Book Review Hex Hall Rachel Hawkins

"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..."

This debut novel from Rachel Hawkins is hilarious! The character Sophie is funny and invigorating, with a wit and personality that attracts rather than repels. Her humour is especially amusing, and her fresh, vibrant voice captured me from the very first page. Sophie was such a loveable, enjoyable character at times I wanted to yank her out of the pages and transform her into someone I could physically interact with! Which says a lot since Sophie isn't even my favourite character - Jenna the vampire is. Unique, extremely loveable and very "pink" - although she is anything but a barbie girl.

Sophie and Jenna aside, I felt that the novel was a gentle read. The plot was not as complex as other fantasy novels and the creepy factor was either eliminated or toned down. Its occasional distinctions from conventions were, I felt, slightly on the safe side and were crafted to be easily understandable for younger readers. I should say Hex Hall definitely seemed to be aimed for slightly younger teens - though I must also add that I enjoyed it no less.

The book also features mystery and a dash of romance. I like how the plot reflects a weave of all these themes together; not one is dominated by the other. I was not suffocated by the mystery surrounding Hex Hall but only intrigued. The addition of romance in times where the tension settled was a well welcomed distraction. Sophie's wit and hilarious sarcasm thrown to the unavailable campus crush, Archer Cross, creates a wonderful blend of romance.

Although I was very much interested in the mythology Hawkins drew, I was not entirely fascinated by it. I did not 'ooh' or 'aah' at any particular points in terms of the descriptions and I wanted more details at most parts of the novels. I do take this is the first in the series so maybe the succeeding books should compensate for this.

The ending, or lack ther, took me off-guard - I was really pleased with the twists in the plot. It made the mystery and romance all the better and answered most of my hanging questions. My only complaint was that I felt it ended with a cliffhanger - I wanted more! I kept turning the page to see if maybe I just missed an extra page, but it really does end where it did. It definitely had me wanting the sequel for a resolution.

Hex Hall is a fairly enjoyable read which should suit younger teens and avid fantasy fans.

THREE STARS.

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