Hex Hall

STORYLINE:  Sophie Mercer is sent to Hecate (Hex) Hall, a reformatory school and haven for supernatural teens (read that as elves, witches, shape-shifters, etc.) who out themselves in public to their detriment.  There, Sophie realizes that she's in a world of danger, not only from those sworn to rid the world of her type, but an enemy she'd never suspect.

PLAYERS: 

Sophie Mercer: A funny and vulnerable sixteen-year-old who doesn't know the ropes of being a witch, having been raised by a human.  She doesn't readily make friends and so is not part of the school in-crowd.

Archer Cross: A warlock for whom Sophie has a major case of the hots.  He's also boyfriend to a snotty girl who, along with two other witches, sets herself up as Sophie's enemy.


Jennifer Talbot (Jenna): A vampire, and friend to Sophie, who is accused of killing her best friend, a witch.


I LIKED: Sophie's voice, as well as the pace and flow of the story. It was easy to read and progressed in logical steps, with clues and hints that kept me wanting to know what was coming next.   The descriptions and atmosphere of Hex Hall were well written.

I COULD HAVE LIVED WITHOUT:  the feeling that there was a filter between Sophie and me.  The book was written in first person and Ms. Hawkins' did a great job, however, the instances of I heard, I saw, I could feel and I could hear put in that filter I mentioned above and reminded me that I was seeing things from Sophie's viewpoint, which I didn't need.


OVERALL COMMENTS: Werewolves, witches and vampire are all the rage, but they're not my reading subject of choice. Could be because I'm a nervous Nelly. I won Hex Hall and Demon Glass in a competition hosted by Denise Grover Swank (thanks, Denise!) and I understand the fascination some have for reading about all things supernatural. It's certainly a radical shift from the norm.


Ms. Hawkins kept me immersed  in Hex Hall by ensuring that there were plausible explanations for all that happened.  The heroine was a bit of a smart mouth, but she was likeable and so I rooted for her as the story unfolded. The writer left readers a whopper of a cliff hanger at the end, which ensured that I've already started Demonglass, the second book in the Hex Hall series.

 Hex Hall was a truly awesome read!