Review: 5/5 for Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

Hardcover, 359 pages

Published March 1st 2011 by Hyperion Books CH
Source: eBook, purchased
Buy the Book: Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

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?

Sophie's journey continues as she comes into her own, but not as a witch and instead a demon. The book centers around her trials and tribulations during this phase of her life. I see the similarities between an actual teen learning to grow and mature like I did in Hex Hall. However, it was taken to another, and much higher, level this time around. Not only does Sophie go through this process, I guess I could call it "professional growth" in a way, but also some that tax her personal growth limits. In the first book she has typical issues of a teen. In this one, however, Hawkins adds in supernatural elements and individuals to really give Sophie a ride.

Sophie deals with some of the same issues with her powers as in the first book, but everything seems to just be..different with her. Her father tries to explain the many reasons why she shouldn't go through the Removal and wants her to understand herself better. Unfortunately, it takes Sophie going through some harrowing events to understand just this. She learns of other demons that ultimately become her friends and this does help her father's case to a point. However, it is events with Archer that basically slaps Sophie back to reality and out of the tunnel vision. All of these incidents fly back to back of each other and leads the reader deeper and deeper into the story and book. There is definitely no lack of action in this one! There are the great "run-for-your-life" and "ok-I-have-to-stop-and-think-about-that-twist" events galore, which makes me very happy. About that ending though... Ha. Yeah. It got me and did a really good job of it. *evil grin* I kept clicking on my Nook to go to the next page...and it wouldn't turn. I honestly thought it had locked up. Then I realized that it was actually the last page of the book! This is the true definition of a cliffhanger. It felt like I had just had the ground pulled out from under me. It was magnificent!

Sophie grows a lot during this short amount of time. I could almost literally see her mature after some of these things happen to her. She comes into her own and I can accept her now as the "leader of the pack" that she was born to be. Before now, I thought she was still very "young" mind-wise, but she becomes worldly for her age. Our dear Jenna shines more in this book and I am so tickled to see more of her. She is a great and lovable character and truly throws her own spin on things in both her and Sophie's life. And Archer, as hot as ever. I won't give too much away, but big decisions come into play with both him and Sophie and it can affect pretty much everything in their lives.

Follow Friday - July 15, 2011

Follow Friday is also a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee. It's another way to connect with fellow bloggers! First, blog about Follow Friday and weekly question, then leave your name on the Linky list, and visit as many blogs as you can on the list and tell them "Hi!" in their comments on their FF post. You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

Q. What do you do when you are not reading?

Well, this is easy and difficult at the same time. Before the busy last couple of weeks came about, I usually did things with the hubby or friends. Now, this includes anything from annoying him while he's watching his cartoons (I promise that I'm not making that up LOL), going out to lunch, or having one heckuva pow-wow with friends about life events or, more commonly, school stuff.

However, there is one true thing that I always fall back on if all else fails: art. I was the art geek all through school. For some reason, once people learn this about me they are genuinely surprised and I honestly do not know why. LOL Apparently it's not a vibe that I give off or something. It is still hard for me to walk by certain paintings and ceramics without stopping to study and critique them. It can certainly make for a long shopping trip through some stores!

Review: Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Hardcover, 323 pages

Published March 2nd 2010 by Hyperion Book CH
Source: eBook, purchased
Buy the Book: Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

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.

Boarding schools, misfit main character, and magic....how could that combination not be great, right? Well, that's exactly what this story is! Hawkins waits no time to snag the reader from the very first page of the book. Sophie has issues just like any other teen and this makes her really likable by a majority of readers. However, she also has some pretty major magical issues on top of this. It is this combination that beckons for the readers attention to see how she deals with the day to day life and issues that is thrown at her. Hawkins' humor and wit are superb with Sophie! There were many times that I caught myself laughing because I was either thinking that I would say that same thing in that situation or caught off guard for the fact that I had not thought of that! This bits scattered throughout the book and a great story kept me addicted to the end.

The idea behind this book reflects on real life examples. This concept is why it appeals so greatly to many people. These characters are all teens that deal with similar, if not identical, issues as non-magical teens. They have experimented, fought amongst themselves, and even skipped class. The only difference with these teens is the fact that there are more serious consequences for stepping out of line and it can only take one incident to be sent to "alternate" school. Hecate "Hex" Hall is the result of the ill-minded actions of these magical teens. The situations and issues they deal with before and after arriving at the school are so familiar to things I've seen and experienced it would have been difficult to not finish this book. The plot flows so well I could not have anyways. There are equal opportunities through it for action, heartbreak, happiness, and my favorite in this book, sarcasm. Combine all this and it makes a plot that does not short-change the reader in any form.

The characters are really well written in my opinion. I realize that this is just my opinion, but the personalities of these characters are so real to me. Each has their own issues and attributes that are fairly balanced and interestingly spread out through the group. While I usually do relate to at least one character in a book, it is not often that it is the main character. Sophie experiences many situations that I could honestly view happening to me. Many times I thought to myself, "Yep, that's exactly what would have happened to me and that is exactly what I would have said." This girl has been through so much and she uses sarcasm to come to terms with it all. Yes, that is all too familiar for me. Combine that with the outball friend and a crush on the most impossible guy to get and you get my high school education. There is a true friendship between Sophie and Jenna. Their understanding of what it is to be a friend and what to/what not to put up with has great balance, making them a solid force against the world around them. Archer is a whole other aspect of Sophie's life. This relationship enhances the plot so well. The ups, downs, and twists absolutely shape and shift it in all the right directions.

Overall the book was definitely a win-win for me. The intricate combination of the characters personalities, different perspective of subject matter and Hawkins' superb writing makes this an amazing experience for all that would read it.

Annnddddd We're Live Once More!

Good morning everyone!

After a tough couple of weeks, Books Most Wanted is back online! My husband and I are now officially under contract for the house, inspections are finished and approved, and packing now begins!

Over the next few days I'll be getting back in the swing of things, getting reviews up, and hopefully catch up with every one of you that I can. So, hold on to your hats and let's get rollin'!

Best,

*Nikki

Books Most Wanted Status: On Standby....

Hello, friends!

I promise I have not forgotten all of you! The hubby and I are currently in an epic battle to buy an amazing house! Unfortunately, we think it is a divorce house and that has been a serious issue getting things taken care of. It feels like we're caught in the middle of it....It's been a very difficult week, but things should wrap for good or bad soon and I'll be right back on schedule. I've been reading as much as I can in between paperwork, viewings, offers, counter-offers, you name it. So, when everything gets straightened up this weekend I'll have at least 4, if not 5, reviews to put up! For now though, things are simply too hectic for me to be able to put my thoughts about a book down in writing. Well, I'm sure I could, but I can about guarantee that you would not be able to make any sense of it! :) I'll see y'all in a day or two and I can't wait to be back on track to catch up with everyone!

Happy reading!

*Nikki