New Customer Review: Hex Hall

Hex Hall
by Rachel Hawkins [j Hawkins or YA PB Hawkins]

Mix together angst and attitude. Then pile on the romance and rebellion. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins is an addicting read. I wanted to guzzle it like a fizzy soft drink. Unfortunately, by the end, I also felt as if my teeth had rotted. When you think of female teen fiction, what comes to mind? If you said bad boys and mean girls, you'll have nicely summarized the bulk of Hex Hall. In chapter two, Sophie meets Archer. He sounds about right for your typical "bad" boy. After rescuing her from a werewolf, he angers Sophie by insulting her powers. That also sounds about right for an opening scene. After all, if Archer was nice from the start, what would be his attraction? And, if Sophie liked him from the start, what fun would there be in his pursuit of her? Next, in chapter four, Sophie meets the three "charmed" ones. They are pretty and mean. What else would you expect? After all, if they were plain and kind, what would the pay-off be when they finally accept Sophie? Oh, there is one other thing that female teen fiction should bring to mind: friendship. My favorite character is Jenny. She's one of the more interesting characters in a parade of clichés. To a certain extent, Hex Hall reminds me of the movie Mean Girls, because initially Sophie doesn't want anything to do with the three "charmed" ones. When Sophie realizes exactly what kind of witches they are, she turns down their offer to join them. In turn, the leader Elodie accuses Sophie of thinking she is better of them, but Sophie claims that isn't her reason. This scenario is one of several where I think Hawkins missed an opportunity to instill moral values into Hex Hall. While I dislike preachy novels, I also admire those authors who slip little snippets of wisdom into their books. Another missed opportunity occurs when Jenny tells Sophie that students aren't allowed to use their powers to be lazy, but then nothing else is ever said about this idea. The above criticisms aside, my biggest peeve is how much Hex Hall is a Harry Potter clone. To start, Hecate Hall is housed at a remote location. Students can reach this location only by ferry. Inside the school, a spiral staircase twists up three stories, seemingly supported by nothing. Pale and cold people sometimes sweep by the students. I'll give you one guess as to what they are. There's only one bathroom on the entire floor. One teacher picks on Sophie and even some of her peers despise her because, unbeknownst to Sophie, she possesses the strongest powers available to a witch. There is a groundskeeper and even a forbidden wood. While I love a good fantasy, Hex Hall wasn't one. Sadly, too many of the young adult paranormal books I've read have disappointed me. This puts me on the hunt for the exception. Or maybe I'll just stick with young adult fiction that has nothing to do with witches, vampires, werewolves, and faeries. -- review submitted by Allison H.-F. - a customer of the Bennett Martin Public Library

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