Hex Hall (Hex Hall #1)

I had really wanted to read this book for a while and I finally decided to check it out of the library and I am glad that I did! While this book did come off as more juvenile it was funny and adorable and just completely awesome. It mixes paranormal ideas in with mystery that leaves you guessing until the very end.

I loved the plot of the story. Students being attacked by a mysterious predator? Yes please! It was up to the main character, Sophie to find out who was behind the attacks while trying to discover exactly who she was and why everybody seemed to have a problem with her.

This book takes place in a magical school for prodigium (Witches, fae and shapeshifters) called Hecate Hall, also called Hex Hall by the students. I love magical schools (Um, Harry Potter!) and this school did not disappoint.

The characters were well developed and quite likeable, except for the mean girls but the point is to hate them. Sophie did come off as a little petty in the beginning but I still found myself liking her. She's funny and she sticks by her friends even if everybody else is against them.

Then there is Archer Cross, the resident sexy bad boy. And trust me you won't believe what happens with him *No spoilers here just read to find out*.

Then finally there are Anna, Chaston and Elodie. The three mean girls who try to get Sophie to join them in the beginning but eventually make it their sole mission to make her life miserable. They do a pretty good job of it. But by the end of the novel I found myself actually liking Elodie.

Overall, I found this book to be a quick enjoyable read and I reccommend it for anybody who has any interest in paranormal topics, whether it be witches, fae, shapeshifters or magical schools, this book has it all and combines it perfectly with mystery that will have you up turning the pages until you find out what happens

Why, oh why haven’t I read this book before?

It’s no secret that I’m very finicky when it comes to my paranormal reading choices. I find a lot of them to be pretty similar, especially when it comes to the lovey part of the story, but Hex Hall isn’t one of those copycats. I loved the originality of this story. Yeah, there’s a boarding school where paranormal creatures go, but that’s really where any similarities with other paranormals stop.

I loved all the mythology (that’s probably not the right word at all, but I’m going with it) in the story. The witches, shape-shifters, and faeries were all interesting. I hope I get to learn more about the shape-shifters and faeries in the other books.

The characters were all fantastic. Of course, Elodie was fun to hate, but Hawkins managed to make her multi-dimensional enough that I actually wanted to like her sometimes.
I really liked Jenna and the way she would stand up for herself, but was still sensitive. She wasn’t all big-bad-scary-vamp or anything.
Oh, Sophie. Sophie was seriously awesome. She was sarcastic as heck, but didn’t pretend to be hard as nails. She still had feelings and they got hurt like a normal person. I really appreciated that. But man, did she go all kick-a**when she needed to. Plus, she was a good friend and I always love a good friend :]
Then, of course, there’s Archer. Who doesn’t love a sarcastic, hot warlock? I can certainly appreciate one ;]

The Nutshell: Not only does Hex Hall bring originality to the table, but it has fantastic characters too. Characters aren’t something I usually notice, but Hawkins has some doozies here. I like Hawkins’ versions of witches and the magical world in general. I found it all to be very original and intriguing. If you’re wary of paranormal (like me) I highly advise giving Hex Hall a chance. It’ll make you gasp from all the twists and turns as well as laugh outright from all of Sophie (and Jenna’s) quips. Oh, and there’s kissing, just to sweeten the pot ;]

I love this book! After reading it I actually asked my parents to send me to some old english boarding school! Haha I can dream right?? But anyway I really enjoyed this story and I thought it was very well written. I loved the characters and the love story and mystery and suspense all in one! Definitely a must read!

I found this book utterly charming from page one. Sophie cracked me up with her charm and wit, and I found her absolutely captivating and empathetic.

Oooh, and that kiss. Oh my.

Have you read this book yet? WHY NOT?? It's fascinating, humorous, atmospheric (southern Gothic FTW), and has a delicous (frustrated) romance! And the plot is twisty, the characters are vivid, and the stakes are HIGH.

I can't discuss my fave parts without being spoilery (except the HAWT kiss ... swoon.), but trust me. If you love adventures, paranormal, romance, and funny, this is the book for you.

Excellent book! Once I picked it up, I didn't put it down until I was done. It's such an easy and wonderful read. The story was just right. I didn't figure it out until about 30 seconds before the main character!

Reader reviewed by Emily H.

Excellent book! Once I
picked it up, I didn't put it down until I was done. It's such an easy
and wonderful read. The story was just right. I didn't figure it out
until about 30 seconds before the main character!

Reader reviewed by Katelyn (The Bookshelf Sophisticate)

If I had to pick one word to describe Rachel Hawkins new book Hex Hall it would be AMAZING! The story was fast paced, the characters intriguing, and her new spin on the paranormal genre was refreshing, and not to mention addicting&I couldnt put the book down.

The protagonist Sophie Mercer was so relatable I didnt even realize how easily I connected to her character until I found myself shouting in outrage when she was picked on, or crossing my fingers that she gets the oh-so-dreamy heartthrob and holding out hope that she can make friends in a place where she finally doesnt have to feel like an outsider. Hawkins created characters that fit the stereotypical outline but yet go beyond the normal limitations. Sophie's fellow witches, for example are not just your normal beautiful, popular, catty mean girls; theyre taken a step further when Hawkins gives them dark powers. Sophie and the readers are not sure what exactly theyre capable of, or how dangerous they really are. I was constantly on the edge of my seat wondering how far they were really willing to go in order to meet their goal, not to mention that I was dying to know what exactly their goal really was. Were the rumors at Hecate really true or are these girls just bluffing?

The murder mystery taking place at the Hecate school, affectionately known by the students as Hex Hall will have readers staying up late into the night to see if Sophie can discover whos behind all these strange attacks, or will she be too late? Will it turn out to be the obvious suspect or someone she least expects? My lips are sealed, if you want to know what happens, youll just have to read the book to find out, you wont regret it. I wasnt disappointed in the least, but I was left craving for more. So now there is yet another sequels release that Ill be hoping comes out sooner rather than later&these authors will be the death of me with their cliffhangers, and far away release dates. Hex Hall was AMAZING, the series is sure to be a success, and Hawkins has only given us a preview of the amazing writing shes capable of and well definitely see more of in the future.

Reader reviewed by Emily Brown

I'm furious. Not because this book wasn't as ahh-mazing as everyone has said, because it surely was! But because the sequel does not come out until 2011. Yes, this is one of those books that makes you want the sequel even when you're only half-way into it! By page 50 I knew this was going to be on my list of "Top Ten Books of the Year". It was just so refreshing, Rachel Hawkins has an ahh-mazing, new, fresh, exciting, blunt writing style. I love it when I find a new author that I can start worshiping.. and I have definitely found one of those with Hex Hall. One of my favorite things about Hex Hall is Sophie, the main character. I don't know what was so appealing about her to me, I guess the fact that she told it how it is. She's hilarious. On the back cover of the book, there is a quote from Becca Fitzpatrick that says "I laughed every page". Now, when I first got the book I didn't believe Becca, I thought she was just saying that to give a good review.. But once I actually started reading Hex Hall, I understood what she meant. Hex Hall actually does make you laugh, every single page you read. Whether it's the dramatic irony, Sophie's sarcasm, or something else Sophia says or does, you laugh EVERY SINGLE PAGE. On top of that, I also found that Hex Hall is a great mystery. The entire time I was reading it I was postive I knew who the culprit of the book's mysterious events was, but of course my guess was wrong. When I stay up reading into the night, I usually tell myself "Okay, ten more pages then go to bed", but with Hex Hall, counting pages was unimportant. The writing style and Sophie's real personality is what kept me reading late into the night (I'm glad I read Hex Hall over spring break! I would've failed my science test if I read it any other week!) As with any great debut series, there is romance. Sophie finds herself attracted to Archer (as did I!) I also loved how this book used "inapropriate language". Yeah, Sophie cussed. But it wasn't like a sailor, and it surely wasn't glossed over for parental control. It was perfect. Also, the paranormal/supernatural aspects of Hex Hall were great. The entire Prodigium world is very original, but sticks to a lot of traditional european mythology concepts. I'm soooooooooooo very excited to read the sequel. (When it comes out, ughhhhhh. Like are you serious? 2011? Fml.) I reccomend this book to readers who love boarding school-typish books, also fans of the House of Night series would love Hex Hall!