Hex Hall (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Hex Hall Kate Quealy-Gainer Hawkins, Rachel . Hex Hall. Disney/Hyperion, 2010. 323p. ISBN 978-1-4231-2130-5$16.99 R Gr. 7-10 After causing yet another minor disaster with a well-intentioned spell gone awry, sixteen-year-old Sophie Mercer is sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for rebellious witches, fairies, shapeshifters, and the occasional vampire. Sophie's deficiencies in spell-working are not really her fault—after all, she has never even met her mysterious warlock father, from whom she has supposedly inherited a mega amount of [End Page 379] magic—but her lack of magical training, especially her lack of knowledge about the social rules of the Prodigium (the world of supernatural beings), makes fitting in at her new school nearly impossible. When the only friendship she has managed to make is threatened by accusations that her vamp roommate has been attacking students, Sophie sets out to clear her friend's name but instead uncovers a terrible family secret that threatens not only Sophie's life but her very soul. Though a boarding-school drama for the rich and magical is by no means groundbreaking, Hawkins manages to deliver a fresh and humorous take, largely in part to the snarky but perceptive narration of her clever protagonist. As with narrator Maggie Quinn in Clement-Moore's Prom Dates From Hell (BCCB 7/07), Sophie's self-deprecating humor and sardonic wit elevate this story from cliché to laugh-out-loud funny, giving readers overwhelmed with angsty vampires and werewolves a welcome relief. The various plot twists make the mystery all the more intriguing, while the concluding revelation adds a bit of gravity to this mostly frothy tale and makes way for what will be a much-anticipated sequel. Copyright © 2010 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois