Fallen / Unearthly / Angel Burn / Anna Dressed in Blood / Hourglass / Where it Began / Hex Hall

What did you get this week?

Title: Hex Hall

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  Publisher:  Hyperion Book CH
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  Publication date: March 2, 2010
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• # Of Pages: 336 Hardcover
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• How I got the copies: Library
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  Goodreads Summary

  Three years ago, Sophie Mercer 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 student 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.

  My Review: 

  þWitches, Demons, Vampires, Shapeshifters, etc.

  þMystery 

  þMagical new world and school

  þHumor

  To be honest,  I didn't expect much from this book.  I read it because it was the book of the month for my goodreads group.   This is why I love book clubs.  If I wasn't in one I would have never read this book and I would have been missing out.  Rachel Hawkins was able to produce a new magical world that is unlike Hogwarts or any other magical school you might have read about.  What makes it so different?  It feels exactly the same as any human boarding school, but the students there just happen to do magic.  I loved the different types of students.  Elodie is the typical witch with a capital B, well actually she is a witch in a coven, but you get my point that she's the snotty pretty girl who makes the main character's life hell.  Archer is your typical hot sexy warlock.  He is so swoon worthy Sophie's roommate, Jenna, says there should be a class on it.  Jenna, the vampire, was one of my favorite characters.  Jenna is really funny and a great friend.  Too bad she is also the one being accused of killing her old roommate Holly.  We see her through Sophie's eyes which are different than the others at the school, because unlike other students Sophie was raised by a human.  Sophie is hilarious with her 16 year old mind and somewhat angsty thoughts.  She kind of reminded me of Jessica Darling from Sloppy Firsts.  Here are a few lines that had me laughing:
  

Q: Have you ever bought a book BECAUSE of a bad review?

Take a look at my past Friday posts!

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• Publisher:  Little, Brown & Company
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• Publication date:  September 27th 2011
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• # Of Pages: 432 Hardcover
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• How I got this copy: Library

• Goodreads/B&N/Amazon/YouTube
  Goodreads Summary:

  Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. 
  
  In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low. 
  
  And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war. 
  
  Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out. 
  
  When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

  
  

  My Review: 

  þCompletely original plot & characters

  þTimeless Romance (Forbidden Love)
  þLooonnnggg 
  
  
  After I finished this book I stared at all 432 pages of it and scratched my head.  No other book on this planet has left me with so many emotions, I'm not sure how to react right now.  I want to give it 1 star and 5 stars at the same time.  Let's start with the few things I actually really liked about it. 

  
  

  The character Karou was intriguing.  She is an art student with blue hair and works for a devil creature who is like a father figure to her and pretty much the only family she's ever known.  She's strong, independent, and doesn't take crap from her ex boyfriend who is gorgeous, but narcissistic.  I personally loved when she would banter with her friend Zuzana.  Although Zuzana's character had pretty much no purpose other than to show us Karou's character, I enjoyed their relationship.  Here is a conversation I enjoyed from page 164:
  

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill from http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/.  It is a way for us book bloggers to feature which books we are eagerly anticipating!

(#2)

 

Goodreads.com Summary:
A threat from the past could destroy the future. And the clock is ticking...

Kaleb Ballard's relentless flirting is interrupted when Jack Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, timeslips in and attacks before disappearing just as quickly. But Kaleb has never before been able to see time travelers, unlike many of his friends associated with the mysterious Hourglass organization. Are Kaleb's powers expanding, or is something very wrong?

 Then the Hourglass is issued an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the time gene, or time will be altered with devastating results. Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Jack. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough... The follow-up to Hourglass, Timepiece blends the paranormal, science fiction, mystery, and suspense genres into a nonstop thrill ride where every second counts.

Release date: June 12, 2012

Why I am excited: Look at that cover!  I find myself staring at the covers of this series for awhile.  They make me wonder why and how she is being pulled away from the door.  What's behind that door anyway?  I love the shadow behind her and the simpleness of it all.  I still haven't read Hourglass yet, but have it on my shelf waiting for me.  I'll definitely read it before June 12 though!  The synopsis of the first and second book in this series really makes me want to read it and I'm thinking I might need to bump it up on my pile of books to read.