Review: Spell Bound (Hex Hall #3) by Rachel Hawkins

Synopsis:Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

Publication Date: March 13, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Source: My own Tower of Books


Review:
I remember when I picked up the first book in this series and I was like, "I don't think I'm going to even like---" *reads entire book in one day* And just like that I was a Hex Hall fan. There's nothing overly complicated. It's just a great story with characters that you like and care about. That sounds simple, but there are a ton of books that lack those 'simple' things.

Sophie, or Mercer as Archer likes to call her (Archer...mmm), hides behind her sarcasm and is hesitant to show how much she cares about the people in her life. Her bumbling non-stop chatter when she's nervous is very endearing. She's one of those book characters you want to be friends with. And this third book is no exception as far as those things go.

Then there's Archer freaking Cross. He's a bad boy with heart and you get to see a lot more of the heart-y part in this book. He's one of my favorite fictional guys :) And I forgot how much I loved Sophie's dad! He pulls off the serious, British deadpan thing so perfectly.

Anyway, I'm sure I'm forgetting to mention some other things I liked about Spell Bound. The main thing is that I loved the book, and it doesn't disappoint one bit! As I neared the end I started getting that I-want-to-finish-this-book-to-find-out-what-happens-but-what-if-it's-the-last-one feeling (that's an ode to Sophie there...poorly done, but still). I don't know if/when there will be another book, but it looks like that possibility was left open :)Yays!

Review: Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

Synopsis:
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?

Review:
This book pretty much blew my face off it was so good!!! Ahhhh!

First of all, I love Archer Cross. The way he first shows up in this book had me acting a darn fool while I was reading it. He is just perfectly great. And Sophie is one of my favorite characters to read in any book. There are things that she says that I literally was laughing and looking around for someone to share in the hilarity.

I was OMG-ing for most of this book, and I am anxiously awaiting the next one because the end of this one was just . . . well, it was great. But now I need to know what happens!

If you haven't read this series yet, you are missing out!

Publication Date: March 22, 2011
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Source: Public Library

Review: Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

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:
I have to admit that I wasn't too impressed with this book at the beginning. It took about 50 pages for me to get into it, but after that I couldn't put it down.

The story is about Sophie and start off with how she lands at Hecate Hall, or Hex Hall as it is known to the kids that go there. She has her first encounter with Archer Cross, the hottie in the story, as soon as she gets to the school. I always looked forward to reading the verbal interactions between their two characters because it was just plain fun to read.

The writing style is really different and cool. The story is narrated by Sophie. Her inner monologue is very funny and addicting to read. Plus, it leads to some pretty hilarious exchanges with some of the other characters in the book. She is a seriously loveable character, very easy to relate to.

Now I'm hooked and have to find time for Book two, Demonglass.

Sidenote: I can't believe this hasn't been made into a movie or tv show. I think it would translate perfectly to either of those forms of media.

Publication Date: March 2, 2010
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Source: Good old-fashioned public library system