HEX
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4.1 • 252 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
“This is totally, brilliantly original.” —Stephen King
“HEX is creepy and gripping and original, sure to be one of the top horror novels of 2016.” —George R.R. Martin
The English language debut of the bestselling Dutch novel, Hex, from Thomas Olde Heuvelt--a Hugo and World Fantasy award nominated talent to watch
Whoever is born here, is doomed to stay 'til death. Whoever settles, never leaves.
Welcome to Black Spring, the seemingly picturesque Hudson Valley town haunted by the Black Rock Witch, a seventeenth century woman whose eyes and mouth are sewn shut. Muzzled, she walks the streets and enters homes at will. She stands next to children's bed for nights on end. Everybody knows that her eyes may never be opened or the consequences will be too terrible to bear.
The elders of Black Spring have virtually quarantined the town by using high-tech surveillance to prevent their curse from spreading. Frustrated with being kept in lockdown, the town's teenagers decide to break their strict regulations and go viral with the haunting. But, in so doing, they send the town spiraling into dark, medieval practices of the distant past.
This chilling novel heralds the arrival of an exciting new voice in mainstream horror and dark fantasy.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Despite some emotional gut punches, Heuvelt's supernatural thriller fails to fully capitalize on its intriguing premise. The New York town of Black Springs appears perfectly normal to the outside world, but is, in fact, subject to a curse. Katherine van Wyler was sentenced to death for witchcraft in 1664 after resurrecting her dead son. She has haunted Black Springs for centuries, and her whispers create suicidal thoughts in the minds of those who hear them. Leaving the town for more than a short time is not an option for residents, who would be compelled to kill themselves if they did so. The phenomenon even attracted the attention of the federal government, which established the military academy at West Point to help cover it up. Town residents are governed by strict rules imposed by the government, and even their Internet use is monitored and censored. The restrictions chafe the younger generation, whose rebellion threatens the status quo. Heuvelt (The Ink Readers of Doi Saket) develops his characters enough to give their tragic lives resonance, but the story's resolution disappoints.
Customer Reviews
Small Town, Big Curse
A story about a cozy small town that’s been cursed by a witch for centuries. What would be horrifying to most is mundane to the residents.
Loved it
There were some super Islamophobic comments scattered throughout. And some WILD remarks about nipples, which kinda took away from the seriousness of some scenes… Could have done without them honestly lol
A brilliant and unique take on the town cursed by witch
I read a lot of horror, and the cliches are endless. But Hex manages to raise the concept of a town cursed by a witch to a completely different plane. It pulls the potential cliche out of the mundane and turns it on its head. Absolutely loved the book.