Trigger warnings: persecution due to witchcraft, fire, death of parents, bullying, blood depiction, disappearance of a teenager, imprisonment, death of a sister (in the past)

6/10, after reading The Gaps which underwhelmed me I was hoping that this obscure Australian historical novel would be better; sadly it wasn't since when I read it there were too many flaws in this and I couldn't enjoy it, where do I begin. This is different from other books because it felt more like an anthology of three stories spanning across different time periods however all of them are connected because the characters in them were persecuted somehow but long story short Veronica was accused for being a witch in Franconia in 1628, Katherine in Scotland in 1697 and Paisley in present day Australia. It's a shame that I disliked it since the premise seemed interesting however the characters were flat and the execution could've been improved by raising the tension and suspense and improving the characters and writing style but anyways let's go back to the plot or rather plots.

Veronica already lost her parents to the witch hunts so now she lives all alone until she meets some new characters whose names I forgot and now she is accused for witchcraft even though she never practiced it and one time she even gets arrested and imprisoned in a building called the Hexenhaus, hence the title. She escapes eventually with the help of her new guardians and other characters. Katherine also lives a normal life in Scotland apparently after immigrating from Ireland and she is accused of witchcraft as well, she tries to deny it and even tried going to court with it even though there was a conflict between the Jacobites and the Stuarts but sadly all her efforts failed and she was burned to death but before that she cursed everyone. Finally Paisley lives with her single mother who takes part in new age things like tarot cards however they are persecuted and accused for witchcraft like the other two main characters. Shockingly a teenager goes missing and everyone tries to find him and they blame Paisley's mother for the disappearance; turns out that she had nothing to do with that and he was found eventually. The last part of the book was about the inaugural Winter Solstice Festival and that wraps it up on a high note. ( )

My review of Hexenhaus for the CBCA

http://readingtime.com.au/hexenhaus/ ( )

Excellent book that kept me gripped from start to finish. Three separate times and places in history are looked at by the author for their reoccurring theme of bigotry and prejudice.
The first is in Germany in 1628 where Veronica and her brother are forced to flee their home when their father and mother are accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake. Evicted from their home they find themselves running for their lives through the dark woods around Bramburg where they stumble across a woman and her hidden cottage.
The second is in 1696 in Scotland where Katherine the maid finds herself the victim of political intrigue after she falls for the charms of a politically hot-headed ( yet gorgeous) nobleman.
And lastly there is Paisley, living in a small country town in Australia where her mother's new age shop and philosophy come under fire when a boy is supposedly "cursed" after confiding in Paisley's Mum and then subsequently goes missing.
Three great stories about a young woman having to fight against the system at different times and how it sometimes can go well but sometimes not. ( )