Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
Release Date – March 2, 2012
Publisher Website –  Hyperion
Publisher Social Media -  Twitter
Pages - 336 pages
My Rating- 4/5
**Borrowed from another blogger**

Here is the Goodreads 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.

After a love spell that goes WAY wrong (think obsession instead of smitten) Sophie is dragged off to a super exclusive reform school for all naughty witches, faeries, and the like. I was instantly pulled into the world of Hex Hall and it's secrets.

The plot for Hex Hall is not overly unique. It’s rather a mash up of other stories,  however, the delightfully enjoyable characters, and tone of the story make it feel fresh. The back story of the Prodigium and their connection to angels was a intriguing twist. The history of the school, and the Prodigium is fascinating and was one of my favourite parts of the story.

This story really is all about the characters, and your enjoyment of them will impact how you feel about the novel. Luckily, these characters are mostly funny, endearing and interesting.

Sophie is a lot of fun. An awkward teen witch, who is a little clueless when it comes to her ancestry and background, finds herself a little over her head at Hex Hall. Dealing with classic mean girls, a crush on the hottest boy in school, and unfair teachers made Sophie’s high school experience instantly recognizable to many readers.

I enjoyed Jenna a lot. Hex Hall’s resident vampire who is more Pretty in Pink than Gothic Dracula. I loved the friendship that develops between her and Sophie. Unlikely friends and roommates, their friendship some how works, and they were actually good friends to each other.

I liked the 'getting to know each other' aspect of Archer and Sophie’s budding relationship. I found myself wishing that I knew more about Archer. I hope his back story and more character traits are delved into during the next novel. He is presented as a good looking, funny, self assured guy, but otherwise he is a mystery. I do, however, like his banter with Sophie and found them cute together. Cal, a warlock with a healing touch, has already grabbed my interest as well. I expect both these boys to have a much bigger presence in the subsequent novels.

The ending is a bit of a twist, but one that isn't completely unexpected. The consequences of the reveal and how it impacts the characters is what interests me. I expect it is going to wide reaching repercussions.

A fun, almost light, read that took me by surprise. A little predictable, but it’s the characters that shine in this quick, breezy read.