Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Release Date: March 2, 2010
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Format: Hardcover
Number of Pages: 323
Synopsis: 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.

Review: As an amateur writer, I tend to think of story ideas and then write short summaries of them. Sometimes, when I'm particularly fond of one idea, I'll email it to a close friend and see what she says about it. I had an idea about a school for paranormal and supernatural beings. The main character would be a witch who ends up at the school because of a spell gone awry. When my friend read it, she told me, "This sounds so familiar!" However, she couldn't think of the book it sounded like. Later, she said, "Hex Hall! It sounds almost exactly like Hex Hall." I was a bit heartbroken, but I was also intrigued. For the record, I had never heard of Hex Hall before that. I picked this book up to see the similarities and although there aren't that many, this book was still freaking great.

   Characters are basically the most important thing in a book to me. Sophia "Sophie" Archer was an awesome character--and her having a supah coo' first name is not the only reason why. Sophie was witty, fun and really loyal. If only she was more kick butt. I felt like, although Sophie is supposedly the most powerful witch, she didn't really live up to her full potential. However, she was still interesting and extremely fun to read about. My favorite character was probably Jenna, the only vampire in the school and Sophie's only friend/roommate. She was nice and extremely entertaining.

   I'm a total fangirl when it comes to guys in YA literature. So I was really disappointed with Archer. I didn't really see any swoon-worthy qualities in him, besides the fact that he was hot. I didn't see what Sophie saw in him, so the romantic aspect of the book fell flat for me.

   Another thing that fell flat for me was the plot. Obviously, I'm far too attached to nonstop action from all the dystopians I've been reading. The climax wasn't very climatic. Also, I found quite a few plot twists to be completely predictable.

   Writing is also a pretty big thing for me. Rachel Hawkins's writing was great. I loved it! It was fast, easy to read, and hilarious. It reminded me a lot of Meg Cabot and Jennifer L. Armentrout.

   Hex Hall is a brilliant start to a fascinating series. Hilarious, fun and fast paced, this book completely sucked me in. I can't wait to read the next book! What a fantastic way to wrap up the year.

   4 keys.