Hex Americana by Bree Wolf - OPTIONAL

Hex Americana by Bree Wolf, 380 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Iron Circus Comics, 2023.  $15

Language: G (1 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG (a couple of characters have a near brush with death) ; Violence: PG (some intense racing scenes, a couple of fatphobic jokes)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

Ken Takamoto is a daredevil half-Yōkai who is obsessed with car racing. He accidentally comes across the Speed Demon of Echo Canyons, the ghost of a boy, Dante Willow, who died in a car race 20 years earlier. Together they train to compete in the Hex Americana, the biggest car race around. It’s not all fun and games, however, when they learn the truth about Dante’s death and the powers actually behind the Hex.

This was a weird read for me. I usually really like fantasy, but I think the combination of ghouls, demons, ghosts, and other fantastical elements with the modern sport of car racing was throwing me off. I didn’t really understand the world - I also didn’t fully understand everyone’s motivations, so it made the ending seem unresolved. It’s ok if you have the budget, but it will only appeal to a small portion of your readers.

Reviewer: Kiera Beddes, #bookswithbeddes