teen paranormal romance | The Obsessive Bookseller

Title: Hex Hall

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Series: Hex Hall #1

Genre: Teen Paranormal Romance

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Overview: 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.

The Review:

This is one of those books that I’m kicking myself for not reading sooner. One of my best go-to girls for books recommended it to me like three years ago when it first came out, but it wasn’t until I got an arc of Hawkins’ latest, School Spirits, that I finally got motivated enough to pick it up. Stupid. I loved it! It was fun without being cheesy, dark without being depressing, and all-around a delightful book.

Here’s another reason why I’m kicking myself: I love books that take place at schools. Give me a school for anything, basket-weaving, sword-fighting, dog-sledding – you name it. If it takes place at a school I want to read it. What I liked about this Academy in particular was how much of an impact it had on the story. Everything from the location of the school to how the students felt inside it transformed Hex Hall from a setting into a character. Hawkins used a lot of great imagery when describing it setting the mood for the entire book.

The overall “feel” for the book is probably my favorite part. While the school had a tremendous impact on that, it wouldn’t have been near as memorable without such a lovable protagonist. Not only is she fluent in sarcasm but she also maintains a quiet strength in the things that make her different from everybody else. And she was funny – I cracked up several times throughout the book. What’s more, I enjoyed all of the side characters just as much… particularly the love interest. ;)

Overall, this book delivered a memorable setting, great protagonist, a fun mystery, paranormal creatures, and a compelling love story. It blew my expectations away and has quickly become one of the best books I’ve read this year.

Recommendations: if Vampire Academy and Bloodlines are on your favorites list, you should definitely give this book try. It’s perfect for those who like paranormal and want a fun and memorable mystery/love story. If it’s already in your TBR pile, pick it up now – you wont be sorry!

Other books you might like:

: Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

: The Selection by Kiera Cass

: The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abe

: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

: Marked by P.C. and Kristin Cast

A Touch of Frosts Review • The Selection Review • The Sweetest Dark Review • Bloodlines Review

by Niki Hawkes

Title: Indigo Spell

Author: Richelle Mead

Series: Bloodlines #3

Genre: Teen Paranormal Romance

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Overview: In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch–a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood–or else she might be next.

The Review:

Okay, okay, I promise this is the last Richelle Mead book I’ll review for a few months – but only because I have finally read everything she’s written. It’s a shame I’m all caught up, too, because these books make my job as a reviewer a whole lot easier. Indigo Spell was so absorbing and well written that I didn’t have time to worry about anything other than just enjoying it. I never once stopped to see how many pages I had left (as I often do with books) and in fact could have continued reading long after the book ended – it was fantastic.

This is a highly character driven novel, and honestly, not much happens with regard to action. Events in this book are more like vehicles to get our characters from one emotional point to the other. Well, that’s not strictly true. Stuff happens, but that stuff is just nowhere near as important as the effect it has on the characters. And what awesome characters they are! Mead always finds a way of developing well-rounded, yet flawed characters that you can’t help but love despite their imperfections. Take the main heroine, Sidney, for example: she’s uptight, controlling, and downright ornery on occasion but she is one of my favorites in any series because she feels real. And she’s found her perfect match in Adrian – his affection and interest towards her is a great writing tool to make them both more appealing.

Speaking of Adrian, the romantic tension in this book is by far my favorite element. It’s been a love story that has been developing over the course of the last three books and I feel like its momentum is getting ready to snowball (in a good way). The love story is not the only thing that is gaining momentum, there were a few discoveries in this book that point towards one heck of a finale. Mead’s ability to carry excitement from one end of the series to the other is why she is my all-time favorite author. She simply doesn’t let you down and I devour her books much faster than I want to (note to self for the next one: read slower – savor it).

Overall, this is an excellent book that has me impatient to pick up the next one.

Recommendations: I would recommend this to those looking for great character development and a sweet love story. For fans of Vampire Academy, this is an absolute must as it’s so much more than a simple spinoff. I would also hand this to someone who enjoys paranormal but doesn’t want to be hit over the head with the supernatural.

by Niki Hawkes

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