Rachel Hawkins – Hex Hall

The first book in the Hex Hall series, published March 2, 2010. Also known as Raising Demons.
Genre: YA paranormal
Cover: nice.



On her 12th birthday, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes.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.


Although I enjoyed this book, I was expecting more from it, thanks to some raving reviews I have read about this series.

Before Sophia/Sophie was even born, her parents split up. Sophie is raised by her mother, who is human. She has never even met her father, a warlock. When Sophie’s mother discovered that Sophie was a witch, she turned to her father for advice about how to raise her. But all Sophie knows about magic, comes from the books her mother has been collecting. They moved around a lot, never staying anywhere for a long time, which means Sophie has no real close friends. But now she has outed herself doing a magic spell for a class mate (which went horribly wrong) and Sophie is being punished by having to go to boarding school. She really doesn’t want to, but apparently there is a ruling council, and they have sentenced her to Hecate Hall, or as the students call it, Hex Hall. Her mother brings her to school, and sees her settled in, but knowing nothing at all about other Prodigium and her own heritage, is not easy.
When a young werewolf attacks her, it is the most handsome but arrogant young warlock who saves her. Sophie’s roommate is a vampire, someone not Prodigium, as she was not born that way. Jenna was turned not so long ago by her vampire girlfriend, who was staked very soon after. Her girlfriend’s family turned her over to the council, who sent her to Hex Hall. There she is the only vampire student.

While exploring the school that afternoon before dinner, Sophie gets a proposition from three other girls. They tell her they want her to join their coven, as they need four Dark Witches to form one. Sophie did not even know there is such a thing as a Dark Witch or a Light Witch, and she really does not want to. She doesn’t know these girls, nor does she like the way they talk about others. But they won’t give up that soon, and keep trying to persuade her until she gives in.

The lessons are strange, and hard, and the teachers don’t seem to like her on first sight, especially the woman who is training them in defense. She does pair Sophie with her big crush, Archer Cross, who has to attack her, and it sure feels very real to Sophie. Afterwards, she discovers that everyone knows more about her family than she does! Her father is the Head of Council, so he is the one who sent her here? Who sent most of the students her to teach them a lesson in keeping themselves hidden from humans? No wonder she is not more popular.

When Sophie meets her grandmother’s ghost, things seem to be going better for a while. Or are they?


As said, I did like the book, but I was expecting a little more. It has a lot of clichés, like the one good friend, the crush on the unattainable most handsome boy in the school, the slowly revealed secrets about her own family. She is supposed to be the most powerful witch, but surely shows no signs of it. Sophie needs to learn so much!
Still, I liked how Sophie stood up for Jenna, and how she handled things with Archer. I really got the impression he was under a spell from his girlfriend though. And the revelation about his secret was well done and unexpected.
As I already have the next two books, I will read those in time.

7 stars.

© 2013 Reviews by Aurian