This unfortunately did not work very well for me. I dnf'd it about 40% through. I think that it reads a little younger than I was anticipating and I think with the right mindset going in I would probably have enjoyed it a lot more. People looking for a fun witchy Vibe will probably get a lot of enjoyment out of this

Fun and quirky, this magical YA/Fantasy novel is quick and very easy to read. With a captivating storyline and likable characters, it is well thought out and very well written.

Robin West is a normal teenage girl, focusing on high-school, her best friend Pita, boys and playing field hockey. Whilst her mother is travelling overseas for work, her grandmother let's her in on a family secret, she is descended from a long line of Hexenmeisters, able to make a Hex from their artwork. Beautiful signs which can prevent bad things or make good things happen.
Robin becomes her grandmother's "Gram Madder" apprentice, learning how to make Hex signs and all things "Madder business".
With impending danger approaching and a stranger in town, hell bent on stopping all things magical. Robin must find a way to protect the town, her loved ones and all that she holds dear.

A great read for teenagers and all those who enjoy magic, fantasy and YA books. Light and charming, I quite enjoyed this one, I'm sure my own teen and pre teenage children will enjoy it too.

Hex falls into that weird middle ground between YA and Middle Grade. The pacing and story felt more suited to MG, but the characters are more of a YA age, so it's hard to categorize.
It's a fun story which can be read in an afternoon, with an interesting concept that unfortunately falls a little flat due to a lack of depth - again, it reads like a MG book with a YA setting.
The premise of Hexenmeister being passed down the generations through apprenticeships was interesting, but unfortunately not much else about the book was. The development was lacking, and this left the ending feeling abrupt and unsatisfactory.
A great concept, but needed a little more depth and exposition.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
An interesting idea behind this story but it sadly failed to deliver. Some aspects were good but it felt quite flat and unrealistic, making it less engaging.
An OK read.

This is a nice little YA story of contemporary fantasy. Robin is a teenager doing teenage things: hanging out with her bestie, playing sports, surviving school, being nervous around boys. But she’s also doing something unique – learning the family business, which happens to be a bit of witchy crafting known as Madder business.

The small town where Robin lives is full of people who have been helped by her family’s craft over the years, but, as always, there are a few petty citizens who are out to turn the tide against her.

A bit of a coming of age story and a bit witchy magic, this story was…nice. It was OK. It was a good concept. The thing it seemed lacking was depth. Robin and her Gram are relatable enough, but all the supporting characters remain flat throughout. Robin’s best friend is inexplicably upset with her at times and then suddenly over it, which made her unlikable through part of the story and forgettable during the rest. And her name is Aphrodite but everyone calls her Pita, which is perplexing and never explained.

And of course, the magic is the best part of any story but the magic here is barely explained. I would have loved to know more about the power that Robin’s family wields and the history of it.

I feel like this book could be the beginning of a series and if it is I hope we see a better fleshing-out of the characters in future books.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In Hex, young hexenmeister Robin inherits her family's skill for casting powerful charms from her grandmother. But just as she's getting to grips with 'Madder business', the town seems to start turning on them. If you think that sounds like a great premise for an animated film, I'd agree. It's got strong visual vibes - the hexes are based on folk art - and its combination of broad-brush character development and pacey plot really suggests that format.

Still, I have to admit, Hex wasn't really my bag. As much as I love magical MG - and a bit of lurking threat, which this does quite well - I found it much more plot-driven than character-driven and that didn't work for me. I was constantly looking for more reasons to care about Robin in particular, or for a deeper demonstration of the dynamics of the West family. Witch stories are powerfully female, but without their names attached I'd be hard pushed to tell some of these characters apart some of the time. There's also at least one plot device that gets hinted at but doesn't really go anywhere, which is a shame.

There's an open enough ending that this has series potential; if that happens I could be tempted back by the promise of getting into richer emotional territory. As it was, it felt like a solid romp, which just needs more flesh on its bones.

(This is also very specific to me, but as a Greek reader I kept chuckling at 'Pita' as short for Aphrodite, Robin's Greek-American best friend. It means pastry, pie, or a type of bread - not very goddessy!)

This book had an interesting take on magic in the form of hexes that could protect people. These hexes aren’t a spell, they are paintings. Robin’s Grandmother is the Gram Madder of the town who decides it time Robin learn about the hexes and Madder business. The story was quick paced and interesting I just feel that it was missing a bit of depth to it! Overall, great story!

When I started the book, I was interested. This concept of "witches" or rather Hexenmeister as they're called here, was new to me and it intrigued me. Sadly, my interest in this book faded surprisingly fast because there was nothing happening. At all. Robin attends her school business, she fights with her best friend, then she attends the school ball, her Grams introduces her to her clients... Technically, you could list this as "something" but it was nothing out of the ordinary or new. To me, it wasn't interesting. I didn't pick this book for romance and school sub plots, I picked it because of the unique witchcraft. Sadly, in my opinion, the book failed to deliver at that point and by the time the book actually started to dwell deeper into the witch business, I had lost interest completely. I finished the book, but I wasn't interested in the book anymore. I doubt I will read the second book.
My actual rating is 2.5 stars, but because I love the cover, I'll put it up as a three stars read.

I received a free copy by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Well written and fun to read. The characters are engaging, the story is interesting, and the change in the community is heartwarming.

The writing - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The story - ⭐⭐⭐
Overall - ⭐⭐⭐

I smashed through this in a couple of hours, and it was easy to read, engaging and well written. I enjoyed it, but it frustrated me. The build up was great, but the ending seemed rushed and left a lot of questions unanswered.

If you're looking for a quick and easy filler read this is perfect.

Fave quote - 'This should make all right and proper' the Madder business motto.

Fave moment - Hearing about the intricacies of creating hexes.

Hex is an easy to read, slightly witchy (though don’t let Gram Madder hear me say that) and fun book.

Robin is a teenager going through the motions of a young romance, making time for hobbies and friends, oh and also apprenticing as a Hexenmeister.

Madder business is creating hexes to protect and bring joy to the recipient, whatever they need. However, some see this as a problem in their small town and towards the end there’s a true sense of community that was really warming to read!

Overall, this is a “young” book, but that didn’t make me enjoy it any less! There’s some pointless fluffing that doesn’t really provide much context as the world building isn’t fantastic but I still felt satisfied with the magical feeling!

In order to understand my assessment of Hex: The Apprentice, it’s important to know there’s some misinformation around this book. Kirkus declared, “YA readers should partake of Madder business as eagerly as if under a hex.”

However, the listing information on Netgalley says Hex is a middle grade book. On Amazon, the work is listed under ‘children’s fantasy and magic adventure’.

As is, YA can be complicated, because there’s what’s sometimes dubbed upper YA and lower YA, referring to books that appeal to older and younger teenagers. There’s been a push to embrace NA (new adult) but books aren’t categorized that way in stores and it’s been slow to gain hold.

Why does all of this matter? How well readers receive Hex may depend, in part, on their age. I read a fair bit of YA and would not consider this to be YA. However, it was hard embracing a MG categorization either, because the protagonist, Robin, is in high school (not middle grade age) and the story primarily revolves around Robin and her grandmother, who is also not middle grade age. MG and YA works usually focus on protagonists the same age as the targeted readership.

The focus of the story is on Robin’s apprenticeship with her grandmother. She’s starting a new school year and, at the same time, learning to take over the family business. (This was another facet of the novel that nudged it away from MG. I also felt the talk about college applications pushed the book away from MG.) As an adult reader, I found the apprenticeship interesting, but suspected some readers would be bored by some of the filler between Robin’s training and the events that shape the climax.

Robin had a conflict with her new art teacher and her best friend, but minimal time was spent focusing on those conflicts and they had limited impact on the story overall. They appeared abruptly and were resolved quickly. The potential tension from these subplots was lost because they didn’t permeate events in a way that truly threatened the protagonist or shaped the story. There was no moment when Robin considered quitting the family business or felt the need to change to address personal issues.

The characters aren’t fleshed out extensively, there were some typos (which may have been corrected in the final version) and there were some logic flaws which may not bother a MG reader, but would be noticeable to YA readers. There are also some real questions about the mother, and it was hard not to see her as a selfish character who wasn’t a good parent, since she’d left her teenage daughter to go work overseas after the death of her husband. Still, it seemed like Robin wasn’t at all bothered by her mother’s absence and that it was more convenient for her. It could have really added some complexity and depth if the mom had been present (particularly because she wasn’t supportive of Grandma’s business) but consumed with a workaholic mentality developed since the death of her husband. There was an opportunity for some real emotional depth about family relationships, grief, and healing. However, the author chose to write a book that’s largely upbeat, where things never get too dour, and where you’re buoyed by confidence from start to finish that everything will work out just fine. And for some people, that’s a reassuring read and it has its place.

I did think it was unfortunate that the freedom of religion discussion was touched on throughout and we really only heard one side of it clearly presented.

Another issue is that this is a story where not even the adults involved are prepared to call the authorities when their lives and livelihood are threatened by criminal actions. Teens not automatically trusting adults makes a certain amount of sense. Adults protecting people who commit arson and other acts that jeopardize lives? If you’re thinking about what your MG/young YA reader might pick up from a story like this, it isn’t that they should tell the truth when someone harms them or breaks the law. It isn’t even that you should report it to the police. Of all the things that bothered me about the story, that bothered me the most. If there had been other factors at play, such as issues addressed in works such as The Hate U Give, it could have been possible to understand this, but that was not the case in this work.

It is nice to see a teen who has a good relationship with an adult, and Robin and her grandmother have a great dynamic. I enjoyed Robin and there was enough to keep me reading and I think the author has plenty of potential, but this story could have benefited from a clear focus on serving its audience instead of trying to straddle two genres and not fitting in either category. A thorough developmental edit would have caught some of the continuity and logic issues, and strengthened the subplots and character development to give Robin the storytelling depth she deserved.

This was a lovely, quick read and I think younger YA would get on with it when they want something light and fairly breezy. I loved the concept of drawing magical spells, which I’ve not seen before, and the relationship between grandmother and granddaughter was charming.

However, I felt it lacked depth and I wanted more. More character development, more plot, more descriptions how the magic worked. It felt like if maybe each chapter started with a madder magic story, and also an in-depth description of the symbol involved, we’d have got more of both of those elements, without it getting in the way of the story.

Then there could have been more plot and character development. The priest twist was a bit thrown away and you always knew what was coming next.
I want it to be a fair chunk longer, with a lot more focus on plotting, and more in depth character building of Nick, Pita, and also all the “bad guys”.

A fun book, but it needs more to be a truly fantastic book.

Overall a good, easy read that's well written. I loved the plot; a coming of age story of a young girl discovering the unusual family business of magic, being a hexmaster, and the family relationships built around that. I did want more from the characters, although Robin and her Grandmother have a beautifully special relationship, there wasn't enough depth in any of the characters and they could have been built on far more.

I loved the idea of this book--a girl learns how to make enchanted hex signs from her grandmother, and finds that magic has a cost, that even with magic she can't control everything, and that communities need collaborative strength. But the writing isn't polished, the plotting is obvious and jerky, and it needs a round of developmental editing to make it really shine.

want to start the review off by pointing out how beautiful the cover is! As I was scrolling NetGalley, it caught my eye right away, and the title is simple yet exciting! Honestly, I had read none of Fran's work. I had heard about her but never got around to reading anything written by her. Once I saw the cover and title, I knew there was no way I couldn't read it.

Here are my non-spoiler thoughts. When I found this book, it was at the most inconvenient time. I was in the middle of a move, so it sat on my NetGalley shelf for longer than I would have liked. Once I got to it, I couldn't put it down. The relationship between Robin and her grams is beautiful. If you're looking for a book with strong female relationships, this is the book for you.

Hex The Apprentice has an interesting magic system, something I haven't read before. I enjoyed the payment system. The pacing was just right: each chapter-ending left me wanting more. Some parts left me on the edge of my seat! Hex The Apprentice was a feel-good magical read. It's getting a four out of five stars from me.

*I was provided with a complimentary e-book of this title, in exchange for an honest review*

Robin is a normal high school teenager living with her Gram Madder whilst her mother is away. Normal, that is, until she finds out from Gram about ‘Madder Business’. Robin’s family come from a long line of hex masters – making paintings that have the power to make or stop things from happening. As Robin learns the secrets of hex making, she must juggle school and keeping hex making from her friends, whilst pretending the township doesn’t access her family for Madder Business. When an intolerant stranger comes to town, Robin must find a way to protect those neat to her and their way of life,

Hex is a lovely, easy to read middle-grade novel about a young woman juggling traditions with her personal identify and relationships. It brings folkloric magic into a contemporary setting and explores prejudice in a modern-day setting. The story is relatively fast-paced with an eclectic mix of characters and their path to acceptance and belonging.

I really enjoyed this book and found it to be a lovely tale of modern magic and hexes. However, I did wish there was more character and world-building, as well as ‘padding’ to the plot to help the story last a little bit longer. A highly recommended read that I think most will enjoy,

Thank you to Netgalley and Brattle Publishing for my digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a story about a girl who comes into her own following the family business. Robin and her Gram are lovable characters. She's a typical high school girl, dealing with school, boys, after school activities and your typical mean girl. The catch is she's also learning the family business...Madder Business. I was hooked from the beginning of the story till the end. I didn't see part of the ending coming and it was an emotional moment for me. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves a bit of magic in their life and an easy read. You can easily read this in one sitting, it's that good!

(This is also posted on Goodreads.)

Hex is an easy, enjoyable read. It has cute characters, a wonderful relationship between Robin and her grandmother. Their bond is so obvious and delightful and I love that. It is nice to have that type of relationship be the highlight of a book. I enjoyed Robins growth as a person and her ability to stand up for herself. The magic was wonderful and so pure.

Hex is a simple book, it's not overly complex, but it is enjoyable and perfect for when you just want to chill out with a book and not have to think to much.

This was a very quick and easy ready, and a fun story to breeze through. It is an interesting plot line but it lacks a lot of depth and personality. I really like the idea of the Hexes and how the "job" transfers from generation to generation and how each one is painted custom for every individual.

I had a lot of issues with the "preacher" and his role as it just came and went without a lot of development and his "task" was over in a single page. This felt unrealistic and quite bland. I think the author could have really dove into that and made the ending of the novel pack a bigger punch. Speaking of the end...where is it? I honestly thought I had missed part of the book because of how it ends. It is very abrupt and sudden and I was left with a ton of questions and confusion. I wish there had been a better wrapup or even an epilogue to tie it all together.

Overall, this was an interesting read and a cool concept, but it does lack a lot of structure and development that made it fall flat.