Overall Rating
4
out of 5
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Top 10 Contributor
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Interesting and Fun!
Date: 19 August 2010
This review is for the
Print
format.
"Hex Hall is really enjoyable! I liked the opening because the writing is humourous and witty. However, it did not have the 'wow' factor that makes me deeply captivated. I knew from the prologue that Sophie is a kind-hearted person, but she's a little too helpful. Maybe that's the thing that distinguishes her from other people who are too busy to care for others.
Sophie Mercer is a lovable character. She is the sort of friend you'd want to have. She is caring, kind and supportive towards Jenna, her roommate even though Jenna is a vampire and an outcast. She believes in Jenna's innocence when a series of mysterious attacks occur. Archer Cross is the most popular boy in Hex Hall. He is in a relationship with the ever-so-annoying Elodie, a powerful black witch who is both gorgeous and famous. He is quite intriguing, from the way he avoids mentioning his family while doing cellar duty with Sophie. He is also quite charming at times, even though he might be sarcastic at times. I don't like Elodie. That's because she is just nasty and unbelievably irritating. I like Jenna the vampire's character, because she is so different from what we have in mind about a vampire's liking. Almost everything in her territory is pink. Hot pink, in fact. What a cool girl!
The story is mostly set in Hecate 'Hex' Hall, where Sophie is sent to after her love spell goes very wrong. The plot is kind of plain, but in a nice way. It goes on smoothly, just as I had expected. Sophie eventually falls in love for the boy, Archer Cross, who saved her earlier when a werewolf tried to attack her. I'm very impressed with the ending, though. It really took me by surprise and I'll gladly say that's my favourite part of the story. I never questioned Sophie's real identity.
Overall, Hex Hall is a quick read, and it sure is interesting, funny and addicting. Sophie is a great character, but as all humans (she's half-human), she also has flaws and I sometimes laugh at her mistakes. I look forward to reading the sequel and keep following Sophie on her next journey!"
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Overall Rating
3
out of 5
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Top 10 Contributor
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A fairly enjoyable read
Date: 11 April 2010
This review is for the
Print
format.
"This debut novel from Rachel Hawkins is hilarious! The character Sophie is funny and invigorating, with a wit and personality that attracts rather than repels. Her humour is especially amusing, and her fresh, vibrant voice captured me from the very first page. Sophie was such a loveable, enjoyable character at times I wanted to yank her out of the pages and transform her into someone I could physically interact with! Which says a lot since Sophie isn't even my favourite character - Jenna the vampire is. Unique, extremely loveable and very pink - although she is anything but a barbie girl.
Sophie and Jenna aside, I felt that the novel was a gentle read. The plot was not as complex as other fantasy novels and the creepy factor was either eliminated or toned down. Its occasional distinctions from conventions were, I felt, slightly on the safe side and were crafted to be easily understandable for younger readers. I should say Hex Hall definitely seemed to be aimed for slightly younger teens - though I must also add that I enjoyed it no less.
The book also features mystery and a dash of romance. I like how the plot reflects a weave of all these themes together; not one is dominated by the other. I was not suffocated by the mystery surrounding Hex Hall but only intrigued. The addition of romance in times where the tension settled was a well welcomed distraction. Sophie's wit and hilarious sarcasm thrown to the unavailable campus crush, Archer Cross, creates a wonderful blend of romance.
Although I was very much interested in the mythology Hawkins drew, I was not entirely fascinated by it. I did not 'ooh' or 'aah' at any particular points in terms of the descriptions and I wanted more details at most parts of the novels. I do take this is the first in the series so maybe the succeeding books should compensate for this.
The ending, or lack thereof, took me off-guard - I was really pleased with the twists in the plot. It made the mystery and romance all the better and answered most of my hanging questions. My only complaint was that I felt it ended with a cliffhanger - I wanted more! I kept turning the page to see if maybe I just missed an extra page, but it really does end where it did. It definitely had me wanting the sequel for a resolution.
Hex Hall is a fairly enjoyable read which should suit younger teens and avid fantasy fans."
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