Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father—an elusive European warlock—only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tag-along ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

Maybe its the high school teacher in me, but I instantly loved this book. I was absorbed in Sophie's initial battle to fit in and to adapt to the high school life as paranormal as it was. Her magical twist just made the story even better. There were the mean girls, the nerds, the cool kids and the friendly kid. I loved it. Then there was this really interesting magical system all wrapped up in a school environment. Enter teacher mode! How cool it would be to be a teacher at a magical school. I kept getting caught up in that idea as I read this book Anyway Sophie has some real serious imperfections, but that makes her more realistic, and more likable. She may not be the perfect student, but she has a good heart. What's more, this school is diverse. There are shapeshifters, werewolves, fae, witches,  vampires, and even demons attending Hex Hall. So many supernatural ethnicities all within the pages on one book!!

I give Hex Hall 4.5 out of 5 stars

I give the audio book performance 4.5 out of 5 stars

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

I have always enjoyed reading Holly Black's novels. When preparing to read this book, as always, I started to read reviews, and I was shocked at the mixed reviews. I went into this book unsure of what I was getting into. After reading the first 3 chapters I had to put the book down and take a breather. However, this author has a way of piquing my interest, so I picked it back up the nest day. I needed, more than wanted, to know what happened to these children. Since I strive not to include spoilers in my reviews I find it difficult to express my full opinions on this book. Most novels deal with the lighter side of fairies, not so in this novel.  The world building was excellent. The character development was extensive, and I even went as far to purchase this audio book as well as hard cover. The audio was expertly rendered. However, there were aspects of this book that still haunt me. In truth, I believe that was the purpose of this writing. This book was not intended to be light and airy, but no one can contest the expertise in the writing and plot development. It is rare that I am surprised by a plot twist, or the method by which an author resolves conflict in a book. Holly Black both surprised me and excited me. Yes, this was a darker than normal fae novel, and there are issues I have with the story line, but the book itself is beautifully written. 

I give The Cruel Prince 4 out of 5 stars.