Review: Demonglass (Hex Hall #2) by Rachel Hawkins

Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins
My rating: 2 of 5 genies
Published: March 22, 2011
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Pages: 368
Source: Library Loan
Format: Hardcover
Purchase At: The BookDepository.com or Amazon.com

Goodreads Summary

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. Meanineone 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?

My Thoughts

Right, so this one wasn't a favorite. I read it because I liked Hex Hall, the characters of Sophie as well as Cal and thought to give Demonglass a try, but this second installment certainly did not meet my expectations. I don't understand what some of my friends on here mean when they say it was awesome/better than Hex Hall because it lacked a lot of things in my opinion.

Rating: 2 genies

Setting: Hawkins did not take advantage of her setting at all, in my opinion, and made little of it accessible to the reader; talking about things that didn't seem to matter and adamantly so strung up on the gilt that I thought I would not make it through the read if I heard about one more naked cupid. There were flipping golden naked cherubs and golden geese that I did not care about, everywhere. How unfortunate.

I wanted to see what Sophie did in London, and personally not a fan of Archer, did not appreciate in the slightest how he dominated most of this book. There was little talk of actual scenery because Sophie hardly traversed passed her doorpost, moping about Mr. Cross or doing something else pointless, and needless to say, there really was no point in dragging gorgeous Cal along at all. Because the only thing that really mattered were those infernal fountains, gilt decorations and greenery. Like really, if I wanted parks and annoying birds? I would visit the park next door.

It may come across as strange, but I read escape literature to escape, oh-and I hate the park. Just saying.

With that out of the way, I can only say that the setting was very uninspiring, and half the time I was reading back to make sure I got things right; it was that hard to understand. The descriptions were very elementary and the prose so angsty I did not trust that the person I was reading about could be the same Sophie who captured my interest a book ago, she was replaced by an immature girl who did not seem to grasp more than, (and let alone), what was right before her.

Characters: Cal was amazing, I really like him and for the 30 total pages or less that the author allowed me to read of him, I was hooked. However, it seemed strange and utterly ludicrous that one would fly a hot babe/warlock out of the country - and to blooming England - just to stick him in a Greenhouse. A true travesty.

I would have known what to do with Cal, and if I found myself so inclined to think of Archer, I would have done so when not with Cal. Being the resident hottie, he was never really there except to be used/abused by Sophie and heal liver-worm infested plants. Boy should have stayed at Hex Hall.

Archer, as always, evoked luke-warm feelings from me. I liked him once, before he was an Eye that is, and I get that I'm supposed to care that he risked what was it again? something for Sophie, but he's shifty and too country-club-esque of a guy for me to devote more than an eyelash worth of attention his way.

Sophie and I disagree on that matter, because all she ever does is Archer-mull and it got tired very fast. Plus she is constantly pointing out how sarcastic she is, which completely defeats the purpose.

----
Sophie, into the book: Oh my gosh, I am so fantastically sarcastic, I wonder if they got that I was sarcastic?

Sophie mid-way through: I think they did, ooh let me say something else equally "witty", I got them that time! That comment was so deadpan, I outdo myself sometimes, I am so awesome.

*moment of reflection*: Oh Archer, come back to me...I'm sarcastic. Want me, baby. I'll blow you away with my fauxe nonchalance.
----

That was what being inside her head felt like and I wanted out 96%, while the other 4% I was consequently asleep. It really bombs that this entire work is first person. Shoot.

The other characters, such as her father, the Casnoff's and the wannabe Council could have not existed. Her Dad was okay but largely underdeveloped, the same goes for Nick and Daisy. There could have been something more to them, but Hawkins invested too great of time elsewhere to be concerned at all with the other characters in possession of actual potential.

Also, what was the point in bringing "Vix" to the Council headquarters? The diversion she was designed to create never worked for me because Sophie did not spend much time with her dad other than that breaking and entering incident, and the property vandalism, both of which he carefully planned beforehand. Way to go Daddy!

Plot: Was so crazily predictable that halfway through I knew who the villains were, and just pointing out, hated that Hawkins sacrificed every bit of prior characterization to make a couple twist happen. Why do that at all, I wonder? It was very unreliable on her part because the personality and expectations carved for certain characters came to a complete waste, forgone all for the sake of an ineffective attempt at thrill.

P.A.: Problem areas include poor characterization, blatant inconsistencies, magnanimous repetitiveness and of course, sad predictability; all of which I can believe may be fixed in the following novel. Hopefully.

Oh, but I forgot the cheesiness of the H.S.M. 3-like dialogue. Ohh the horror! I gagged at the "Mercer", "Cross", bits of exchange! W.T.F.?? What was that? Really, what was that?! I watched High School Musical 3 because I love to punish myself, the second one was bearable and I thought (stupidly), that seeing the last one through can't hurt! But, oh it did. Vanessa freaking Hudgens would not end with the "Wildcat" references to Troy, substituting the name of the team he wanted to leave behind for his given birth.




I cringed, I cried, I begged. They didn't let me out of the theatre until the very end and by then the damage was done. I had spasms all through the parts of their "pet-names" during my trek through Demonglass and my eyes now twitch at mere mention of "Mercer." I should see a doctor; I'll book my appointment and while I'm at it, see if possibly there is a disease such as having a forbearance to cheesiness. If so, I have contracted it.

H.M.: Honorable mention goes to no one. I loved Cal and still do, but there was no one truly deserving of the title :*( . It appears it truly takes more than a hunk with soothing powers (literally) to fix a book. Who knew?

So I give this one a 2 and not a three if some of you thought so, I can't do that, not when this book suffers from the curse of the 2nd book. But I will read the third because I want to see this through, and like with H.S.M. 1-3, I am a glutton for punishment.

Review: The Lying Game by Sara Shepard

The Lying Game by Sara Shepard
My rating: 3 of 5 genies
Published: December 7, 2010
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 307
Source: Library Loan
Format: Paperback
Purchase At: The BookDepository.com or Amazon.com

Goodreads Summary
I had a life anyone would kill for. Then someone did.

I may not remember much, but I know I led a charmed life. Even in death I’m getting something no one else does: an encore performance, thanks to Emma, the long-lost twin sister I never got to meet. Now, in order to figure out what happened to me, Emma needs to become me. But can she laugh at inside jokes with my best friends? Convince my boyfriend she’s the girl he fell in love with? Hug my parents good night like she’s their daughter? And can she keep up the charade even after she realizes my murderer is watching her every move?

Let the lying game begin.

My Thoughts

Recently, I finished reading "The Lying Game" by Sara Shepard. Although it wasn't an overly profound book, the concept of a murdered girl watching on as her long lost twin tried to unravel the mystery of her untimely death really intrigued me. Parts of The Lying Game actually remind me quite a bit of the Pretty Little Liars series, also by this author, because of the social hierarchy/ group dynamics between Sutton and her friends being as they are. Very easily, I picture Sutton giving Alison DiLaurentis a good run for her money; I will say this only once, she was almost "Ali-crazy." Sutton dominates and Mads and Char are her formidable sidekicks; it would be Alison all over again if the Liars weren't the least bit likeable. Char and Mads are different characters from Spencer, Aria, Hannah and Emily mainly because they hit back; Sutton runs the show but her friends have their hands in there too, controlling almost fair share of the power. I did not like them as much.

Char was so vindictive and catty! It is sad because she's my favourite character in the ABC Family adaptation, and to see her undergo such a vicious change was very disheartening, this is one facet of the book to screen translation which did not pan out well. Despite obvious differences, in ABC's version, everyone knows everyone and the drama is unnecessarily always through the roof! The departure from said antics is a welcomed relief, and I like not having to deal with all these complications/bitchy Sutton. By all means, I am not obnoxious enough to believe that if a book becomes adapted into a movie or TV show, the characters must look exactly the same, no, I only appreciate it when they look similar to what I have envisioned. However, the changes I alluded to are noticeable and the story-line estranged from the original to the point that a part of me cannot help but think, what is the purpose in keeping the name of the original, and that of the characters too, if you will only butcher them?

Char in the Book: she's sore at Sutton for something the girl did, and let's just say, she is most definitely a suspect in this murder. In comparison, Charlotte in the show is so sweet and she couldn't hurt a fly. The show is such a stretch from the book, Sutton isn't even dead! She is manipulative, selfish, and alive as Emma; the race is close between the two and that which I like best, but I actually prefer the book. Even though Char's likability is sacrificed, there is something to be desired by the much simpler run of things.

Next on the List...

Ethan , the very deep boy next door, also undergoes a change. Instead of the "bad-boy" character television makes him out to be, Ethan likes deep poetry, keeping to himself and for some reason, being guarded about his feelings is a must for him. Even his last name is different.

These minor changes aside, I do not think complaining about a show already 20 episodes in will get me anywhere, the story eventually plays out. It becomes known to Emma that Sutton was indeed murdered and most likely by someone closest to her - her friends. I wasn't really surprised by this, partly because they strike me as "fake friends" more than true BFFs. These girls (Sutton, Charlotte, Madeline) partake in "The Lying Game" which is basically an on-going competition to see who can fool each other the best; each prank is worse than the one before it, basically think of a Chucky the Clown's version of April Fools with no expiry date on the crazy. Maybe it's a good thing that their antics don't leave me amused in the slightest - I'd be worried if they did - but their games are cruel and warped in a way that pretty much set my blood running a tad bit chill. The girls are "friends" but do not ever really act like it. I do not understand their relationship, because it seems pointless to me befriending people who you constantly need to be watching your back around. Then again, maybe I am just not rich enough?

Eh, it doesn't matter, I could do without friends of this sort. I pity poor Emma, she walks into this lifestyle after her seedy foster-brother, Travis, basically gets her kicked out; having nowhere else to go Emma tracks down the girl in the video remarkably similar to herself and stumbles on Sutton Mercer's life, and the sister she never knew she had. Too bad Sutton's no longer there and her killer wants Emma to act like her sister so the disappearance goes unnoticed. Once again, Shepard has a way with mystery and in this instalment her she is in her element; the other novels in this series are literally calling my name. I want to know who killed Sutton.

I feel like there are so many possible offenders, Sutton is disliked enough, how is it that only one person has killed her? I feel like it should have been a Facebook event:

Event Deets: Operation Kill the Bitch (Sutton)

Ocassion: Probably the one you've been waiting for, for forever.
Meeting Place: Char's house, BYOP (Bring Your Own Pitchfork)
RSVP ASAP, she only dies once!

Yeah, I'd drink to that.

*Sigh* Emma really has her hands full, she isn't nearly as shrewd as her twin and pretty much breaks down at every turn in the book. She does come across as considerably weak, in my opinion, because if I knew for certain that there was some crazy psychopath responsible for the murder of my twin lurking close, I would go Batman on their ass! It makes no sense to cower in fear. This person wants you dead; they have killed your sister. Grow some balls, woman!

Eeesh. Hopefully Emma expands into more of a protagonist. I am a little confused as to who exactly is running the show when it comes to narration in this book as there were instances when Sutton overshadowed Emma. At this point, she is the more dynamic twin! And I hate Sutton.


I'm waiting, Emma, make me love you! I am still holding out hope.

Fingers crossed, maybe this girl will do a 180 and surprise me, after all, she did walk into a pretty gargantuan mess with her only normal family being cruelly stripped away, she had a lot to take in. I'm still hoping she defines herself soon; a lot of the time it was like everything was about Sutton and Emma got lost along the way. If the two of them are protagonists, the attention should be equally shared.

Shepard mysteries are becoming a guilty pleasure. I love that there is always a certain air of aristocracy and upper-class to her stories although I felt it less in The Lying Game than Pretty Little Liars. The Mercer's are rich, I just didn't think they were that rich, if that makes sense? Either way, I have the distinct feeling Sutton probably hates me now for dissing her lifestyle, personality and friends. But who really cares?!? Sutton's dead.

It was worth the read, give it a try! 3/5 genies.