After casting a disastrous love spell to help a sad friend, Sophie Mercer finds herself sentenced to Hex Hall-a boarding school for delinquent witches, fairies, and shape shifters. Sophie was raised by her human mother and has never met her warlock father. With her 'sheltered' upbringing, she is unprepared for the magical culture that awaits at her new school. Sophie's inexperience quickly creates enemies among students and teachers and makes her an outcast among outcasts.
In spite of her bad luck, Sophie manages to make a few friends and learns more about her family history. She also gains greater understanding about her abilities as a witch. However, when one fellow witch is murdered and two more gravely injured, Sophie finds herself in a new kind of danger. She must learn who to trust, before her fate becomes the same as the other witches.
Although this book has Harry Potter elements, Hex Hall has a very different feel. It is a magic boarding school, but retains modern influences as well as language and attitudes. The story remains age appropriate, but there is slight profanity and the usual teen issues with a little magic thrown in. It is fine for an older teen audience and remains more appropriate than a lot of the paranormal romance out there.
Recommended ages-14 and up