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Hawkins, Rachel
9 Reviews
(3)
4-6
Taking a fall for her twin, good girl Olivia lands at a "positive redirection" camp, where she and rebellious fellow camper Ruby must catalog antiques in a creepy historic mansion. Strange happenings turn the frenemies into ghost-hunting friends. The perceptive and funny dialogue--along with the idea that being frightened can be fun--should resonate with readers navigating the often scary realities of growing up.
Reviewer: Mariko Turk
(4)
YA
Desperate to find David before his Oracle powers betray him, Harper and Bee join forces with former-enemy Blythe in this conclusion to the Southern-belles-meet-paranormal-action series (Rebel Belle; Miss Mayhem). Attacks by new Paladins slow their progress until a final showdown forces Harper to make a painful choice. A convenient deus ex machina ending ensures fans can have their cake and eat it too.
Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac
(3)
4-6
Nolie's scientist father is studying a mysterious encroaching fog bank ("the Boundary") off the coast of the picturesque Scottish village Journey's End; Bel's poor family is dependent on tourism generated by the Boundary. The girls meet Albert, a boy who vanished into the Boundary in 1918. Science, magical realism, and supernatural combine intriguingly as the girls confront an ancient Scottish spell to save the village.
Reviewer: Rita Soltan
(4)
YA
Hawkins's series about a Southern high school overachiever balancing beauty pageant rehearsals with supernatural powers continues. This time, Harper (Rebel Belle) must undergo three trials to prove her worth to serve as Paladin and protector to her boyfriend, David, the Oracle. Deceptions complicate the plot and lead to an unexpected--and unpersuasive--ending, but fans of Harper and David will enjoy their return.
Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac
(4)
YA
Harper loses her position as her high school's queen bee when she is unexpectedly imbued with superpowers and their attendant responsibilities. As the traditional Cotillion debut and her supernatural showdown approach, her love life also collapses. A stereotyped Southern setting along with a deep debt to Buffy the Vampire Slayer limit the novel's originality, but the girl-power motifs provide plenty of action.
Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac
(3)
YA
Izzy (Sophie's cousin from the Hex Hall series) has been off her monster-killing game since her sister disappeared. Her mom assigns her an easy case to regain her confidence: a potential haunting at a Mississippi high school. But the job means Izzy has to attend high school, a scarier prospect than fighting paranormal baddies. The supernatural and mundane blend here to humorous effect.
Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith
(3)
YA
Sophie (now bereft of her magic) and her former classmates are brought back to Hex Hall. There, Sophie discovers that Lara Casnoff plans to turn the students into demons, and Sophie and her friends literally go to hell in order to stop her. Generous amounts of humor and romance balance the dark plot, bringing the trilogy to a satisfying, bittersweet close.
Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith
(3)
YA
Sophie (Hex Hall) agrees to spend the summer with her demon father, "embracing my demon-ness or whatever." They're staying at the massive Council Headquarters in England, which is also where irresistible nemesis Archer was last spotted. Romantic, funny, and suspenseful, the novel ends on a cliffhanger that will leave readers eager for the next installment.
Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith
(3)
YA
After a spell gone wrong, witch Sophie is sentenced to Hecate Hall, a Hogwarts-like school for delinquent witches, shape-shifters, and fairies. The year brings an outcast vampire friend, a painful crush, and some mysterious attacks on students that Sophie tries to solve. The magical world is meticulously imagined and Sophie's casual narration is genuine; readers will look forward to the sequel.
Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith
9 reviews
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