Name: Hex
ISBN: 9781984877376

Rebecca Dinerstein Knight

"Nell Barber, an expelled PhD candidate in biological science, is exploring the fine line between poison and antidote. Her mentor, Dr. Joan Kallas, preoccupies her thoughts. Nell frequently finds herself standing in the doorway to Joan's office despite herself. Surrounded by an ex, a best friend, a boyfriend, and a husband, the two scientists are tangled together at the center of a web of illicit relationships, grudges, and obsessions"--

A Novel

Mahogany Skillings

Can you still love someone after watching them make huge mistakes? This book attempts to answer that question with a yes. Fueled by the world of academia, the title begins with an accidental death in a research lab. Affairs, classwork, and botanical experiments make up the rest. While all the characters are thoroughly unlikeable for various reasons, they are all loveable and searching for love while making life changing errors in the process.

It's a slow read for so few pages, but that's because you are savoring each word. This might be unappealing to some, but those who love stream of consciousness prose will enjoy.

Lucy Newlinds

** spoiler alert **
           An interesting exploration of one woman's all consuming obsession.

'A really beautiful book about obsession, longing and science' RAVEN LEILANI 'Wise, funny, suspenseful' JONATHAN SAFRAN FOER 'Sardonic and strange ... With its dark humour and loopy lyricism, it bewitches' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'Reads like a botanist's cross-breeding of The Secret History and Department of Speculation' EMMA STRAUB Nell Barber, an expelled PhD candidate in Biological Science, is exploring the fine line between poison and antidote, working alone to set a speed record for the detoxification of poisonous plants. Her mentor, Dr. Joan Kallas, is the hero of Nell's heart. Nell frequently finds herself standing in the doorway to Joan's office despite herself, mesmerized by Joan's elegance, success, and spiritual force. Surrounded by Nell's ex, her best friend, her best friend's boyfriend, and Joan's buffoonish husband, the two scientists are tangled together at the center of a web of illicit relationships, grudges, and obsessions. All six are burdened by desire and ambition, and as they collide on the university campus, their attractions set in motion a domino effect of affairs and heartbreak. Meanwhile, Nell slowly fills her empty apartment with poisonous plants to study, and she begins to keep a series of notebooks, all dedicated to Joan. She logs her research and how she spends her days, but the notebooks ultimately become a painstaking map of love. In a dazzling and unforgettable voice, Rebecca Dinerstein Knight has written a spellbinding novel of emotional and intellectual intensity.

SnarkByThePage

First, let me say that I really wanted to like this book way more than I did. I know you aren't supposed to, but I totally judge books by their covers. I do. Ask anyone.

As I was reading I was wondering how many readers had started and given up on this book because of the stunted sentence structure and stream of consciousness style. It took some getting used to, but I grew to see it as a part of the characters personality. It seemed to scream how shattered and disjointed her life is. So, I forgave the structure and gave it credit as a writer's device.

I liked the darkness of character and depravity of spirit of our main character, who is kicked out of her program after a colleague is poisoned. I even enjoyed the complex web of physical and emotional entanglement she has with everyone she's involved with on her campus. Where I struggled was the lack of developing plot. I am happy to get drawn into a plot-less character driven story for quite awhile, but I like sidebar of action here and there. In the end, I enjoyed how different and inspired the style of this book was, but I didn't end up moved. 

Thank you to Net Galley, the author and the publisher for the chance to read and review this book in exchange for a review.

Hex A Novel

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