Hexed by Julia Tuffs

Sabrina the Teenage Witch meets Sex Education - Jessie Jones has just discovered she's a witch. Too bad there isn't a hex to make slimy Callum Henderson and his friends disappear ... yet. A feisty, funny YA series about discovering your place and your power.

New girl, new school, new life on stupid island - thanks Mum. All Jessie Jones wants is to keep her head down, avoid school douchebag Callum Henderson, and coast - middle-of-the-road-like. But when strange powers start to manifest during crippling period pains, flying under the radar seems highly unlikely.

Can Jessie embrace her new-found witchiness, control her erratic powers and work out a way to bring down Callum and his cult of toxic masculinity?  

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I had already decided to write a glowing review of this funny, heartfelt, honest book. Then I read the author's note and found out that Julia collected the Storyteller magazine as a child. Julia, let's be friends.

Feminism is a huge issue nowadays. I don't know if there's genuinely more trouble around, or if social media is just making it easier to see what's happening. (I hope for the second but fear it's the first.) Either way, books like this are important, to show young girls they don't have to put up with this, to show young boys they shouldn't either. It's only mildly touched on here, but Freddie is also forced to go along with things until quite near the end.

I loved the humour in this. It's hard to find properly funny books for teens, and I think this qualifies. I'm still remembering random lines and giggling. Poor Jessie has a lot to deal with. Speaking of...I do think her mother could have warned them before they reached the island! It's not as though she couldn't demonstrate. Instead she let them blunder around, at risk of hurting people and wearing out poor Nonna trying to clean up behind them.

Apart from that tiny gripe, which honestly only occurred to me after a lot of thinking, I really enjoyed this fantastic book and I can't wait for the next one. I hope this series runs and runs.

Hexed publishes on the 8th of July, 2021. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.