Reading Teen

Positives:Hex Hall was an imaginative look at a familiar world. Almost every review I've read speaks to the story's likability. It was charming, humorous, suspenseful and surprising. Sophie's sarcasm and wit had me frequently chuckling out loud. She is also sweet, caring and a good friend, even to those who aren't good to her. But the best thing about this book was the plot twists and the *gasp* "I didn't see that coming" moments. I thought the author did a great job of keeping me entertained and flipping the pages....but, I was conflicted, which leads me to....Negatives:I felt like the language was excessive. There was only one "major" cuss word, but there were over 50 "minor" cuss words and religious exclamations. I found it distracting and I thought it made Sophie seem less intelligent. As did her immediate attraction/lust for Archer. I don't like it when girls fall for guys who treat them badly or insult them. Somehow, "You had me at 'You really suck at being a witch!"' doesn't really work for me. Archer goes back and forth from being rude and insulting, to being sweet and "knightly." Like the latter should make up for the former. Not to mention that he's dating Elodie, who is completely evil and malicious to Sophie. What is attractive about that? You might make the argument that Archer could possibly have an ulterior motive for dating Elodie, and for treating Sophie the way he did, but Sophie doesn't know that (and we don't find out, either). The whole time I kept thinking, "Come on, Sophie! Get some self-respect!" This is something that I'm seeing more and more in YA and it's not a quality I would like to see instilled in young girls.So, overall, I'd say that Hex Hall is a fun read (for those who like paranormal romance), with some serious character flaws....oh, and one major cliffhanger!http://ReadingTeen.blogspot.com/