I got my hands on Hex Hall through an ARC swap; I’d requested the book thanks partly because of the promise of paranormal fun, and partly because so many readers who say they want to read Hex Hall also want to read my debut, Other. Hey, I thought, it must be a book up my alley!
And indeed it was. More of a snarky giggles kind of book than a laugh-out-loud satire of paranormal novels, this book appeals to my inner witch–you know, the one that’s always craved a little magical oomph with her comebacks. Sophie, our illustrious protagonist, deals out the witty repartee to all manners of creatures: werewolves, vampires, faeries, not to mention stodgy teachers, boys she’s crushing on, and evil bi–whoops, witches. Hex Hall sparkles with humor.
Despite a heavy frosting of jokes, there’s still a sprightly plot that combines the usual boarding school/teenage girl drama with more magical dangers. I will admit to not taking the Bad Guys very seriously at all, though that may have been due to the fact that Sophie doesn’t seem to, either. She’s always ready to snark her way out of something. But I’m okay with her not being too moody–while we glimpse some fear, longing, and tears, Hex Hall ultimately feels like a book that’s having too much fun to be bogged down by boring serious stuff.
Yup. It was an enjoyable read! 🙂