The Ex Hex

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2021

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue-Chapter 5

Chapters 6-9

Chapters 10-14

Chapters 15-18

Chapters 19-22

Chapters 23-26

Chapters 27-30

Chapters 31-35

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Character Analysis

Vivienne (Vivi) Jones

Vivi is the novel’s protagonist, and her central internal conflict focuses on her dual life in the witch and human worlds. As a child, Vivi’s mother instilled in her a deep sense of magic being inextricably linked with danger, and even as an adult Vivi has “never been fully able to detach” the two (81). She grew up keeping her witch side hidden, and she did not practice magic at home. After her parents are gone and she becomes closer with her cousin Gwyn and her aunt Elaine, Vivi slowly begins building an acceptance of her powers. She uses small spells to reheat tea, detect plagiarism in her students’ papers, and even close the heavy curtains in the family store. However, each time Vivi does a spell, she hesitates as if she is somehow doing something wrong. Her journey in the novel is one of self-actualization, since she already knows she is a gifted witch and a talented human. In this narrative arc, Vivi must shed her past inhibitions about magic and decide for herself who she will be: the secret witch her mother raised her to be, or the powerful sorceress she knows she can become. Vivi’s relationship with Rhys helps her make this transition into self-actualization, as it is through their efforts to lift the titular hex that Vivi expands her magical boundaries and receives support from her loved ones when she does.

Rhys Penhallow

As the novel’s male romantic lead, Rhys has equal time for introspection in the narrative. His internal thoughts and feelings are made accessible to the reader, more so than they are to Vivi, which humanizes him and rounds out his character. Rhys’s internal conflict adheres more closely to a form of self-discovery: He must reevaluate his attitude toward his own vulnerabilities, especially when it comes to loving and being loved. In the opening chapters, Rhys actively avoids sensitive subjects like his family, and he also avoids verbalizing his emotions. He dodges personal inquiries with rakish charm and bawdy humor, which makes it seem like he does not take anything seriously. As he opens himself up to Vivi, he learns to recognize vulnerability as a strength, not a weakness. While openness is risky, Rhys finds power in embracing that side of himself. Vivi recalls “how easily [Rhys] put the power in her hands,” allowing her to decide how far things go, where things should stop (207). The power Rhys finds in vulnerability is an emotional openness that allows him to be honest about what he wants from life, and it enables him to admit his feelings to Vivi. Without vulnerability, he keeps her at a distance, but with it, he brings her closer.

Gwyn Jones

Vivi’s cousin is described as a redheaded young witch whose personality fits the romantic comedy trope of the protagonist’s eccentric best friend. Gwyn embraces her magical abilities with pride, a self-love that makes Vivi feel more than a little jealous, as she never felt that connected to her own powers. Gwyn hand-paints tarot cards, which she designs in the image of her friends and family—for example, Rhys is The Fool, Vivi is The Star, and Simon Penhallow is The Emperor. Her cards reflect how she understands the people around her, her relationships with them, and their relationships with each other. Gwyn is the primary pillar in Vivi’s support network, even putting aside her own heartbreak over Jane to help Vivi feel better about her ongoing difficulties with Rhys. What is most telling about Vivi and Gwyn’s relationship, though, is that it is never one-sided; as soon as Vivi sees Gwyn is dealing with a hardship of her own, she readily focuses on Gwyn’s situation with the same devotion as Gwyn focuses on her.

Simon Penhallow

Rhys’s father is an immensely powerful witch, both in ability and in social status. As a parent, he is dismissive and overtly works to extinguish any of his three children’s efforts to assert themselves as individuals. He outright dismisses the idea that anyone could be powerful enough to curse a Penhallow man, showing the reader that Simon is prideful and conceited. He believes himself and his family to be so vastly superior to all others that he cannot even fathom how another witch could be powerful enough to curse them. Simon represents all that Rhys wishes never to become, and by being a living example of what Rhys does not want, he helps Rhys discover what it is that he does want.