Review: Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

The concept of “Hex Hall” is wholly unoriginal; I’ve seen it done before, and I’ve seen it done better. I am a sucker for this kind of world-building, so I don’t mind it too much, but I defintely would have preferred some innovation.
The plot wasn’t better off, in fact I could see most of the so-called revelations coming from miles away. The only things I did not expect were Archer’s affiliation and Sophie’s true nature. I didn’t think the author would go there, and I’m glad she did.
On the other hand, the revelation about Archer has no build-up, and seems tacked on almost as an after-thought, just as a way to keep him and Sophie apart.
Sophie was way to naïve for my tastes, but overall I liked her. And I know how to appreciate the fact that she recognized her infatuation with Archer as such, instead of deciding they were destined to have the greatest love story ever, OMG! at first glance.
Their relationship was pretty cute, even though most attempts at witty banter fell flat.
In spite of the predictability of it all “Hex Hall” was a page-turner. I often stayed up late to see what would happen next and the pacing was great: neither too slow nor too fast.
I usually can’t stand cliffhangers, because they are a way to cheat the reader into being forced to buy the next book in order to see the plot at least partially resolved. I didn’t mind this ending so much, because the identity of the murder, which is the mystery that concerns the reader for most of the book, is revealed.
If you’re in the mood for a quick, fun read, Hex Hall is the book for you. But if you’re looking for something original or meaningful, I think you’re better off reading something else.

Rating:

★★★

Sources
http://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/5287473-hex-hall (15/09/13)