Review: MEAN GIRLS Meets That One Episode of SUPERNATURAL
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 21, 2014
(Full disclosure: I received a free electronic copy of this book for review through Library Thing’s Member Giveaways program.)I wasn’t frightened until the girl started to glow in the dark.“You seriously can’t see that?” I ask my best friend.“See what?” [...]Across the street from us, a girl is glowing. Well, I shouldn’t say that. It’s not like she’s painted in neon green body glitter or anything. But this girl’s got a real sort of, well, glow. There’s yellow light radiating from her. She looks like a low-watt bulb. I swear she does.But Tamara doesn’t see it.***Fifteen-year-old Mindee Vefreet is just your average Wilfred Laurier Secondary School sophomore. Sure, maybe she’s not the most popular girl in school; her family doesn’t have a whole lot of money, and after her mother was institutionalized for schizophrenia, the kids at school started to whisper behind her back. And right in her face. You’d think that after her mother died, they’d back off just a bit – but you’d be wrong. Even now, years later, Mindee’s known as ‘the daughter of that psycho.’But, for all intents and purposes, the only exceptional thing about Mindee is how unexceptional she is.Until, one day, she isn’t.One day, and quite unexpectedly, Mindee discovers that she’s a seer: her mind is open to magic, and she can see hexes manifest in their victims in the form of a glowing light. When Dina Jennings, a popular Mean Girl senior, begins to glow yellow, Mindee thinks that maybe she’s losing it like her mom. But when the light seems to interact with its surroundings in a very real and physical way – causing all sorts of misfortune for Dina – Mindee is relieved. And not a little scared. If she’s not going crazy, then just what the hell is going on?With the help of her friends – BFF Tamara, Tam’s boyfriend Ryan, and their anime- and occult-obsessed friend Marlene – Mindee sets out to learn more about this strange and unwelcome new gift, and save Dina from a seemingly minor hex that’s continuing to escalate with its caster’s anger. Though they are able to find and destroy the talisman that binds Dina to her wenemy (witch enemy! you like?), in so doing they attract the attention of an older, more powerful practitioner of the dark arts. And she desires their very souls.The first of a planned trilogy, THE HEX BREAKER’S EYES is a quick and enjoyable read: it’s kind of like MEAN GIRLS meets that one episode of SUPERNATURAL. (Malleus Maleficarum. OF COURSE I’m talking about Malleus Maleficarum!) I wasn’t quite sure what to expect – when it comes to books, I usually prefer science fiction to fantasy, even fantasy of the paranormal type – but I was pleasantly surprised. This book is hella fun. The narrator’s voice feels real and believable, and the plot moves quickly. In fact, Tennant doesn’t waste a second – he delves right into the story on page one (see the excerpt above), and takes off running. I can’t wait for the next books to drop!My only complaint? The copious use of the b-word. Gendered slurs are not cool, yo!