Hex Hall

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father-an elusive European warlock-only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters. By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect. As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

Title: Hex Hall
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Published: April 27th 2010
Where to buy: Barnes and Noble, Amazon

Review:



This was a good book. I admit to that most surely, only, it felt...how do I put this...put downable. What I mean is that, while the book was interesting and the story progressed steadily, it was never like okay let me flip through these pages I can't put it down. Something would come up and I just set the book down and did what I had to do. No problems. I mean I definitely picked the book up afterwards and continued to read it, but it lacked that gripping quality. 

To me it feels like this story reads more like 1/3rd of the book. Now I say this having already read the second book as well. 

I will tell you why I feel this way, the story is entertaining, I really enjoy Sophie's personality, but everything is getting a little easy. We spend the whole story building up to the climax, waiting for that big moment, and then it just happens, right away, in the blink of an eye, in like one whole page. All that build up...for what? A flop? I personally felt a little robbed of the story. I wanted their to be more because I do really like Sophie's personality and Jenna's. 

So here let me give you The Rundown

We are introduced to Sophie, she is a witch, at her normal high school senior prom. She tries a love spell for a girl who is crying in the bathroom, so the girl can have a good night. The spell goes horribly wrong and the guy goes crazy driving his car through the wall of the building trying to get her. So, in turn she gets sentenced to go to Hectate, nicknamed Hex Hall because it is the school where Prodigium who use their magic poorly are sent so they do not get discovered by humans and all the other villainous organizations out there set to destroy all evil monsters.

At this school she befriends a Vampire who is the social outcast because at this school being a vampire doesn't mean you are worshiped for your ungodly charms. People start getting killed, well attempted killings, and Sophie's friend, Jenna the vamp, is the one everyone points their finger at. 

Sophie stands up for her against the cool, goddess like, witch who thinks she is the shit. But after the second attempt, (Second attempt since Sophie has attended the school, the third real attempt because the first one happened before she got there), they take Jenna away because they believe her to be at fault. So in the midst of this, Sophie is sneaking out at night to learn magic from a great grandmother of hers and she also finds herself in a compromising position with the enemy. *I know, vague, but I don't want their to be any spoilers*

So while all that plot builds up, there is a big dump off just after. Where everything is easily fixed. Sophie finds some confidence and BAM story over.

It was a good read, I did enjoy the story and Sophie is an awesome character. I feel the story might have been a little young for my taste, but it was still a good story overall. I just feel it is very unfinished and ends to abruptly for all that build up.


Rating:

Recommended for people who enjoyed:
Generation Dead or The Ghost and the Goth