Review: Hex Hall

Title: Hex Hall
Author: Rachel Hawkins


From GoodReads, "When Sophie Mercer turned thirteen, she 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 Hecate Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward prodigium, a.k.a. witches, fae, 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, tag-along ghost; and a new roommate, who happens to be the most-hated person and only vampire on campus. Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her friend Jenna is the number one suspect.  Meanwhile, Sophie has a more personal shock to grapple with. Not only is her father the head of the prodigium council, he's the most powerful warlock in the world, and Sophie is his heir. 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."


First of all, I really liked the cover of this book.  It was very eye-catching and fit the character and the story well.  After reading the synopsis of the book, I was excited to read it and wasn't at all disappointed.  I really liked the character of Sophie Mercer.  She was easygoing, funny, and at times sarcastic.  Her feuding with some of the other characters in the story was a part of the book that I found humorous.  I also liked how Rachel Hawkins made fun of her own writing within the book.  This book moved along at a quick pace and the way the chapters are set up begs you to continue reading.  The book was also unpredictable, which I really like in a story plot and the underlying mysteries had me wanting more.  The one thing that I really wanted in the book that I never really got was a confrontation or scene with Sophie's father.  One plot twist at the end had me wondering if their may be more in store for Sophie, a possible sequel perhaps.  Although this book is written for teens, I think it would be appropriate for tweens as well.