft. This was a great story and well written. Great ya book that explores a young girl becoming a witch and understanding her powers.

This book popped up in my approved requests months after it was released and I bought it! A belated thank you.

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book. I found the writing to be jolting and somewhat abrupt, and although I loved the feminist ideals behind embracing our power, in practice, the powers - and the book - didn't really work for me.

That said, I know the author has a sequel coming up, and I wish her well with every single sale, and look forward to what she writes next.

Hexed is a charming, light-hearted, coming of age story about a young girl whose life is complicated when she moves back to her home town only to discover that she’s a witch.
Jessie’s powers manifest themselves in ways which are awkward for her to explain, and though she faces some troubles along the way - namely a sexist bully - it somehow still remains a light and enjoyable narrative. Even while simultaneously highlighting the fact that sexism is still an issue in our society which should be challenged by everyone.
Overall, I thought it was a good book, and one I’d be happy to keep in my class library.

I really enjoyed all of the themes in this book. I enjoyed the angsty sibling relationship and the close bond with the mother and grandmother. I enjoyed the small town vibes. The main theme of this book is teenage Jessie finding out she's a witch when she starts her period, and learning how women and girls are shunned, belitted, and overlooked in society. She learns to use her powers for good to stand up for herself, other women, and other feminist causes. This is a really important book for teenagers to read as it doesn't shy away from talking about periods and highlights the issues and sexism girls face at school, in what is supposed to be a safe space.
A really fun but poignant book, I really recommend it!

This was a fun read about a girl who discovers she is a witch, at the same time as moving to a new home/school and getting her first period. It has very strong female characters in it, and deals frankly with various aspects of growing up, (there's a lot about periods!). The witchy stuff is fun, but the main theme of the book centres around the culture of toxic masculinity in the school, and the upshot is to let girls know that this is not ok. That with or without witchy powers, girls should not stand for certain behaviours being put down to 'boys being boys'. Very readable and thought provoking.

'Hexed' is Julia Tuffs' debut novel, aimed at young adults and balancing a fun story of a witch discovering their incredible powers alongside a scathing examination of sexism and bullying in schools. Jessie and her family move to the Isle of Wight, coinciding with Jessie and her sister discovering they are, in fact, from a long line of witches. Jessie experiences some awful bullying at the hands of boys at her new school... making this the perfect time to use her powers to get some sweet revenge.

This book tackled a range of more serious topics than I was expecting. It is important for teenagers to see that the types of behaviours depicted in the novel, particularly from the male characters, may be recognisable but are far from acceptable. This feminist treatise did not quite gel with the part of the story where Jessie was discovering her powers, but it did give her treatment at school and her reactions an interesting edge.

Overall, this is a promising start to Tuffs portrayal of Jessie's story and I look forward to seeing where she takes the narrative next. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh no, it doesn’t work on my kindle! I absolutely love a witchy book and the reviews are all great so I was really looking forward to reading this one. I will be unable to give a review but I will give a neutral rating of 3 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Really fun YA novel, and the description of the book is definitely spot on. If you like witches, school drama, it's a great one. Engaging characters, and plot.
Thanks a lot for this copy.

Absolutely loved this! Great for fans of things such as Practical Magic, Sabrina, Sex Education, The Craft, Witches of Eastwick and others.

This is so witty and engaging with a feisty but loveable main character, with the sort of friends and family I'd love!

A powerful and empowering story that tackles toxic behaviour within high schools and misogyny endemic within our culture. This is the sort of book every teen should read and have access too.

I feel bereft now I've finished this and can't wait for book 2!