Sunday, July 03, 2011

Review: Demonglass

Book: Demonglass
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Release Date: March 1, 2011
Publisher: Hyperion Cooks CH
Pages: 359
Source: KPL
Stars: 5/5
Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.

That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.

But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?
(summary taken from Goodreads
MY THOUGHTS:

I can't even express how much I adore this book! Demonglass somehow manages to have the same wit and humor as the first novel (read my review of Hex Hall here), while adding more complexity and intensity in the form of doubt in a demon's mind. It's one of those rare sequels that lives up to and excels its predecessor.

After completely adoring our heroine Sophie in the Hex Hall, I'm thrilled with the amount of character growth in Demonglass. She's still the same Sophie I know and love: smart, intuitive, brave, and considered the Queen of Sarcasm. Her snarkiness and ability to make light of almost any situation create just the right amount of comic relief.

All of the other characters are extremely fun to read about too. From Sophie's pink-loving vampire best friend Jenna to her supposedly evil but extremely hot crush Archer to Cal, the boy she's shocked to be informed that's she betrothed to I love them all! Seeing Sophie finally get to know her demon dad is nifty as well.

I'm actually turning into an impossibly larger Archer fan than I am! I didn't expect to see much of him in this novel since we figured out at the end of book one that he isn't who he said he was, but boy, was I mistaken! Thankfully, there are plenty of refreshing moments that remind us how awesome these two snarky and humorous characters fit perfectly together.

Don't get me wrong, though: I love Cal. Cal is, as Sophie put it, the strong and silent type, but you can totally tell that he's sweet and understands Sophie's crazy humor under all of that somewhat stoic facade. In Demonglass, I find myself becoming more and more infatuated with Alexander Callahan.

But I like that there's so much more to Sophie than these two great guys. Sure, it's a love triangle but Rachel Hawkins writes it extremely well. Sophie has bigger problems to face which I don't want to spoil, but trust me when I say they're intense!

I've been reading and watching tons of cliffhangers lately (because I guess that leaving viewers wanting to pull their hair out seems to be the new thing), but this one literally makes me want to cry.

Both thought and laugh provoking, and filled with so many twists and turns that it could've made my neck snap, Demonglass is the perfect second installment to a series that is quickly becoming one of my favourites!

BUY or BORROW?: Are you kidding? I could read this book ten million times and still always laugh at every sarcastic comment printed on the pages. Buy it, for sure!

-Mimi

7 comments:

  1. Oh, I loved this book! Maybe not as much as Hex Hall, but still. I'm team Archer for sure :) And I love that 'buy or borrow' part at the end of your reviews- creative and helpful :) Great review!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Haha your review was funny! I used to be firmly Team Archer, but after Demonglass, seeing how he was MIA alot, I'm thinking maybe Cal would be a better match for Sophie...Strong, silent AND sweet!? Oh man can I have Cal please?

    I totally agree with you on the cliffhanger part; I think I nearly ripped my head bald after reading Demonglass LOL. Can't believe we have to wait for so long before the third book arrives!

    ReplyDelete
  3. @Rida : I love it too! Usually I agree that the first book is almost always better than the second, but I'm actually almost even with Hex Hall and Demonglass! It was just that good! ;) Aww, thanks so much! :)

    @Felicia : LOL Cal grew on me quickly too! It's really hard to decide which guy is better for Sophie because they're both so great! But I don't know, maybe Archer will come back in book 3 and reclaim his place ;)

    Waiting for the next book is going to feel like forever!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have been waiting to get this book from the library for about two months now. It has such a long waiting list. I didn't read the review due to spoilers but I did read that you would read it 10 million times, which makes me want to read it even more.

    ReplyDelete
  5. @Kristin : I know! The waiting list at the library for this book was super long for me too! x) But it was definitely worth the wait -- so when you finally get your hands on a copy, I'm excited to hear if you love it like I do! :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I loved this book so much too! This series is just so amazing!! It's definitely one of my top favorite YA series. I cannot wait for Spell Bound. The ending of Demonglass made me suffer!!! Although I do enjoy cliffhangers. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. @Jennie : Oh my gosh, you're definitely right on all accounts!! And I love the title -- Spell Bound. It sounds so pretty & magical. :) There seem to be a lot of cliffhangers lately though LOL x) But they DO make us more pumped for the next book, that's for sure!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for leaving your thoughts! I love hearing what you have to say, and I always try to comment on one of your blog posts in return! :)

It's really nice to meet you!