Hex Hall (Hex Hall #1) by Rachel Hawkins

Genre: paranormal, mystery
Series and Book #: Hex Hall #1
Pages: 323
Synopsis:

Three years ago, Sophie Mereer 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 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.

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This was such a fun, suspenseful, unique book with a hilarious and sarcastic MC. All of Rachel's characters were well put together and she did an amazing job of explaining Sophie's world.

Sophie was brilliant. She was so witty and sarcastic while everyone else was serious. Her situation was different than other Prodigium because she was raised by her human mother, so she has to learn everything about being a witch from scratch, and she hates it. But with her friend Jenna, the only vampire student at Hex Hall, she's back to her usual self, cracking jokes that virtually no one else finds funny. I think Rachel did an excellent job building up the secondary characters as well.

Hex Hall was a perfectly written place, from Sophie's first impressions, to when she's exploring for fun. Rachel wasn't very detailed, but she did show us what Hex Hall was like, and I could see the people and places as I read the book. The old-looking mansion on the outside, the woods surrounding the school, and the classrooms were all explained very well, and I loved that I was able to have a picture in my head.

Overall, this was a fantastic read and I'm totally zipping through Demonglass, the sequel. Rachel's writing was amazing, Sophie was the best, and the rest of the characters, figures, and places in Hex Hall were awesome. I can't wait to learn more about Sophie's magical abilities and the rest of the magical world in the next book!

The Cover: I love how it has both Sophie and her ghostly friend on the cover, along with the pond that's beside Hex Hall. It's pretty awesome.

Lipstick Apology by Jennifer Jabaley

Genre: social issues, mystery
Series and Book #: none
Pages: 321
Synopsis:

Four little words written in lipstick mean Emily must say goodbye to everything she knows.

One minute, Emily Carson is dancing on her kitchen counter at an end-of-school party. The next, she’s staring at the news, witnessing the wreckage of a plane crash—the plane her parents were on. Her mother’s last words are scrawled in lipstick on a tray table: EMILY PLEASE FORGIVE ME.

Now it’s fall in New York City, and Emily is desperate to leave tragedy behind. It helps that Darlington High’s swim team champion has his irresistible green eyes on her. And then there’s her quirky chemistry partner slash baker-by-night, Anthony, with his classroom jests, delicious frosted donuts and firm just-friends status.

But Emily is still haunted by her mother’s mysterious apology. She must find out what it means. Only then can she choose between the two boys in her life: the one who makes her forget, or the one who helps her remember, and ultimately, heal.

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I first heard about Jennifer's novels when I found the novel Crush Control. It sounded very interesting (a girl who hypnotizes a boy to fall in love with her? Count me in!) When I went to my local library, looking for great summer reads, and spotted this, there was no question in me ripping the book from the shelves. I didn't get into the book right away. I didn't even get into the book halfway through reading it and I was hoping so much that it picked up. Then I talked to a friend of mine who had read it, and she said that it did get better towards the end. And it did! YAY!

After Emily's parents died, she was a very monotone character. Her thoughts always wrapped around the same things, "What am I doing here?" "What did Mom mean?" "I'm not going to fit in." She was a devastated mess. But when she meets Andi and Lindsey, there's not doubt that she perks up. And when Owen, the captain of the swim team and Mr. Popular himself shows interest in her, then she starts to forget her Mom's apology and worry about her life now. Also Anthony perked her up a bit...when he wasn't reminding her that her parents are dead and gone and that she should really find out what that apology means. I liked Anthony. He was very sarcastic, witty, and intelligent, seeing people for who they were rather than what they looked like. But Emily and him disagreed on many things, like Owen. And when he keeps prying Emily to continue her search for her mother's apology, she fittingly kicks him out in an angry rage. But things get better and that had to be my favorite part of the whole book, when Anthony and Emily make up.

Overall, I liked this book, but more towards the end. I thought Jennifer's characterizations were good. She did a great job of showing us their true colors, whether it was right away or more towards the end of the story. Her description of New York was very detailed as well, naming streets, specific trains, and mentioning shops, cobblestone streets, and other minor details. I can't wait to read Crush Control.

The Cover: I like the colors and the New York skyline, but I don't see how it really connects with the book. It's cute.

Release: Supernaturally by Kiersten White and Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be . . . kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees.
But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself.
So much for normal.

When Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemies, she’s certain her days are numbered. But then the Searchers make her an offer—one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack—and the man—she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive.

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I loved Paranormalcy by Kiersten White! It was a hilarious paranormal debut and I can't wait to read the sequel.

I have yet to read Nightshade by Andrea Cremer, but I'm looking forward to it. I've heard its a great, original werewolf story that will have you wanting more.

These are two great releases that everyone will be clamoring for!

Daily Dose (29)

Daily Dose is a weekly meme hosted by Good Golly Miss Holly where we share inspirational photos we've found on the Internet.

Please remember the people of Norway through their terrible tragedy.

Uncommon Criminals (Heist Society #2) by Ally Carter

Genre: adventure
Series and Book #: Heist Society #2
Pages: 298
Synopsis:

Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life: Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she’s simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world. That’s why Kat isn’t surprised when she’s asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners.

There are only three problems: First, the gem hasn’t been seen in public in thirty years. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long—and in Kat’s world, history almost always repeats itself. But it’s the third problem that makes Kat’s crew the most nervous, and that is…the emerald is cursed.

Kat might be in way over her head, but she’s not going down without a fight. After all, she has her best friend—the gorgeous Hale—and the rest of her crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the globe, dodging curses and realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time.

Which means, this time, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules.

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An awesome sequel to an equally awesome first novel. Uncommon Criminals had my nerves on end, had me biting my nails in anticipation, and laughing out loud! Kat and her crew were awesome characters and I was so happy to revisit them.

The stakes were higher than before in this novel, and the con was more complex. At first, it was simple. But after Kat initially stole the Cleopatra Emerald, Ally threw in a twist that I didn't see coming. After that, everything grew more risky, and Kat was taking emotional tolls throughout the whole story. She was forced to uncover some nasty family secrets, confront some feelings for Hale, and through it all she had to believe in herself even when things got tricky. She would be all into the heist, then back away, nervous and afraid. Then something would go right, and she'd be all for the con again. I think she was forced to choose between the family business and doing what she had been before the Emerald had appeared--stealing for the original owners of lost pieces.

The same cast from Heist Society was back and still as awesome as before! Hale, Gabrielle, Simon, the Bagshaw brothers, and even Nick were included. I loved the character that Ally put into each one of Kat's crew members, making them all very real.

Overall, Ally did a marvelous job with this sequel. The heists were just as fun as before, and had just as much detail. The characters all had minds of their own, and weren't just two-dimensional. And the secrets and mysteries that Ally added made everything especially interesting. Can't wait to see if Ally has more planned for Kat and crew!

The Cover: Just like Heist Society's, I love Kat's shades and the Emerald reflected in them.

My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison

Genre: fantasy
Series and Book #: none
Pages: 311
Synopsis:

When you wish upon a star…if you’re Savannah Delano, you end up with a gum-chewing, cell phone-carrying, high heel-wearing, teenage fairy godmother named Chrysanthemum (Chrissy) Everstar.

After Savannah’s picture-perfect boyfriend, Hunter, dumps her to go out with her older sister, Jane, she idly wishes she could find a true prince to take her to the prom. Instead, she gets Chrissy. Only a “fair” godmother (because she’s not a very good fairy student).

Chrissy attempts to grant Savannah three wishes, which get her sent back to the Middle Ages: once as Cinderella, once as Snow White, and once to save Tristan, the surprisingly cute boy from her school who’s also found himself a victim of Chrissy’s mistaken wish-granting. From trolls to dragons to the mysterious Black Knight, Savannah and Tristan must beat the odds to make it back to modern times together.

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I love fairy tales, romances, and humor and this book had it all. Savannah was a great MC, and the people who surrounded her were great too. I don't think that we saw much of Chrissy, but what we did see really showed her character. Same with some of the other minor characters that I only caught snippets of.

The story starts with letters from Chrissy to the Honorable Master Sagewick Goldengill, about her previous godmother assignments and the extra-credit one for Jane and Savannah Delano. I loved that I got the back story before diving into the actual tale, because then I wasn't left in the dark about what happened between Jane, Savannah, and Hunter, Savannah's ex-boyfriend and Jane's newest boyfriend. And when we did go into the story, Savannah told her side of the whole thing and that brought us more into touch with her character.

The story flowed wonderfully through the wishes. Whenever Savannah came home from the Middle Ages, you could tell she was rattled, angry, and grateful for indoor plumbing. I felt that the first two wishes were rushed but they gave me just enough information to open up for the final wish. Most of the story was centered around the final wish, which was so great. Janette wrapped up the story perfectly, including all three wishes into the final wish, which was something different that I loved.

Overall, this is one of my all time faves! It was a stellar book that flowed great, wrapped up nicely, and the characters were so awesome. Janette made every character real, with their own unique personality, including the magical creatures. Janette also pulled off the Middle Ages great, giving the culture without reading too much like a history book. And it was hilarious! A perfect, wonderful novel.

The Cover: The girl looks impeccably like Chrissy, and I think it's funny that she's on the roof.

Cover Reveal: Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins

Two days ago on her blog, Rachel Hawkins, the author of Hex Hall and Demonglass, revealed the cover of the thrid book in the series, Spell Bound:

Having not read Hex Hall (but looking forward to it) I can't sing any praises to the books, but I've heard such great things about the series. I do love the cover and how close it is the previous ones, though.

The reflections and the cats are so cool. I can't wait to read this series!

Spell Bound is released May 13th, 2012