Hex, by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, is a horror book that was originally published in Dutch, but translated into English and released here because it is, frankly, a pretty awesome book. The translation is excellent, and I didn't notice anything wrong or jarring in the text.
The book centers on the town of Black Spring, a small town in the Hudson Valley that is cursed by a witch. Literally, there is an immortal witch wandering around town, wrapped in chains and with her eyes and mouth sewn shut. You mess with the Black Rock Witch? Ya dead. You let her loose? Ya dead. And if you happen to live in Black Spring and you leave? Ya dead.
Because of the potential body count, the town's leaders keep a tight lock on Black Spring, including preventing anyone from leaking information about the witch outside the town limits. Naturally the younger generation, who are into YouTube and the Tweeters, don't take this well, and the let's say medieval punishments the town council metes out get things escalating to a really bloody conclusion.
There's a long tradition of witch panic stories in American literature, and this definitely falls within that tradition, even though the book is Dutch. While it's set in the modern day, the isolation of Black Spring under its curse effectively sends it back to the time of old Salem, with all the paranoia and trapped hopelessness one would expect. Otherwise intelligent, compassionate people become panicked and make bad decisions, making things worse and causing more mistakes. Cruel people are empowered, and everything goes to hell.
What makes Hex stand out, though, is the Black Rock Witch herself. While it becomes clear very quickly that the witch is dangerous, she's also an old woman who's been bound and left to wander in horrifically pitiful conditions. Heuvelt never allows the reader to become entirely certain of her, alternating between moments where she's sympathetic, sometimes ridiculous, and sudden bouts of violence and malice. And we never get an objective description of her, as she's always seen through the eyes of characters who very much assign their own ideas to her actions.
"If you like Stephen King books..." might as well be a cliche, but if you do, or you're just a fan of horror or witches in general, Hex is definitely worth checking out. And if you ever find out Heuvelt's little secret, do let me know?
Also, tell me if there's any books or movies you'd like me to review here, and if you liked this review, maybe give one of my books a quick read!
-Lea
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