That Hawkins really knows how to end a book...

I love YA. I especially love YA supernatural. I especially especially love YA that keeps me turning the page. And all of these are wrapped in Rachel Hawkins' second novel, Demonglass.

At a normal high school, having class outside on a gorgeous May day is usually pretty awesome. It means sitting in the sunshine, maybe reading some poetry, letting the breeze blow through your hair...

At Hecate Hall, a.k.a. Juvie for Monsters, it meant I was getting thrown in the pond.

And so starts Demonglass, one of the most clever YA books I've ever read. And by clever, I mean the dialogue. Hawkins really has a talent for bringing to the forefront what the average teen girl is thinking/saying, even if she happens to be a demon. 

Do you know what I love about this book? That Hawkins really knows how to develop characters; that she really knows how to pace the plot; that she really knows how to end a book. Last year she debuted with Hex Hall, and readers were introduced to Sophie Mercer, a witch who could not control her powers. As such, she headed off to Hecate where she was to learn about her "kind" and how to control her powers.

Brief Synopsis

In this sequel, Hawkins takes readers across the Atlantic to jolly-old England. Sophie will spend the summer with her dad to learn how to control her powers. Wait, wasn't she supposed to do that at Hecate Hall? If you read the novel, you already know how that turned out. (If you haven't read Hex Hall, I demand that you do so...and soon!) While at Thorne Abbey, the new headquarters for the Council, Sophie learns not only about her kind but also about the war that is just waiting in the wings to erupt between prodigium and the Eye.

The mystery for the summer is simple: find who is creating demons and stop him/her/them before it is too late. With Jenna and Cal by her side, can Sophie control her powers to save the day, or is this going to end in disaster like so many other elements of her life?

Hawkins mixes a bit of mystery with a bit of romance. The reader will be left wondering where Hawkins will take the Sophie/Archer/Cal triangle in the third installment of the series. But oh, is it worth it!

Why had my life suddenly become a Nancy Drew mystery from hell?

Most girls got flowers. I got a dirt pit used for demon raising. Nice.

If you love YA, if you love YA supernatural, if you love YA with delinquent prodigium, I highly recommend that you add Demonglass to your reading mound ASAP. If you have neglected to read Hex Hall, add it as well.