Hex

I gobbled this up. I have tried to read the horror genre for YEARS. The reality is, the stories are rarely scary: they are gory (which is NOT the same thing) or they are atmospheric but boring. Or, they are thinly guised romance novels featuring creatures of horror.

This book is freaking scary.

It does take until the center of the novel for all hell to break loose. Until then, it's still a good ride. Those that compare it to early King- I agree. In fact, I think I would recommend this to fans of Stranger Things to read while we wait for season 2. It's Twin Peaks-ish.
It did bother me that the church was consistently referred to as the Crystal Meth Church. Once-okay, in the way that it is how a teen boy describes the church. Described that way every time it becomes offensive. I'm not even religious, but I don't want to watch anyone piss on someone's beliefs.

I give Heuvelt credit for very decent world building, character development, and scaring the hell out of me a couple of times. It just occurred to me! I would compare him, in all seriousness, with John Saul.

It loses a star for baiting me. At least once a chapter the author baited us with “This would be the last time they...” or “all this would change...” and blah blah blah. Show don't tell. And don't hit us in the head with foreshadowing. Readers are more clever than that.