Hex (Robert Grim #1) in SpecFic Buddy Reads

Dec 28, 2015 Justine rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2016-read

The picturesque town of Black Spring is not only haunted, it's cursed. The Black Rock Witch, a woman killed by the town's residents back in the 17th Century, regularly haunts the town in corporeal form, and if you happen to hear the whispers coming from her stiched up mouth, you feel an overwhelming urge to kill yourself. Not only that, but once you move to Black Spring, you can't leave, as the urge to commit suicide follows any who stray from the town's borders for too long.

The story certainly The picturesque town of Black Spring is not only haunted, it's cursed. The Black Rock Witch, a woman killed by the town's residents back in the 17th Century, regularly haunts the town in corporeal form, and if you happen to hear the whispers coming from her stiched up mouth, you feel an overwhelming urge to kill yourself. Not only that, but once you move to Black Spring, you can't leave, as the urge to commit suicide follows any who stray from the town's borders for too long.

The story certainly has all the ingredients for a good horror story, and for the most part, it delivers. Similar in feel to old school King, it reminded me of books like Pet Sematary. Hex is scary not only because of the supernatural aspect, but because of the the inevitable outcome as it collides with human nature. The townspeople of Black Spring are essentially indoctrinated into a culture of fear from cradle to grave and it does nothing to help them.

The book does a great job of slowly but surely cranking up the level of tension as it goes along, and it is definitely a story driven rather than a character driven book. The translation from the original Dutch doesn't feel like a translation, perhaps because the author has rewritten the story to such an extent. Not only has the setting been changed from the original Dutch location to the fictional US town of Black Spring, but the author notes in the acknowledgements that he rewrote the last several chapters, giving the English language version of Hex a new ending.

Obviously I can't comment on that decision because I haven't read the original Dutch version of Hex. I didn't particularly feel that the US setting added anything to the story, and that might of course be because I'm Canadian, but I don't think so. As I said above, what makes the book scary is the interaction between the supernatural and human nature, and that would be the same regardless of the setting.

So would I recommend it? If you like horror, then this book is worth a read, and I would just approach it as a rewritten or new work rather than a translation. ...more

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Apr 27, 2016 Viv JM rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: in-translation, author-male, horror, read-in-2016

Despite the GoPro cameras, vlogs and high-tech surveillance systems, Hex felt like something of a good old-fashioned horror. And yes, there were some genuinely scary scenes. Interestingly, some of the most terrifying parts were not supernatural in nature but were to do with the behaviour of a group of people living in conditions of chronic intense fear and what that fear drove them to do.

Hex is very much a plot-driven story, rather than character based and I felt that the female characters in pa ...more

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Apr 30, 2016 Emma rated it really liked it

Shelves: horror, paranormal, witches

4 because it was a good horror story but 3 stars in terms of personal enjoyment. I loved the first third of this and then it just became too sinister for me. It was a blend of Wayward Pines, the Crucible and Lord of the Flies.

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Sep 12, 2020 Vavita rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I am giving this book 2 stars because the idea is really good: an old woman/witch going from house to house, year after year, in a small town. The town has to adjust and find ways to deal with her. The first 4 chapters of the book were actually funny. But, the more I read, the more I got bored. Nothing scary happens. On top of that, this book has some sexist and racist comments. The last third of the book was gory but still not scary. I understood the message about humanity the author was trying ...more

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May 14, 2022 Susy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, paranormal

3 stars
What to say… I loved the story yet at the same time I feel conflicted about how to rate it.
What I liked:
- the creepiness/ eeriness, loved that (it's not scary, but I hardly find a book scary… I love eery though)
- the isolated Dutch setting/village
- the plot

What I didn't like:
- the few gory details in the last part, they didn't add a thing to the story
- there are a couple of sexist and racist comments
- a lot remains unclear. I mean, yes, in horror that's often the case (like in this endin ...more

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Jun 06, 2016 Ctgt rated it liked it

This started slowly and while it did recover as the story went on, I never felt very invested in the characters. The story of a modern day town hiding a ancient curse. A woman is accused of witchcraft and has to make a horrible choice. She continues to haunt the town throughout the centuries and now the town uses all the modern conveniences to keep track of her appearances and the goings on of the citizens of the town. There are hard and fast rules concerning the witch and how the townspeople de ...more

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Dec 30, 2020 Mia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Stayed with me...

This book gets 5 Stars on pure creep factor. Rarely do I read a book that stays with me long after I’ve closed the cover but this one has lingered, and lingered and LINGERED! I’m still thinking about it. It’s a ghost story that jumps out and haunts you. No pun intended.

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Sep 09, 2024 Lulu rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2024, horror, translated

Solid horror about a town haunted by a witch who makes it so they cannot leave for long. The one rule they all follow is not to goad or interact with the witch lest they face her wrath (which’ll make them suicidal)—until, of course, some teen boys think they can get away with doing just that. I like the sprawling POVs and the way things ratchet up. I don’t understand why this was localised into America when translated, but it’s more boggling than distracting. Also, this book has a fixation about ...more

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