A review by sade
Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt

2.0

Make no mistake, Hex wants to be a horror novel, it strikes the right cord in it's blurb and the initial chapters but like the majority of horror books with an abundance of chapters, it runs out of scare and even sinister before it can properly grip it's readers.

After reading the book, i happened to take a look at the acknowledgement and it turns out for the english version of this book, Heuvelt decided to take a chance and rework some elements of the book in his words:

"...i could create an enhanced version - Hex 2.0, if you will with new rich and layered details and culturally specific legends and superstitions, all without losing touch with the Dutch elements of the original".

Frankly i think maybe this is what killed the book. Now i haven't read the original version but i feel you could discern the diluted quality of Katherine's story. Yes witches are scary but setting also matters in notching up the scare factor. And unfortunately, Heuvelt was unable to properly milk the modern setting to benefit his book.

As i mentioned in my first paragraph, i honestly believe horror books do themselves a disservice when they're bulky. I'm firmly of the opinion that you're able to scare people better when the book isn't dragging into numerous chapters. Get in quick and get out just as quick. Where an author decides to brave (and make no mistake it requires an act of bravery) the side of endless chapters, they better make sure when the scares come, it completely erases all the torturous slow burn readers have to get through, something Scott Thomas's Kill Creek does beautifully.

In the end Katherine unfortunately never gets her time to shine, we are forever teased about what complete and utter catastrophe she could cause and when FINALLY she's given her moment on stage she ends up buried under a heap of psychological babble. 
Such a shame really.

2 stars for effort