Bookanista Review: HEX HALL and DEMONGLASS
Yep, I'm late to the party. I've heard people talk about HEX HALL by Rachel Hawkins. Lots of people recommended it to me, all of them saying, "Trust me, you'll like it." So I finally read it, and its sequel, DEMONGLASS. Read below to see what I thought.
Here are the official blurbs from the publisher:
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 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.
DEMONGLASS
Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.
That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.
Turns out, Sophie's a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What's worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.
But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They're demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they're using Archer to do it. But it's not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?
****
Soooo many people told me to read HEX HALL that I did that weird mule thing I do where I decide to do the exact opposite of what people suggest. Just because. And…I have to admit, the blurbs didn't grab me. I thought, "Witches, faeries, and shapeshifters rolled into one book. Not my thing." I added it to my Goodreads shelf, thinking I'll eventually get around to reading that. And then didn't. Until this month.
Some impulse (okay, I think I got it on sale) made me pick up HEX HALL. And I promptly read it in a single evening. After reading the last page, I immediately downloaded DEMONGLASS to my reader. I finished that book a few days later. Seriously, I ate these books up.
It's easy to pinpoint what Hawkins is best at. Sophie's voice is the perfect balance of attitude and vulnerability. Sometimes authors who write a character that sounds snarky can cross the line into bitchiness. I may not like the character as much because I feel like they are laughing at everyone, and to be in on the joke, I have to laugh at everyone, too. Hawkins avoids this trap. Sophie mocks herself more than anyone else – without really putting herself down. She is self-deprecating and ready to laugh with anyone who will get her joke. She just wants to be friends and to belong, instead of always being on the outside. That's such a universal theme that anyone can relate. It was so easy to be in her head and watch her opinions about the supernatural world she lives in change as she grows.
As for my concern that all the different types of creatures would seem like overkill, it didn't read that way. Instead, I would compare it to a couple of episodes of Buffy combined into a couple of books. We see different creatures and get to know their quirks. Since we are in Sophie's head, though, the observations about them are always entertaining. I often felt like Hawkins was being very tongue-in-cheek about the mythologies surrounding her creatures and I liked that.
Add to that a hot love interest, the element of danger in both books, and a dash of daddy issues, and you have a couple of books I would gladly recommend.
***SPOILER ALERT***
While I really liked both books, I preferred HEX HALL. Archer, the love interest, who was my second favorite character in the first book disappears for a lot of DEMONGLASS. And though I like love triangles (sue me), Cal – the other boy – seemed to fluctuate at times between a manly man and a doormat. I couldn't really decide if Sophie even liked him. And truly, my interest and hers doesn't ever veer from Archer. I didn't really feel the tension of the triangle in a way that I thought it was necessary. I wish she'd stuck with Archer. With that said, I still liked Cal, and it will be interesting to see what Hawkins has planned for the next book in the series.
I loved the introduction of the dad, and I enjoyed seeing he and Sophie begin to relate as he teaches her about her demon powers. I can't wait to see more of this and I hope the mom and dad find their way back to each other.
I did see some plot holes at the climax of each book, but I didn't really care because Sophie's voice kept me so engaged.
***END SPOILER***
To sum it up, I would highly recommend both books. Unless you're like me and that will stop you from reading them.
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