Hex You (Sisters of Salem, #3)

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Hex You (Sisters of Salem, #3)
Age Range
12+
Release Date
January 31, 2023
ISBN
978-1250765697
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Twin sisters, Mercy and Hunter are witches, direct descendants of the Goode family, the founders of their town. After the murder of their mother at the hands of a foul demon, they have become the protectors of the Gates to different underworlds--ancient portals between their world and realms where mythology rules and the darkest of creatures exist.

Mercy and Khenti are trapped in the Ancient Egyptian Underworld and need Hunter’s help to escape. But while Hunter searches for a way to save them, other evil threatens Goodeville. Amphitrite is still looming–and she wants vengeance against Hunter. With the gates rapidly weakening, Amphitrite lures out a deadly creature and sets it free on the residents of Goodeville. It will take everything in Mercy and Hunter’s power to stop the goddess and seal the gates once and for all.

Editor review

1 review
engaging sequel
Overall rating
 
3.7
Plot
 
3.0
Characters
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
HEX YOU is the third and final book in the YA fantasy series, Sisters of Salem. Following closely on the tails of the second book, Mercy is trapped in the Egyptian Underworld along with Khenti, and Hunter is realizing all the mistakes she has made that now need to be corrected. Among the first of her list are figuring out how to get Mercy out, get rid of Amphitrite, and figure out how to heal the gates.

As Hunter begins to work her way through her list, she and Mercy will learn the importance of their sisterhood and connections with others. A new evil has been unleashed on Goodeville, and chaos abounds with only Hunter, Mercy, their cat familiar, and friends to stop it.

What I loved: This series features some really intriguing twists on the Salem story as well as witchcraft with modern teens. Hunter and Mercy are twins who have been raised by their mother to be Goode witches. However, as teens, they make a lot of missteps, particularly after their mother's death, when the gates are rotting and guidance is lacking. There are strong themes about making mistakes, the fallout, and how to address them. The resolution of these are not always so simple and some have terrible consequences, but the importance of trying to right your wrongs and make amends is clear throughout.

Other themes around friendship/loyalty, the weaponization of religion, and family/sisterhood are also really thought-provoking. Hunter and Mercy have stretched the limits of their relationships with friends and each other, but luckily, their friends have a lot of loyalty and care about them a lot, giving them a lot of grace and forgiveness throughout. A new plot arises around religious fervor and the ways in which it can be used to justify terrible actions. While this is related to Amphitrite, it certainly has modern parallels to the real world.

My favorite character remains their feline familiar, who just makes every scene she is in. Xena has quite the personality, a lot of wisdom, but also quirks due to being a cat (who can take human form). She provides some much-needed guidance to the twins as they deal with their mistakes.

What left me wanting more: The pacing on this book felt a bit off with parts feeling slow and some feeling really rushed, particularly at the end of the story. There were places that needed to be reread a few times to understand what was going on and how the scenes connected. The ending did not feel quite as satisfying as hoped, possibly in part due to the rushed feeling - it also definitely feels like it could be extended in future books (maybe spinoff series?). The book does not spare any time for recapping, so if it has been some time since reading prior stories, readers can feel a bit lost. For that reason, I would recommend rereading the earlier stories close in time to this one.

Final verdict: HEX YOU is an engaging third book in a creative and fast-paced YA fantasy series. Recommend for younger YA readers who love some magic amidst the ordinary.
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