Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

Book stats:
Reading level: 11 and up
Genre: Paranormal
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Hyperion Book
Release date: March 1, 2011

Series: Hex Hall #2

Source: Personal Shelf

Reviewed by: Tynga

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.

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 world was turned upside down when she’s had to kill someone to save her own skin, and her crush came after her with a knife. Who could blame her for feeling off-kilter? She got scared when discovering the extend of her powers and vowed never to use them again. She even asked to go through the Removal, a procedure to get rid of her magical powers, but that could kill her in the process. Wanting to dissuade her and get to know her, her world record absentee dad brings her to England for the summer. Who would’ve thought a summer to England could be the worst vacation one ever got?

What an awesome sequel! Too often second books in a series are kind of meh, but Demonglass totally rocked my socks off! Hex Hall, the first book in the series, was kind of a light read with banter and cute guys, and while those elements I truly enjoyed were still in Demonglass, Rachel Hawkins really took this novel to the second level.

Sophie really grew after the situations she’s had to face and is now more level headed and issues are taken more seriously. She’s still a fun sarcastic girl, don’t get me wrong, but she realises the extend of her powers and the consequences of her actions. She might still do something rash, but she’ll have thought about it first. Sophie’s dad was a very pleasant surprise and I wish to learn more about Cal. The teenage girl will learn something about the young man that will really change their relationship and I loved this interesting twist. Any Archer fans out there? Well let me tell you that you won’t be disappointed! I love the guy to pieces and even though his mission is to kill Sophie, I can’t bring myself to distrust him.

A-ma-zing is the word of choice to describe Hawkins’ plotting skills. I was hooked from the first page and was stunned at every blow. The key elements keeping the plot going  were always exciting and unexpected and I loved it all.

My friend Lucy warned me I shouldn’t read Demonglass until Spell Bound was out and I am so glad she did. The end is THE BOMB. Can a cliff-hanger be any worst?  I think not! So bad that I stood up and pick up book 3 within 30 seconds of finishing the last sentence of Demonglass (expect my review next week!).

Truth be told, I liked Hex Hall, but I loved Demonglass. Rachel Hawkins’ writing, plotting and sense to atmosphere gets better every book and I can’t wait to find out how the story ends. I strongly suggest this trilogy to teen and adults who don’t mind flippant teenagers, it really is a stand-out amongst this genre. Loved it!

Read an Excerpt

Posted by Tynga at 06:48

 Hyperion, Rachel Hawkins, Review, young adult  12 People left their mark

Tynga is a 32 years old mom of two, from Montreal, working as a lab technician in an hospital specialized in heart disease. In her free time, she enjoys reading all things Paranormal and photography.

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