Hex Hall by Rachel HawkinsPublished: June 2012, Tantor Media
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Audio book edition
Look for this at Audible
On her twelfth birthday, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. Three bumpy years later, after a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, she's exiled to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.By the end of her first day, 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. Then, when a mysterious predator begins attacking students, and Sophie's only friend is the number-one suspect, a horrifying plot begins to surface. Soon, Sophie is preparing for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.
In Hex Hall almost anything paranormal populates the corridors of that school. It is a reformatory of sorts for teens with paranormal abilities and this is where we found Sophie. While trying to fit in at her old school,she used her magic to help a girl with her love life. That didn't work like she wanted to. She ended with an obsessive guy, a terrified girl(thanks to the obsessive guy) and a long vacation to Hex Hall. There she will try to deal with things more difficult than fitting in a new school. She will learn a lot about who she is.
This audio was entertaining and the narration was enjoyable. The narration by Cris Dukehart was clear but in the downside, sometimes it seemed detached, especially at the beginning. I couldn't visualize the place for a while, but then the narration piqued my interest and kept listening to the audio constantly in my car.
The story is appealing in many ways. The characters are developed by the author in a way that their actions add to the story. They have specific personalities. For example,Sophie has defining personality traits; her sarcasm as a trademark and her inquisitive mind. The only generic type was the three girls from the coven, they respond to the popular girls click which uses bullying to maintain control at the private school or well, any school.
The story has good plot surprises but the ending won the prize. The developments with Archer were unexpected, but not the one with her grandma. It has an ending where more situations have emerged and many possibilities exist.
Read this if you like YA genre. Also, if you like Harry Potter. It reminds me a little of that series.
Glad you enjoyed this! You should really read the next one :)
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