Review: Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

WARNING: If you haven't read HEX HALL, then you probably shouldn't read this review. Especially since it may contain spoilers!

D e m o n g l a s s (H e x  H a l l  #2) by Rachel Hawkins

Release Date: 3/1/11

Publisher: Hyperion Books CH
Age Group: Young Adult (14+)

Pages: 359

Source: Own/purchased
Challenge: 2nds Challenge
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Kindle

Word Blurb: Darker, riskier, and troubling!

"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?"

The thing I loved most about this novel: the pacing! While this book may be a three-hundred-something-page turner, the events just seem to fly by. Don't get me wrong, you grasp what's happening, but... It's like when you're watching a really good movie, or when you're eating a boston creme doughnut, the experience is so stunning, so wonderful and then when you realize it's over, you feel less than satiated. That's how I felt this time around with DEMONGLASS, too! I was spellbound starting with page one, the feeling never leaving me, even after I'd already put the book down.

Sophie is without a doubt one of my all time favorite young adult heroines! She's, as Archer so eloquently put it, "smart, fluent in sarcasm, and, Bad Dog incident aside, pretty kick-ass at magic" (263). I don't think I've ever encountered a more delightful, more hilarious narrator in all my first person POV-filled reading experiences. I can always count on Sophie to wrangle a laugh out of me, no matter how dire or serious the situation may be. Or my mood going into reading the book. I always come out with memories of intense laughter. And I love that about both books. It takes a way just a smidgen of the angst clouding the story, and loosens me up, so I don't feel so damned tense by the time I'm done reading. And somehow, with a girl like Sophie to read about, I know that anything that goes down during the course of the book, will be resolved by the time the series is done. Sophie's just too stubborn to let anything turn out badly.

And, besides her, I had no choice when I fell in love with both Archer and Jenna. Archer, Sophie's ridiculously hot so-called ex-crush, suits her so perfectly. He has this snarkiness that's just hard to get over, and can't be replaced. That's why, when Cal became a more prominent character, particularly in Sophie's life, I couldn't be swept away by him. I was still so obsessively in love with Archer, that I couldn't fall for Cal, though he did give me the heart-tingles. And I couldn't live without Sophie's totally cool vampire bff, Jenna, and I hope that with the developments at the end, everything turns out alright. I just love that girl! Surprisingly, I'm a huge James fan! I didn't expect to like Sophie's dad, but am I the only one who hopes that he and Sophie's mom have a shot at reuniting?

All that aside, Hawkins nailed the plot this time around, too. The suspense... the mystery... that sense of betrayal and lies... power-hungry enemies and scared-out-of-their-minds paranormals... the fighting... This book took the story to new heights, expected or unexpected. And yet, somehow, Hawkins still managed to conceal some much-needed info that's clearly going to be slowly unveiled throughout the remainder of future books in the series. And let me tell you, while she may have talent in reader-torture, it is not fun.

In fact, it sucked! I was so ridiculously pissed by the end of the book, I nearly hurled it across the room, not caring where/how it landed. (Being a stickler with my books, prevented me from rash actions, however immensely (and temporarily) satisfying the result.) The cliffhanger was ten times more agonizing than in book one! Hawkins seriously gives a whole new meaning to the word cliffhanger, emphasis on the hang part. Because by the time I got down to the last word of the last page, the exact words to describe my dilemma would be: I was left hanging. How awful of her!

My body is going through some serious DEMONGLASS-induced withdrawal and obsession. I need the next book! Need it!

Total ROFL-moment:

"'Ghouls,' I heard Archer say. His voice was low and tense, like a person who's being confronted by a wild animal. 'Reanimated human flesh, used as guardians. Seriously dark magic. Someone obviously didn't want us finding--'
'Oh my God, less talking, more stabbing, please.' My voice was squeaky with fear, and I knew my eyes were huge when I swiveled around to look at Archer.
He already had the sword in his hand, and he was crouched slightly. 'I can slow them down...but...You're the one who has to stop them.'
'Come again?' I nearly squeaked" (273 | 359).

Thanks for reading! And happy blogging!

Want to see some more Demonglass scenes? Go to my first Teaser Tuesday post and read my teasers!