Book Review: Hex Hall

Hex Hall (Hex Hall, book 1) by 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.  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.


Teens with paranormal powers are supposed to be safe at Hecate Hall...  But someone, or something, is killing students.  Sophie, a young witch who misused her powers and risked human discovery, has been sent to Hecate Hall on the orders of the Council.  The Council is the ruling body for Prodigium, people such as witches, faeries, vampires, and werewolves, and their orders are law.  Hecate Hall is a special boarding school, secluded from human society, created to "protect and instruct shapeshifter, witch, and fae children who have risked exposure of their abilities, and therefore imperiled Prodigium society as a whole."  Unfortunately for Sophie, Hecate Hall is being plagued by student deaths and her one friend and roommate is the prime suspect.  I found Hex Hall to be an engrossing, fast-paced paranormal read filled with mystery and young romance.  These characters are completely believable, the mystery is incredibly suspenseful, and the romantic tension kept me frantically flipping pages.  I found myself unable to put this book down!  I can't wait to read Demonglass, the second book in this series.

I highly recommend Hex Hall (Hex Hall, book 1) to readers of mystery, paranormal romance, young adult, urban fantasy and especially to fans of paranormal suspense.

Source: This book was purchased by me for review.


Hex Hall on Amazon.
Hex Hall on Goodreads.