Title: Hex Hall (Book #1 of 3) Author: Rachel Hawkins
Publisher: Hyperion Books, March 2010
Number of Pages: Hardcover, 336 pages
Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Fantasy, Witches, Magic, Paranormal, Demons
Plot: (Goodreads.com) 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 student 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.
Personal Thoughts: I read this book based on a personal recommendation from someone that I trust a lot when it comes to YA fiction. I've always loved young adult books, and this one did not disappoint. Hawkins writes on a solid high school/college level and the book is easy to relate to. I was immediately on the main character, Sophie's side. I felt bad for her and what she was going through - not knowing her father and being a witch that was raised by a human. She gets into some trouble doing magic in the human world so the witch counsel sent her to a special school - one for witches, faeries, and shape shifters.
Sophie is very much the epitome of a teenager - from bullies to crushes, this book took me back to high school in almost every sense. It has the added element of magic though, and then it becomes a book about solving mysterious deaths and attacks with in a school that's supposed to be protected and finding out that her Father is not even close to the man she thought she was. He's so much more. She also learns things about herself and her magic that only this school could help teach her. The end of the book left me wanting more, and I was glad to know that book two is already out!
I recommend this book to anyone over the age of twelve and those who are my age looking for an easy but intriguing read. This book kept me on the edge of my seat with things that were happening around every corner. Also it didn't hurt that it was cheap to get on my kindle. (:
Recommended Age Level: 12+
Rating: 4.5
Reviews/Awards:
Hawkins's proficient and entertaining debut is jam-packed with magical creatures and mystery. With no training on how to use the powers inherited from her absent warlock father, Sophie Mercer keeps making rookie mistakes that force her mother to move them around the country to avoid attention. But when, at age 16, Sophie makes a very public error with a love spell at the prom, she is sent to Hecate Hall, “the premier reformatory institution for Prodigium adolescents” (aka troubled shape-shifters, faeries, and witches like Sophie).... Sophie stumbles into answers more than searches them out, but the story is well paced and plotted with tween-friendly humor and well-developed characters, particularly awkward but compassionate Sophie. The ending satisfies while paving the way for future books. - Publishers Weekly
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