Review: Demonglass (Hex Hall #2)

Demonglass (HH #2)
Rachel Hawkins
Hardcover, 359 pages
Hyperion Books CH
March 1, 2011
Amazon | GR | TBD

Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.

That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.

But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

Review:
*squees* I love this series! Love it!

Even though I read book one, Hex Hall, almost a year ago, it felt like no time at all had passed between me and the characters. It seemed like they were as eager to welcome me back into their lives as I was to welcome them back into mine.

Demonglass finds Sophie at Hecate Hall, adjusted her new surrounding but still struggling to get a hold of her powers now that she has discovered that she is actually a demon. Because she fears the worst, that she might accidentally hurt someone with her magic, she is determined to go through The Removal. After her father convinces her to reconsider until he has time to teach her more about her true nature, she agrees to join him, along with her friends, in London for a few new adventures.

Okay, so you can’t exactly say that the idea behind for the series is original since you’ve got a bunch of supernatural creatures attending a boarding school with others of their kind; and yes, there are some elements of the plot that are easily predicable, like the love triangle you see coming miles away, but all of that is easily forgiven by the fresh, fun voice that Hawkins adds to the characters and the story.

Sophie is just so incredibly witty and snarky yet very caring and emotional. Yes, being lost in her narrative voice can feel overwhelming because she tends to get verbal jab happy, but it doesn’t take very long to realize that she hides her hurt behind her off the wall humor, something she readily admits to. The fact is that Sophie often has a lot on her plate. She has to deal with way more than most of the other Prodigium, all while trying to sort out her true feelings. And it doesn’t exactly help that she is in love with one hot guy, Archer, whom she is forbidden to see yet betrothed to another hottie, Cal.

But the best part is that the story just isn’t about the love interests in Sophie’s life, it is also about the relationships she develops with her estranged father and with her best friend, Jenna. It was great to see Sophie reconnect with her dad, though it was kind of rough on her. As their relationship grew, it reminded me a lot of the relationship between Buffy and Giles, which I loved comparing it to, BtVS fangirl that I am. Plus, Sophie’s friendship with Jenna is very authentic. They have their ups and downs, which aren’t always so easy to deal with.

The only real complaints I have are with the love triangle and the ending. As with all love triangles, someone is going to get hurt, and I hate the unfairness of it, especially in Sophie’s case because I really love both Archer and Cal. Usually, I’m able to pick teams early on, and I really did think I was Team Archer after reading Hex Hall, but since Cal‘s presence in Demonglass was more noticeable, I came to care for him just as much even though I don’t think him and Sophie carry the same magic as the type she shares with Archer. I mean put Archer and Sophie in a room and you’ve got front row tickets to the best snark show in town. They are a riot and their kisses scorch the pages.

As annoying as love triangles are, I’ve got to admit the one presented in Demonglass was a bit different. Though Cal never felt like a true contender, you got the sense that he wanted to be. Yet Sophie never declared undying love for Cal like she did for Archer, but that didn’t stop her from swooning over Cal‘s physical attributes. Not that you could blame her.

I also wasn’t a fan over the cliffhanger ending. I’m the type that will never appreciate being left to wonder, no matter how popular cliffies seem to be now a days.

Personal preferences aside, I had a blast reading Demonglass and finished the book in record time then went back and re-read my favorite bits, which mainly consisted of the irresistible boys that were vying for Sophie’s affections. I can’t help but think of it as a win-win situation because whoever Sophie doesn’t end up with will quickly be swooped up by me! Can’t wait for the next book in the series so I can find out who that will be.

BTW: I know HH is a YA series, but I think it has great potential to crossover to Adult UF/PNR, and not just for the promise of lemony goodness (*needs to get her mind out of the gutter*) but because the world building is fantastic, with so many possibilities lying beneath the surface!

Challenge(s): 111 in ‘11 Challenge

Reviewed for Book It Forward ARC Tours

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Posted at 5:00 am  •  Labels: 2011, 4 stars, ARC, Book it Forward, Book Review, Hex Hall, paranormal romance, Rachel Hawkins, review copy, Vampires, witches, YA