All of my favourite YA books seem to feature girls fighting against what life is trying to give them and I had a craving for a witchy fix. So I requested Hexed and was delighted when I was accepted.

Jessie Jones’ mum moves the family around a lot and they’ve recently settled on the Isle of Wight, where her mum grew up. Jessie wants nothing more than to keep a low profile at her new school but unfortunately for her, some long buried magical powers are about to come into their own and there isn’t much that Jessie can do about it. And it turns out that these new abilities might just come in handy when combatting the intense toxic masculinity and misogyny.

Jessie tries her hardest to be average because she hates the idea of the spotlight being on her. She has a snarky, occasionally sarcastic, voice and I knew exactly who she was from the very first page. I had no doubt that she had the potential to get things done and the story certainly revealed that to be the case!

I would have liked to see more interaction between Jessie and her sister Bella. They apparently go to the same school with just two years (I think) between them and yet I don’t think they see each other at school at all. We know at the beginning of the book that they aren’t very close but I expected Jessie to want to become closer to Bella sooner than she did, especially when they were both hit with the same bombshell at exactly the same time. As the book progresses, they do begin to repair their relationship and it was really lovely to see that unconditional sisterly bond still alive and well at the very end.

Jessie’s Nonna has the vibes of a ‘super witch’, who could probably do literally anything. She is a free-spirited, wise old lady who I really wanted to have delicious herbal tea with. I also really enjoyed the elemental approach to witchcraft that the book takes. These are the kind of witches who preach kindness and have complete respect for nature. Their magic is only used to bring about justice and reduce the amount of evil in the world. Perhaps we should all strive to use our own forms of magic to do the same.

A big theme of the book is the notion of changing yourself to fit in. It’s something that the vast majority of people do because it’s simply easier to get by in life, if you don’t stand out from the crowd. Jessie is quite critical of her classmates for doing this but she doesn’t even realise until it’s pointed out that she does it herself. She hides her smarts because she hates attention of any kind. Perhaps the most important message of the novel is that our differences and perceived ‘flaws’ that aren’t really flaws are the things that we should amplify and encourage other people to celebrate.

One thing that Jessie is great at is realising that everyone has multiple facets to their character. She takes the time to get to know popular girl Libby, who really isn’t very nice to her, and she learns that actually Libby has plenty of insecurities and struggles just like everyone else. Being willing to listen to our ‘enemies’ and try to come to a sort of understanding is a really admirable quality to have.

There is a point where Jessie does some research into her own family history and discovers the story of her ancestor Molly Downer. Molly lived in a time where she was villified for being who she was, like so many women both then and even now. Just like these stories are the inspiration for so many of our own feminist fights, It’s this that drives Jessie to tackle the own disgusting prejudices amongst the male population of her school.

Sexism is still very prevalent in pretty much every aspect of society. Growing up female is a lot tougher than you’d think, if you were fortunate enough to not experience it. It’s much more subtle now and you’d be forgiven for perhaps not even noticing it but that doesn’t make it a problem of the past. If left unchecked, even these subtle examples, will show their effects on girls as they grow into women. Some may choose not to speak their mind in the presence of men because they expect to be interrupted. Some may not trust in their own opinions over that of a man because they’ve always been deemed as less important. Some may never reach their full potential because they were never given the space to explore their abilities. This book really made me think about all of tese things and how my own upbringing and education perhaps affected who I am now.

‘Be the change you want to see.’

Hexed is a fun, quirky YA book about fighting the patriarchy, female friendship and discovering your true power. There are some great characters arcs too and I loved how the author managed to weave in some very real issues such as toxic masculinity, consent, bullying and even climate change. Yes, it’s a witty witch fantasy but it reads very much like an issues-based contemporary, making it the best of both worlds!

Jessie is right in the middle of her teenage years, has moved too many times to have any friends and is finding fitting into this new school harder than expected. This could be because there's a sexist ringleader who has her in his sights or it could be the fact that she just found out she's a witch with witchy powers (not just one, but a whole range).

Like any coming of age story set around a secondary (high) school, we get the cliques: mean girls, jocks, nerds, etc. and it's an interesting change to see that dynamic in an English setting. So to the mix we have obnoxious teens (majority), unpopular girls ( minority), indifferent faculty and various incidents in and out of school.

It's a fairly topical book, which covers #metoo issues around consent, institutional bias, pervasive sexism and the added bonus of being able to deal with these issues with the power of witchcraft. Despite the seriousness of the themes, you are not brow beaten by them. In fact the way they are introduced and dealt with make you realise how common these incidents are. Worse yet, their frequency make you lose sight of their import.

We see Jessie make choices that we might not necessarily agree with ( I know I didn't) however it was true to her backstory, which is key for authenticity and believability in fiction.
I didn't agree with her on occasion, often didn't like her decision making but Hexed worked for me nevertheless, because of this authenticity.

I liked it for the family dynamic- who doesn't love three generations of witches living together, references to Buffy, Charmed and Sabrina and characters who came straight out of local English school. And I can't finish this review without mentioning the magic. Most of it was cool and made you totally wish you had that ability as a teen in a difficult situation. Plus we were told about cause and effect. There is a cost to using magic and consequences, so it's not all fun times.

Thank you for the realistic portrayal of teenagers and also the realities of life. Repercussions were true rather than wish fulfilment.

Jessie Jones has got used to moving schools regularly, being the new face and trying to do enough not to get noticed. However, when her mum moves the family back to her hometown, things are not quite as straightforward as she might have hoped.
Trying to fly under the radar might work out okay for most…but when you find your darkest wishes suddenly manifesting in front of you it’s a sign something strange is going on. Jessie finds herself wondering how she’s managed to turn the face of popular bully boy Callum acne-ridden, and how her desire for a boy to get caught out in his lies can result in his nose suddenly growing. What she’s not expecting is the revelation that she’s a witch.
The stereotype of witches is definitely challenged here. Jessie and her family come from a long line of witches, and their powers can come in useful.
There’s a bit of silliness at first with talk of witchcraft being used to rectify awful cooking or to conjure up the perfect bath. But in Hexed we have a superficially funny tale - of a girl who learns she’s a witch coming into her powers - that is used to deliver a very important message about women in society.
From early on we can see things on the island are not quite right. Women are treated badly…and these misogynistic views are held under scrutiny with the focus on behaviour in Jessie’s school. From the casual scoring system of rating girls’ attractiveness to the leery comments and tales of poor behaviour. There’s a clear culture of sexism and this book shows one girl’s attempts to take on and challenge these views.
While it might not exactly be smashing the patriarchy Hexed shows sexism is still an issue and ought to be challenged, by everyone. Along the way, there’s some other useful life lessons challenging attitudes and pushing back bit by bit. A tale that should be shared every day…not just Wednesdays!
Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this before publication.

Hexed is an addictive YA novel covering important and timely topics, with a dash of the supernatural brilliantly woven into the plot.

Jessie Jones has been dragged back to the Isle of Wight in yet another house move by her mother. Being the new girl, Jessie does everything possible to stay under the radar, to not get noticed. But then she finds out she’s a witch. A witch that’s not 100% in control of her powers. Especially when she gets mad. Add to that some toxic masculinity and sexism, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for disaster. It’s definitely not the best combination when all you want to do is stay invisible.

I was with Jessie every step of the way through this book: in her shoes, in her head. I felt every angry thought and wanted to jump into the page and scream on her behalf. Julia Tuffs has masterfully created a character that you root for at every step. I whizzed through this book! What a treat. And now I hear there’s a sequel....

WOW, this book! Fantastically feminist and wildly uplifting and empowering. With WITCHES.

Bereft now that it's finished and I can completely see this being brought to TV/film (please - someone?). Also SO happy to see periods and period pain referenced in here to counter years and years of shame around these subjects. (Off topic, I know, but I can't explain how much it means to me as someone with endometriosis. And how much it would have meant to me to have read this book when I was younger. To feel seen and know that I'm not alone.)

This is such a fun, witchy debut! If I had read this YA as a teenager I would have eaten it up, good thing I also felt the same way as a 25yr old!

How. Very. Relatable.

Jessie Jones is quite a typical teenager. As an older reader I found myself shaking my head at her often, but remembering how I felt at the same age and the struggles she is going through? I loved her!

We get good female friendships, supportive family - slimy, gross boys. You get it all in Hexed and the cherry on top is that there's some magic sprinkled in. I loved that whilst everything happened as it did because Jessie is a witch and so are her female family members, that wasn't the overt main focus of the book. We're stamping down the patriarchy here and supporting our friends as we go.

Dave the cat also playing a very important part to the story - who doesn't love a black cat that may or may not be a witchy familiar? My boyfriend's parents also had a female pet named Dave so of course I couldn't help but love this little familiar nod.

I hoped Hexed can be picked up and treasured by those who need it. Every female has at least one experience with "boys being boys" and needing to "have a sense of humour" so if this book helps in aiding some female empowerment, then all the better for it.

A really great debut. Easy to read and flows page to page, chapter to chapter. With a gorgeous cover to boot and some great witchy references from being a teenager.

I absolutely loved Hexed! It was brilliantly well written, funny and relatable. I loved the important message of girls sticking together - a much needed book for teens right now. Jessica Jones was a great narrator - and I don't want to create any spoilers but the ending was fantastic!

Hexed: Don't Get Mad, Get Powers. What a tag line! Hexed is basically a fab YA about everyday sexism but completely turned on it's head by the addition of witchy, teen drama goodness.

Jessie's life has been uplifted and moved across the country to the Isle of Wight. As if this wasn't enough, the move seems to have given her unpredictable powers when she is on her period. Admittedly, this does sound a little bizarre but what follows is full of fantastic friendships, tight family bonds, female empowerment and fighting against the sexism that is embedded in a secondary school that values the boy's football team about all else (very topical in a country that has banned large gatherings but has opened up the Euro games to thousands of spectators).

I absolutely loved it and cannot wait for the sequel coming in 2022!

Hexed: Don’t Get Mad, Get Powers is a brilliantly funny and relatable debut novel for teens.

Admittedly the plot does sound a little silly, a girl gets powers on her period and learns that she, and all the women in her family, are witches. But, it is so good, who wouldn’t want to get powers on their period?! There have to be some positives to it!

This book takes the YA trope of moving home, changing school, and trying to ‘fit in’, then adds the spin of discovering you have powers and accidentally hexing your new classmates! It makes for a really fun read.

Alongside the wit and laughs are deeper themes of bullying, sexism, and equality. Jessie is determined not to let the culprits get away with it, and when her anger and unruly powers have negative consequences, she turns to her friends and family for help and backup.

I love the female characters in this book, Jessie, her mum, sister, and Nonna have such wonderful dynamics. Her friends Summer and Tabitha always have her back, and even the back and forth unfolding friendship with Libby was a realistic insight into the teenage girl psyche, the bitchiness and backstabbing.

I see that there is a sequel coming out in 2022, which I am very much looking forward to.

If you are looking for a book that oozes girl power, friendship, and fighting against misogyny this is for you!

Thank you to Netgalley and Orion Children’s Books for the e-arc to review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A non-American YA novel? How exciting! (And actually written by a Brit!!)

For about a third of this book, I was feeling pretty middle of the road. I wasn't so sure of anything, and I was wondering if it was a bit young for me. But, as I went on, I started to really like Jessie's arc, and her new relationships. It definitely is a YA novel, but that is a benefit for it. Jessie feels like a teenager. She's confused, weird, and vaguely mad a lot of the time. It was very empowering to watch Jessie learn to stand up for herself, and that she is allowed to be angry and take action about the way she and other women are treated.

I was very frustrated by how much the adults in this book sucked, as they seem incapable of helping anyone. I kept wondering who hired these people to work in a school. And I love Dave. She is my favourite character, and I don't care that she's a cat. Also, loved the TSwift references, always a good sign in a book.

I really appreciated the depth to the "mean girls", and they weren't jusst cardboard cut-outs from 90's movies. They all were revealed to be people, which I think is such an important thing for teenagers to be exposed to.

The whole <spoiler> period witch thing felt a bit Carrie White to me? It was never really explained why that was, just moon cycles and witches, which felt a little sad to me, as it was connecting periods to womanhood. What about trans women? They're just as much women as anyone else. Also, trans men, are they witches? Nonna says only girls are witches, but many men have periods too, so how does that work?. </spoiler>

All in all, I enjoyed this one. I did feel a little like I was reading something written for a younger person, but that makes sense as I'm 22 and this is written for teens! 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 for Goodreads.

(Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Children's Group for an eARC in exchange for a honest review)

Jessie has just been forced to move back to her mothers home town and is struggling to settle into her new life and new school. To make matters worse, she's just discovered that she's a witch. All Jessie wants to do is blend in and stay invisible but when popular kid Callum starts spreading rumors about her, maybe her new witchy powers aren't that annoying after all.

Hexed is a fantastic YA novel about feminism and standing up to bullying whilst also involving the fantasy element of witches, I loved it! Our main character Jessie is such a well written character and has some amazing one liners. I felt so attached to her from the beginning and loved reading from her point of view. The books overall message is about standing up to sexism and misogyny and it is conveyed so so well. I definitely recommend this to anyone who loves Holly Bourne and witches!

Unfortunately I am unable to read this as it's only available as a download to the NetGalley app, which means it is not accessible to me. If this changes so it can be sent to kindle I will be on it in a flash. Messy witches are my jam.

I have requested that the library but this in, and I will endeavour to read it as soon as possible.

I had already decided to write a glowing review of this funny, heartfelt, honest book. Then I read the author's note and found out that Julia collected the Storyteller magazine as a child. Julia, let's be friends.

Feminism is a huge issue nowadays. I don't know if there's genuinely more trouble around, or if social media is just making it easier to see what's happening. (I hope for the second but fear it's the first.) Either way, books like this are important, to show young girls they don't have to put up with this, to show young boys they shouldn't either. It's only mildly touched on here, but Freddie is also forced to go along with things until quite near the end.

I loved the humour in this. It's hard to find properly funny books for teens, and I think this qualifies. I'm still remembering random lines and giggling. Poor Jessie has a lot to deal with. Speaking of...I do think her mother could have warned them before they reached the island! It's not as though she couldn't demonstrate. Instead she let them blunder around, at risk of hurting people and wearing out poor Nonna trying to clean up behind them.

Apart from that tiny gripe, which honestly only occurred to me after a lot of thinking, I really enjoyed this fantastic book and I can't wait for the next one. I hope this series runs and runs.

I'll be honest with you, when I first started reading this teen novel, I found the premise laughably daft... a girl moves to the Isle of Wight, gets her period, and starts to have magical powers. And wow, does it go on about periods!

However, when I got further into the novel, I enjoyed the strong characterisation of females in this teen novel. Jessie is not just a witch, but is also being bullied, is also dealing with moving to a new school, is also dealing with mean girls. Plenty of girls will relate to her and find the novel's ending, which celebrates female unity, rather empowering. Jessie's sister, mum and grandmother are equally endearing. If anything, I think that there's plenty of scope for a sequel in this witchy coven - I can see readers enjoying finding out what may happen as Jessie grows up and grows into her powers.

The boys in this novel are all a bit wet and pathetic, but that seems to be pretty deliberate and I think that teenage girls will enjoy the contrast. And whilst I don't believe in shelving books by their intended genre, I really do think that this is one for the girls (unless any male readers are particularly enthralled by drawn out passages describing tampons, blood leakage and period pains.

Overall, this novel has a really good 'heart' to it. I think that girls from 11 to 13 would particularly enjoy this one, as would all fans of 'Mean Girls' and 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch'.

Jessie Jones' new school is the same as all her others - there are the overbearing, entitled football boys, the popular crowd, the geekier kids on the sidelines doing their own thing. Jessie tries to blend in until smarmy-but-popular Callum starts to spread rumours about her. But Jessie has one thing going for her that Callum doesn't suspect. She's a witch.

But can cursing Callum really make her problems go away? As Jessie gets to grips with her new powers and forms new alliances, she learns it'll take more than a few hexes to smash the patriarchy...

Hexed is seriously funny, Jessie's quips about school and life are spot on, and the mischief she makes with her spells is great fun, but there's more to it than that - a very real message about feminism, standing up for yourself and accepting who you really are. A brilliant supernatural comedy with heart.

I really enjoyed this book, it was modern and interesting - with nods to other things that clearly inspired the story (witchy properties of the 90s - Buffy and Sabrina mostly!). It felt realistic, and the conseqences added to that - the world isn't a perfect place where people get their comeuppance, but self-acceptance and speaking up is one of the most important things a person can do. Great book for those 13+.

I love a good witchy book and this was perfect. Entertaining, fun, friendships and very feminist. I've not come across this author before and will definitely be seeking her out in the future.

Ah this one doesn’t work on my kindle which is a real kick, but if it’s like Sabrina mixed with Sex Education then I’m all in! I will buy this book for sure.

“Sabrina the Teenage Witch meets Sex Education” is a perfect leading quote for this highly entertaining supernatural comedy set on the Isle of Wight. Fifteen-year-old Jessie Jones moves to the Isle of Wight with her single parent mother and struggles to settle in her new school. She believes her mother to be having a mid-life crisis, but in actual fact her mother is descended from a long line of witches, but their power is only potent when they are on the island. Early in her new school career weird things begin to happen when Math geek Jessie is around, and she begins to suspect she is the cause. Sure enough, now that she is back on her family’s island, she is beginning to develop witching powers. Interestingly, this is connected to her period, so although Hexed is a teen comedy, there is a lot of talk of menstruation. It does not read like a horror novel and is more in tune with teen dramas by the likes of Holly Bourne, with a feisty and very engaging teen negotiating the dangers of high school.

Amazingly, when we get beyond the humorous aspects of Jessie trying to get a handle on her clumsy magical skills Hexed has a powerful message which is uncannily similar to the media stories of rape culture and sexism in British secondary schools. In fact, Hexed completely nails this subject to the wall and does it with some style and good humour. If you’re after something similar, but slightly darker, then The Burning by Laura Bates is another top recommendation. Incredibly, when Julia Tuffs wrote Hexed the website Everyone’s Invited did not exist, but it covers the same ground as Jessie finds herself being filmed, mocked and shocked by the level of sexism in her school and the fact that the teachers do little about it. This was an interesting development in the book and took it beyond the story of a normal girl developing supernatural powers. AGE 13+

Wonderfully witty and fabulously feisty, Julia Tuffs’ spellbinding YA debut delivers hilarious one liners and sarcastic quips to rival even the Queen of YA, Holly Bourne.

Jessie Jones has just discovered she’s a witch.

Having been forced to move back to her mother’s hometown,start a new school and a whole new life—she never once imagined that she could possibly be a witch.

All she wants to do is stay invisible and unnoticed by the rest of the school. But when her powers manifest with crippling period pains during a maths lesson seated next to the schools most popular bully, she realises staying invisible is going to be highly unlikely.

I absolutely loved it! Fast paced and packed with humour (and a heap of pop culture references) I literally couldn’t put this down, it was soo addictive.

Jessie was an incredibly entertaining and well written character,though at times she was a little self absorbed. I absolutely loved her Nonna and think her cat,Dave (who is female) definitely needed more page time.

Watching Jessie’s magic attempts was Incredibly amusing—though, it’s her resolute fight for justice against the sexist double standards and misogyny that makes her such a great character.

I loved feminist themes of equality and empowerment, I thought it worked well with our witchy protagonist’s ancestral legacy (as women have historically been prosecuted as witches for not following societal norms) and giving it a modern contemporary setting was simply perfect.

Though there was a hint of romance I liked that the story doesn’t only revolve around it —focusing instead on the bonds of family and friendship.

Overall, it’s a really solid and enjoyable read if you’re a fan of Holly Bourne then I’d definitely suggest picking this one up, it’s good!

I also just want to thank Orion Children's Books and Net Galley for the ARC.