HEXED: Don't Get Mad, Get Powers by Julia Tuffs

 

Jessie Jones has just discovered she's a witch. Too bad there isn't a hex to make slimy Callum Henderson and his friends disappear ... yet. 

New girl, new school, new life on stupid island - thanks Mum. All Jessie Jones wants is to keep her head down, avoid school douchebag Callum Henderson, and coast - middle-of-the-road-like. But when strange powers start to manifest during crippling period pains, flying under the radar seems highly unlikely.

Can Jessie embrace her new-found witchiness, control her erratic powers and work out a way to bring down Callum and his cult of toxic masculinity?

After reading the blurb, I knew I had to read this! So I was very excited when I received a copy. Thank you Hachette Australia!😁

After her mother decides to move them to the Isle of Wight, Jessie becomes the new girl in school. She also hates everything about the old crumbling hotel she's forced to call home, wants to blend in without getting attention, but suddenly finds herself caught in the dangerous web of the school social elite. If only her witchy powers hadn't decided to manifest at the same time...

OMG. I loved this!

I was sucked into Jessie's story as soon as I started reading because her voice was so witty and funny, and the witchy side hits pretty quickly. So I was equal parts interested and intrigued.

This book is full of great characters and terrible characters, and their arcs are very cool. I absolutely loved how they all fit into Jessie's life and how they affected the overall conflict and resolution. 

Jessie goes through a really hard time when she's targeted by a terrible sexist bully and things get pretty dark. And sometimes she even makes some frustrating mistakes, but the charming quality of the narrative is never lost. She goes through a lot of ups and downs, causing several angry situations, which are dealt with in a very teenage way. 

How well the good, bad and in between is balanced while never dragging down the good vibes, is a testament to the awesome writing style.

Also, I absolutely LOVED Jessie's family. Her grandmother, mother and sister are a great group of women. And Nonna was the best! She's hilarious and super intuitive. Yeah, I have a weakness for awesome and cool grandmothers. 👵

Asides from the fun factor, this book deals with some very serious issues that affect girls and women every single day at work and school. The way everything was dealt with was creative and empowering.

HEXED: Don't Get Mad, Get Powers is a totally cute and super fun tale told by a witty and awesome narrator. It deals with some pretty serious issues: bullying, lies, consent and sexism, to name a few. And all of the awful consequences that follow these toxic situations. Along with these very real issues, the witchy angle works well too.

This is a fantastic feminist YA.

Hexed: Don't Get Mad, Get Powers, July 2021, ISBN 9781510109322, Orion Children's Books