Raising Demons (Hex Hall (Quality)) (edition 2011)

Yet another great book.. I think I actually enjoyed it a teensy bit more than Hex Hall; however, I did not laugh as much.
This book continues where the first left off with Sophie deciding to go through the Removal after she finds out she's not actually a witch, but a demon, and a very powerful one at that. She flies to England with Cal (Love Cal-Archer can go away) and Jenna to meet her dad and spend some quality time with her as he is determined to change her mind about going through the Removal. While in England she finds out she's betrothed, she meets other demons, and she comes face to face with Archer again.
Once again, another cliff-hanger ending and I'm sitting here pulling my hair out. Can't wait till the 3rd installment is published. :) ( )

And just then, that feeling washed over me again, the strange psychic impulse I’d been feeling since I left Graymalkin. But this time, it wasn’t dread that washed over me, or fear.
It was happiness. Hope.
—Sophie

The cliffhanger ending of Hex Hall totally got me right on the spot, and within a few days, I had already got the second book on hand and read it instantly. And I have to say that truthfully, I thought this one was as good as the first one, and even better.

Demonglass told us about Sophie's life when she decided that she would go through Removal, so that she would not have to be demon again. That she would be just like everyone else, perfectly normal. But her father, totally disagree with her decision, convinced her to spent her holiday with him at the countryside. Little did she know that her father was not like how she thought he was. And when her supposed-to-be-okay father-daughter-time turned into something much more dangerous, Sophie must made her decision between love, family, friend, or the world.

Personally, I love how the plot in Demonglass had less sagging compared to Hex Hall. It was fast paced and thrilling, yet it was slow enough to make it clear for the reader what was exactly happened. There was a lot going on this book, but Rachel managed to put it all into one and it flow quite flawlessly. the twist on the end of the book was great too, again with the cliffhanger, and it really made the reader curious about the continuation.

Sophie Mercer, still being the main character of this book, was more developed too than in Hex Hall, with her showing more of her soft side but still balanced with her usual yet unique sarcastic attitude. It was nice to sometimes see a girl that was independent and can made her own decision, as well as acted out on her own and with her way.
Archer Cross was showing a significant development as well, with him being more in depth and more flesh and blood. He was shown to be actually very hurt and broken inside, and personally, I think the writing was so well I could not help but to sympathize with him.

One thing I'm not quite fond of this book was the love triangle. Sophie and Archer, I could get it. But the new guy? It was all so sudden, and truthfully, I can't quite believe that it was actually love or something entirely different. It is just not real enough.

Overall, I have to say that I really love this book. If you like fantasy and funny read that can make you laugh, but still have an interesting story line, I would really recommend this one. ( )

http://beerensbaby.blogspot.com/ ( )

http://beerensbaby.blogspot.com/ ( )

Did not at all feel like the usual trilogy middle book "buffer". There's so much supernatural YA flooding the market, and yet I find this series surprisingly entertaining. The dialogue is hilarious. ( )

In the first book of the series ‘Hex Hall’ Sophie Mercer always thought she was a witch who couldn’t control her powers, she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent paranormal children. There she discovered that she is actually a powerful demon, just like her dad, and they are the only two in the world. Utterly scared of her powers, and after the events of the first book, scared of what she could potentially become, in Demonglass Sophie requests that her powers be removed; a very dangerous procedure that could end up with her being very dead. Her dad flies her to London along with her friend Jenna, and Cal. There she discovers that two more demons have been raised and this is very worrisome indeed. The eye is still looking for her and a war between the two movements is imminent. Lots of twists, turns edge of the seat danger and betrayals that leave the reader set up for the final book in the trilogy.

Loved it - have the next book on its way to me - ended on a cliff hanger, what is going to,happen in the final book?

Initial thoughts: So good! Hex Hall was my favorite book of 2011. I found it fantastic. Hawkins does it again with this sequel! The story moved perfectly, dialogue was engagingly witty, and overall this was so much fun to read! (Till the end... Can I have book 3 now, please?!)

Review:
Writing a review for sequels is tough. You have to direct it to those who both have read the original and those who may have stumbled upon your review and haven't read the original novel. I'm going to keep this review for 'Demonglass' pretty short and sweet and try to keep as many spoilers out of it. I want you to enjoy this book and its many surprising plot points just as much as I did!

'Demonglass' is a fantastic read. Seriously, it is just as good as its predecessor, 'Hex Hall'. What did I love about this novel? So many things! First off, author Rachel Hawkins did a perfect job of reminding us what happened in the original novel without hitting us over the head with the entire plot of 'Hex Hall' all over again. The story starts off soon after the ending of 'Hex Hall'. Plot points are arranged perfectly and the story flow is fantastic. 'Demonglass' is always engaging and always entertaining. I don't recall it dragging at all, which has been a problem in most YA books I've read as of late! Just like the original, Hawkins doesn't let one element overtake the entire novel. 'Demonglass' is equal parts action, romance, and humor.

Sophie's self deprecating wit was spot on and quite welcome! Archer, well, I adore Archer. If only he were real! The banter between Sophie and Archer-- loved it. Adding to this already phenomenal cast of characters is the introduction of Sophie's father and the further development of Hex Hall's groundkeeper, Cal.

Sophie's father was a great addition. I loved his speech patterns (which sounds odd to mention), but he had a particular way of speaking that made him stand out, yet still seem related to snarky Sophie. Truthfully, I remember Cal being mentioned in 'Hex Hall', but not much other than that. He had more of a supporting character role in 'Demonglass'. I wouldn't go so far as saying that he evens out a love triangle, but I liked learning more about him and look forward to seeing what happens next with his character.

'Demonglass' gets 4 out of 5 stars. This sequel doesn't disappoint. If you liked 'Hex Hall' at all, then find a copy of 'Demonglass'. It's just that good! (Minus the cliffhanger ending-- that was just plain mean!) ( )

I usually don’t give a crap about love triangles. When people are like “Team BLAH!”, I just kind of half-heartedly smile because I couldn’t care less. Except in this series, I actually do. Given the choice between a jerky douchebag maybe-traitor and a sexy, sweet lumberjack-type of dude, I’m gonna go lumberjack every day of the week. I remembered the love triangle from the first book in the series, [b:Hex Hall|5287473|Hex Hall (Hex Hall, #1)|Rachel Hawkins|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1259686913s/5287473.jpg|5354884], but I didn’t remember a lot of the plot before I started the second installment. As it turns out, that didn’t really matter because [a:Rachel Hawkins|2261547|Rachel Hawkins|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-F-50x66.jpg] reacquaints readers with all the characters and important plot points in a conversation early on. I was happy for the reminders but fans who remember more about HH might be a little bored for the first bit.

The majority of this book is interesting but not riveting. Hawkins has a great sense of humor but there were a lot of 2011-type jokes, (e.g. “Cryptic Dad is cryptic.”) and I wonder if the humor will date itself in the future. In terms of plot, without spoilering the last book, Sophie, Jenna, and Cal go to England for the summer so Sophie can learn more about herself/her powers and spend time with her father. Aforementioned lame love interest Archer Cross has been sighted in England so it makes the situation more dangerous than it could be, as does the fact that L’Occhio di Dio (The Eye) has been more actively attacking Prodigium all over the place. Also, someone is raising demons . That bites.

Back to the love triangle. Archer is still all over the place in this one but I still didn’t really enjoy him as a character. And what the eff is up with that open ending? Kill him off already. No, seriously, KILL HIM. If Sophie screws Cal over and picks Archer, I am checking out of this series. Okay, fine, maybe I’ll still keep reading but I won’t be happy about it! Every time Archer showed up, I secretly hoped someone would just walk by and kill him. I laughed about that one for a while—imagining what books would be like if, out of the blue, some random person just showed up and killed a main character. Everything Cal does makes him more endearing, and there is a plot twist regarding him in the first few pages that surprised me and then left me a little frustrated throughout because there were several scenes dealing with it and I wish Sophie would just get over Archer. She doesn’t. And the spoiler is that she and Cal have been betrothed for a few years.

I said earlier that most of the book was interesting but not riveting. The last fourth or so of the book—RIVETED. There is just tons of action going on and I flew through it. I would’ve given this book 3 stars had it not been for the last section of the book. And that ending? Way to leave a series wide open, [a:Rachel Hawkins|2261547|Rachel Hawkins|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-F-50x66.jpg]. Who the hell knows where it will go next? I’ll definitely be getting the next one.
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Total cliffhanger! ( )

I actually liked this one a little better than the first book. Although most of the same problems from Hex Hall also occur in this one, namely underdeveloped characters and plot, and poor world-building, there was a little more depth in this book. There are a couple of surprising plot twists and the storyline is overall a little more complex. I liked the humour better this time around too; it relied less on pop culture references and the sarcasm wasn't so constant that it became annoying. The first half of the book was rather lackluster, mostly because not much was really happening. I didn't find Nick and Daisy all that interesting, and the (practically non-existent) love triangle was too forced. Really, what was the point of even writing Cal into the book? He was mostly useless (except for some healing here and there, which could have been a power given to another character, and then we wouldn't have had that useless love triangle that wasn't really a love triangle). ( )

After developing a serious love for this series when I read the first book earlier in the week I tried my best to wait a little before reading book two; to prolong the experience, I guess. I lasted a whole two days before I caved and just dived right into this one! Book twos in a series are often less than exciting but Demonglass didn't disappoint me in the slightest. I loved it from start to finish. I honestly couldn't handle tearing my eyes away from the pages.

Hex Hall really left us off on a huge cliffhanger. Sophie was just after discovering she's not a witch at all... she's a demon! She wants to go through 'The Removal' which has a high chance of killing her. This book shows us Sophie's journey as she learns more about who she is, where her family came from and what she can expect from her future. The more knowledge Sophie gets about her situation, the more confused she becomes! I honestly would hate to have been in Sophie's position and I think she handles it really well. I love that she can manage to be hilarious even during the most awful of times. Her sarcastic attitude made me laugh out loud more than once!

In Demonglass, we really get to know more about the other characters in the book which I was so happy about. Sophie's relationship with her dad is rocky but blooming! It's so cool to watch them get to know each other after all these years and to see all the little things they have in common. We also get to know Cal more which is awesome. He was really in the background in Hex Hall so I didn't form much of an opinion about him at all. But now he's one of my favourite characters! He's so sweet and in his own way, funny.

We meet loads of new characters in this one and they're all fascinating. I spent a lot of this book wondering who was on whose side and all the twists took me by surprise! Anyone who loved Hex Hall will love this one and if you haven't read Hex Hall yet, I highly suggest you do so! I am so excited about starting on book three. ( )

I read this book in the space of just a few hours this morning. This was largely because there were some parts I had to skim-read. I am so so disappointed in this sequel to [b:Hex Hall|5287473|Hex Hall (Hex Hall, #1)|Rachel Hawkins|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1259686913s/5287473.jpg|5354884], it's been a wishlister of mine ever since I put the previous book down and I honestly believed I would love it - it's even set in my homeland after all!

But I couldn't get into the story... well, there actually didn't seem to be a whole lot of story. Basically, Sophie goes to hide out in the English countryside for family/demon bonding time, whilst all the time trying to half convince the reader that she's over her evil ex-crush Archer - but she has to do it in that pathetic pining way that lets you know that, not only is her mr sexy-traitorous guy still definitely on her mind, but she is also into that stage of obsessive love-you-till-I-die that seems to happen in so many young adult paranormal romance novels after the couple in question have had one kiss. At least they didn't quite have insta-love, that would have been too much to take.

What we do get is the suggestion of the inevitable love triangle (why, oh, why) with Cal now the other potential love interest. Let's face it - probably not gonna happen. Cal appears to be (unfortunately, this comparison must be made) the Jacob Black of this piece, where Archer is the Edward Cullen (except he does actually have a personality). The author seems to be going down the road of:

Archer = Great, never-ending love.

Cal = cute, nice guy who will probably get dumped and end up turning into a pervert obsessed with newborn babies.

Just forget it. This book wasn't interesting at all, we've moved away from the cool supernatural mysteries and gone into a story solely centred around love triangles and heartbreak. If I wanted this I would have read [b:Hush, Hush|6339664|Hush, Hush (Hush, Hush, #1)|Becca Fitzpatrick|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41WG6WSHdPL._SL75_.jpg|6525609] and/or [b:Fallen|6487308|Fallen (Fallen, #1)|Lauren Kate|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1268869615s/6487308.jpg|6678670].

( )

Sophie Mercer has left Hex Hall for the summer to spend it with her father, a father she has never really had any real relationship with. He wants to help her control her powers and become what she is supposed to be. She wants rid of her powers. Archer Cross is a complication and the fact that Cal is bethrothed to her is an added complication.

I just didn't get into this one as quickly as the previous, it was an okay read but I didn't really engage with the characters. I felt a little lost at sea at first but the story improved as I progressed. I am curious to find out what happens next with this series but in some ways I feel disengaged. ( )

This is the second in the Hex Hall books. What if your ex-crush were trying to kill you? Then to make matter worse Sophie discovers she is one of two demons in the world. She can't control her powers and they threaten her and those she loves. She determined to go through the Removal, stripping her of her powers. First she has to spend the summer with her, up to now, very distant father. Will she still go through with the Removal? What happens when she discovers someone is secretly creating more demons? Will she ever make it back to Hecate Hall?

I loved this book. It was suspenseful, but also full of humor. Rachel Hawkins makes me smile and even laugh out loud. The characters are so lovable, the writing wonderful. I read this book almost in one sitting. I can't wait to read the next Hex Hall book. This one gets five demonized kisses!! ( )

Just as good - or maybe better than the first book, Hex Hall but with one major flaw the next book is not out until 2012! I like the English setting for this one and the introduction of Sophie's father as a major character, but it has quite the cliffhanger ending. ( )

I keep reading this series at the same time I read Holly Black's Curseworkers series! Why do they keep coming out at the same time? It's a bit confusing, because they both involve magic and a boarding school. Then they get all mixed up in my head.So I liked it, though I can't remember anything too specific to say about it. Except that I think it ended in a bad spot, which was annoying. So you might want to wait until book 3 is out. ( )

While Hex Hall makes you fall in love with the series, Demonglass throws you into an action packed ride full of mystery and romance. I stayed up late to finish this one and was left disappointed, in a good way. The ending will have part of you sitting there with a lump in your throat and slightly gut wrenched. While the other part, is trying to pull the pages apart because you can’t believe it ended on such a monumental part of the book.

Sophie had a lot going on in Demonglass. In the end of Hex Hall I thought she had her mind made up. I think getting away from Hex Hall really gave her a chance to grow and see what being a Prodigium is really like. I think she has a lot to learn still and needs to overcome a lot of obstacles. The ending leaves her in a vulnerable place, but I hope she will be able to overcome it.

Though I missed having Hex Hall as the setting, it was fun to be in a new location. I really liked the new setting of Thorne Abbey. It was a place that you could literally get lost in.

I think the characters had a lot of growth in Demonglass. While some character development went in a positive way others left me shocked with their actions. Jenna went from wanting to be anything but a vampire and really accepted who she was. Cal really opened up in this book which surprised me. I liked that he started to show emotion and could even joke around a little. I like the part that Elodie plays. I didn’t expect her to come back and be a part of Demonglass.

Archer still has me discombobulated. In Hex Hall he had me loving to hate him, but in Demonglass he had me in a hot mess of emotions. I like that a lot of truth and answers were revealed in this book. It made me really start to understand where Archer was coming from. In the beginning of Demonglass I thought he was up to his old ways again. But by the time you get those certain secrets revealed he grows on you. Yes, I said it, Archer grew on me.

This is one book were I do enjoy the love triangle. Some books the love triangle is pointless because you usually know one of them won’t have a chance. With Sophie you can see her going either way. I think, yes it is obvious who she would pick, but it is not like the other guy didn’t have a chance.

There are some new characters in Demonglass as well as Sophie’s dad finally making an appearance. Sophie’s dad, though I think he had the best intentions, came off a little over bearing. I mean he just came back into her life and he was bossing her around. Nick and Daisy were interesting to say the least. I almost felt sorry for them and what they have to go through. They are definitely bizarre, but they add to the fun and chaos of Demonglass.

It seemed like until the end, The Eye was sort of on the back burner and Sophie of course was trying to solve a new mystery. The new mystery was intriguing. You learn from the first book, Hex Hall, that it is possible to raise demons. In Demonglass it is all about finding why and who would do this. It was astonishing when you do find out in the conclusion. Make sure you have Spell Bound close because after you read Demonglass you will instantly want to pick it up and see what happens next. ( )

Brought to you by TeamNerd Reviewer Annabell Cadiz

Demonglass takes off a few weeks after Hex Hall ends. I had fallen giddy in love with Sophie and her crazy world of witches, sharpshifers, and fairies. The next installment delivered even more in sarcasm, suspense, and shocking twists!

Sophie heads to London to spend time with her father and agrees under the condition that Jenna, her best friend who happens to be a vampire, gets to tag along with her. Sophie’s dad agrees and throws in a surprise, Cal will be tagging along as well. You find out the reason page 18 and will fall out of your seat when you do with laughter and as much shock as Sophie has!

Cal plays a much bigger role in the second novel. More of his personality shines through and more about his past. Sophie grows closer to him. Cal is absolutely adorable and sweet. He has this quite sexy charm about him and really awesome powers as a healer.

Sophie is still as snaky, feisty, and willful as ever. She still speaks her mind (even though she gets herself in a lot of trouble for it!), is loyal to those she loves, and even when the odds are against her, Sophie still stands up and fights back. Jenna is still oozing with sarcasm and everything pink. But we get to see a more girly side to her. She is head over heels for another vampire and it was so cute. Sophie’s dad plays a much bigger role as well. He is wise, loving, and a very powerful demon. Archer does return and is still as infuriatingly sexy as when he was introduced in Hex Hall.

The choices Sophie and Archer make did frustrate me and anger me. Sophie knew by going after Archer she was putting, not only her life on the line but her father’s and the remaining members of the Council. She lies and keeps secrets which end up costing her dearly.

Despite the predictability and cliché aspects within Demonglass (girl falls for bad boy, love triangle forming, teen angst), there were some really good twists. I found myself unwilling to put the novel done, needing to find out the family secrets Sophie seeks and to understand the truth about Daisy and Nick, the two other demons Sophie meets. I wanted to know who was the real threat to the Council and all of Prodigium: is it really Archer and The Eye? Or is the threat coming from within? The pacing was spot on with the plot of the book.

Demonglass is full of romance, betrayal, shock, and heartache. But don’t worry, all you action fanatics, there is plenty in this novel! The ending is left at a cliffhanger but I had already suspected that would happen since the first one had been as well. But what a wham bam ending! Sophie’s world completely falls apart and she has even more secrets to uncover. I am definitely looking forward to reading the third installment, Spell Bound, which unfortunately, does not come out until 2012.

Hopefully, the wait is worth it! ( )

Demonglass is absolutely great installment. Usually when you read series, the first book is always the best, the second book completely makes you question why you are reading this series in the first place, and the last book is either the whooping action-packed finale you've been waiting for or it still disappoints.

I loved Hex Hall. I can't believe I didn't read it sooner. And though Demonglass was great, it isn't as high as the first book was, but I still loved it.

The cool thing about this book is that it takes place in England! And we totally get to see some Archer and Sophie action in this book, too. But another man gets put into the picture, which, I think, is pretty easy to guess who: Cal.

Here's the deal: I've loved Cal. He was a great friend, and if Sophie ever wanted it, he would make a great husband, too. But despite the fact that Archer is absent for most of the book, Sophie and Cal's relationship doesn't really grow. An awkwardness settles around them and even when that passes, Cal stills doesn't make any moves. And Sophie knows that loving Archer is wrong, so tries to forget him and make herself like Cal. But if he doesn't step up, if he doesn't make a move, the girl won't have any intentions of his feelings! She'll still be moping over the other guy, and if he comes back into the picture, it's more than likely that she'll end up wanting to go back to him, forbidden or not.

This is kinda what happens.

Cal is there, as a support, as an anchor. He's always been by her side. But the problem is that during the whole book he hasn't made his intentions known. So because of this, I think it's actually pretty obvious who Sophie is going to end up with. That's just my opinion, but still. There's been more Archer/Sophie action more than there's been Cal/Sophie action, and this is the second book. And as you know, in the second book, the other rival is introduced and the protagonist is increasing her chemistry with him. But there's definitely not an increase in chemistry with her and Cal. :( Poor Cal.

The action doesn't disappoint, either. I absolutely loved each of the fighting/running scenes that this book had and all the discoveries. I can tell you this, I did not expect (view spoiler) to be the traitor. And especially whoever it was. Like, wow! Totally didn't see that coming!

I absolutely loved the climatic scene. This is where the novel ends, and it absolutely burns me (haha, pun intended for those of you who've read it) because I want to know what happens next. It seems as though there will be some new discoveries in Spell Bound also.

[This review was posted on Goodreads.] ( )

I absolutely loved this series and can not wait for more of it. I hate cliffhanger books for the simple fact that you have to wait nearly a year for the next book.I love this series almost as much as I do Twilight and Harry Potter. It's got everything that I loved about both series. ( )

Be forewarned: This book ends with a cliffhanger. I almost took away a star from my rating for this. (I hate cliffhangers. Argh!) But despite the inelegant ending, this book definitely deserves a higher rating than Hex Hall, to which I gave three stars. So four stars, it is. I wish I had known about the cliffhanger before reading this book. Then I wouldn't have been in shock upon clicking the next-page button on my Kindle and realizing there was no more story. Sad face.Anyway, Demonglass was definitely better than Hex Hall. It started off slowly. About a quarter of the way through, I was still trying to figure out when the fun would start. There was a good bit of groundwork laid: Sophie goes to England; Sophie meets her Dad; Sophie's relationship with Cal is awkward; Sophie meets the council. It was all necessary stuff, but it got a tad dull. But when the fun starts, it's pretty big fun, at least as compared to Hex Hall. We get to see the Eye up close and personal. Both the Eye and the Council are attempting to strengthen their ranks in preparation for a war. And someone's raising demons! Nobody wants those nasty demons around. (Oh right, Sophie is one!) So there's a war, a mystery, and a love triangle (more on this below).I enjoyed Sophie's use of magic. She is incredibly powerful but not in much control. It was interesting to be in her head while she attempted to focus her powers. The out-of-control bit is very believable to me. Sophie is a confused teenager who has been lied to about a lot of important things. It makes sense that she would be out of control and more than a little rebellious.The characterization in Demonglass is an improvement over Hex Hall. I now have a much better idea of what motivates Sophie, Archer, Jenna, and Sophie's Dad. Cal is still a little bit of mystery, but that's fine, because his stoic nature makes him a bit of a mystery to Sophie too. If he were a real person, I think he'd still be a mystery, so I'm okay with his motivations not being laid out on the table.Now let's talk about the love triangle and, more specifically, Sophie's relationship with Archer. As a reader, I am torn between Archer and Cal. Archer is sexy (according to Sophie) and snarky and seems to relate well to Sophie. Cal, who is Sophie's betrothed, is a caring, hot (according to me), hunk of man, but Sophie does not feel nearly as much chemistry with him as she does with Archer. But as a person living in the real world, I think Sophie is pretty stupid for even considering a relationship with Archer. He was raised in the Eye, and the Eye are his family. It's really not his fault that he feels loyalty to them. This is all true. Blah blah blah. Are you stupid, Child? He is your enemy! He is your family's enemy! I know he's adorably sarcastic, and fun, and super-hot, but sometimes, you have to make the tough decisions. Get over him. I kind of want to slap her. But if anything, Sophie's misguided infatuation with Archer makes the book better because it emphasizes that Sophie is really just a teenager, with normal teenager impulses, who just happens to have a tremendous amount of demon magic at her whim. Hormonal teenager with demon magic . . . We should all tremble in fear.Very enjoyable. I look forward to the next book. ( )

Continuing on from Hex Hall, Raising Demons follows Sophie as she agrees to go and live with her father in London for a while. It’s awesome that she takes her friend Jenna with her, and her father insists Cal accompany them (didn’t I pick the upcoming love triangle really early on??). loved this book as much as Hex Hall - Sophie is still funny and awesome, and Rachel Hawkins definitely spins a wonderful tale.

I thought the beginning of the book was rushed, especially with the imminent departure London. A few huge pieces of information were finally revealed to Sophie and I think she took them a little too well everything was glossed over very conveniently. But Sophie is a fresh kind of YA heroine: she makes good decisions and puts thought into all her actions. She doesn’t stupidly put herself or those around her in danger, no matter what kinds of heart ache she is experiencing.

I really liked getting to know Cal as well, although I never really felt the connection between him and Sophie. I wish the book didn’t have the love triangle in it just to conform, the love triangle didn’t really add anything to the story and mostly just confused me (and Sophie). Archer. I am solidly on Team Archer - you couldn’t get me to change my mind. It’s also obvious that Sophie feels something powerful for him, despite all the things keeping them apart.

I can’t recommend this series to my readers strongly enough - it’s wonderful and I think everyone should read it! The third book in the series, Spellbound, will be published in Australia on May 1st so keep a look out for my review that week. ( )

Originally reviewed here: http://tsanasreads.tumblr.com/post/21385808421/demonglass-by-rachel-hawkins

The shenanigans and sarcasm from Hex Hall return in full force in Demonglass. Sophie is off to spend summer break in the UK with her absentee father and, luckily, her best friend Jenna is allowed to come with her. Conveniently, from a plot-ish point of view, one of her love interests also goes with them.

Where Hex Hall mostly involved school yard pranks and mischief with only mysterious murders and a bit of life-threatening danger at the end, Demonglass ups the ante. There’s a lot more danger and risk with more adult-involvement (as in, less teenage mischief more serious business).

Happily, Sophie’s sarcasm continues apace.

One thing that bothered me plot-wise was the love interest/triangle. I’m a bit over love triangles and I suspect I’m rooting for the losing side (which seems to often be the case, hmm). The other thing that probably wouldn’t bother most readers that got to me were a couple of misused words (eggcorns, to use New Scientist’s term): brisk instead of brusque, shattering instead of chattering. Not a big deal in the scheme of things, but it was enough to throw me out of the story.

On the other hand, it was interesting to watch Sophie’s relationship with her father develop (although I think elaboration would be spoilery). That and the fact that Jenna got some happies were two of the highlights.

The big finish was definitely big and the last few chapters crammed in a lot of sudden action and excitement and also a cliffhanger. Good thing I already have the concluding volume, Spellbound, lined up and ready to go.

Overall, a must read if you enjoyed Hex Hall. I liked it slightly less but the ending more than made up for it. Oh, and I was still definitely laughing out loud. If you haven’t started the Hex Hall series, definitely do if you like YA with magic and sarcastic, snarky main characters.

4 / 5 stars ( )

I just want to say that I was deathly afraid of this book because I am one of those people that usually seem to NEVER like the second book in a series. But I was interested to see where this book was going when I sat and read the first chapter in my local library. So like the first in the series, I gave it a chance and fell in LOVE.
Again, Rachel Hawkins developed every character perfectly. I felt connected to them all. Sophie's "snarkiness" was my absolute favorite part. She was still the funny character I loved. Archer, god Archer, I still loved him. And the whole forbidden love thing between them is still one of my favorite parts. Especially when it started heating up. And I was glad that Hawkins decided to bring James into the story. It was nice to see what he thought and how he dealt with being a demon.
As far as the predictability that was in the last book, there was none of that this time. After everything that happened, I found my mind whirling and me biting my fingernails like "OMG SERIOUSLY?!" Everything that happens in this book is nothing that you would expect. So, it may sound cliche, but "expect the unexpected."
The only thing that annoyed me with this book was the ridiculous cliff hanger.... And that's because I won't be able to get my hands on the next book until next week. I guess I shall just obsess over it and think up different things that might happen to Sophie lol
This series is a quickly turning into one of my favorites. If you haven't read it, what in the world are you waiting for?! ( )

I loved Hex Hall so much that when I actually got Demonglass in my hand I yelled and started reading immediately. I was dying to find out what happened next with Sophie. I was up until 2:30 am reading Demonglass. I kept saying "one more chapter, just one more." Well that led me to finishing the book. I just could not put it down. In Demonglass you get a lot more of Sophie and her amazing personality. We finally get to meet her father and get a taste of what his life is like. I think that Sophie is my favorite book character ever! I love her personality and how nothing really shocks her. I think that Rachel Hawkins did a fantastic job creating her. I honestly love all the characters in this series and I promise you that there will not be one that you will dislike. Especially Archer! It was nice to finally hear his story and what he was really about. It was very exciting to read what happens when Sophie and Archer finally see each other again. I promise you will smile from ear to ear. Demonglass is full of surprises and twists. You finally learn who is behind what and who really is the enemy. Some parts made me want to cry and some scream. I absolutely love this book and I enjoyed it more than Hex Hall, which I didn't expect to be completely honest. Super exciting, lots of magic, and some juicy secrets! A definite page turner and so far a GREAT SERIES! Yes, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND! FIVE STARS! http://goodchoicereading.blogspot.com ( )