Black, White & GreyHexbound

"He stood on the sidewalk in

jeans and a dark polo shirt,

his hands tucked into his

pockets. His blue eyes gleamed,

but not like Jason’s eyes gleamed.

Jason’s eyes were spring-bright.

Sebastian’s were darker. 

Deeper. Colder." Hexbound

Hexbound

Chloe Neill http://chloeneill.com

Signet

Publication date: 1/4/2011

Penguin

Kindle Ed.  360KB

Paperback 256 pages

Description:

Lily Parker is new to St. Sophia’s School for Girls, but she’s already learned that magic can be your best friend…or your worst enemy.

They say absolute power corrupts absolutely. Turns out, even a little magic can turn you to the dark side. That’s why Lily has to learn how to control her newly discovered paranormal abilities, on top of avoiding the snobs who think they run her school, nursing a crush on a cute sophomore with a big, werewolf-y secret, and fighting the good fight with her best friend Scout as they take on Chicago’s nastiest nightlife—including the tainted magic users known as Reapers.

Then Lily’s invited to a private meeting with Sebastian. He’s hot, powerful, and offering to help her harness the magic flowing in her veins in a way no one else can. He’s also a Reaper. Lily can’t hide her suspicions. But she’ll soon find out that the line between good and evil isn’t always clear… http://chloeneill.com/hexbound.htm

My Take

If you’re one of the people who think YA books aren’t gooey and slimy enough you are in for a treat with Chloe Neill’s new entry in the Dark Elite series, Hexbound.  In this book, which picks up where Firespell left off Neill further develops the teen characters, including the new girl at school Lily, her fast friend, Scout, Jason, a werewolf who is in deep like with Lily and Michael, who is crushing on Scout pretty hard. She also gives a little treatment of one of the “anti-heroes,” Sebastian whose earlier attack on Lily brings about her latent powers.

Things are blacker and greyer in this book. The Reapers are exposed for being more depraved than Chloe revealed, but Sebastian is moving towards the grey. I don’t know why, but he is helping develop Lily’s new abilities, but he doesn’t leave the Reapers. I think he may have recruiting Lily in mind for the future. Or, ala True Blood perhaps he feels responsible as her “maker.” Speaking of True Blood, guess which new species of supes show up in this book?

Scout and Lily have a friendship becoming stronger all the time. I love the easy dialogue between them and also with the other kids. It’s as if Neill is channeling two teen best friends. The dialogue is altogether really well written, even between the young men and the young women.  Love it.

I noticed that there is not as much involvement of adults in this book, like the headmaster. But, Lily does expand on her parents’ involvement with the Sterling Research Foundation. Not is a way that answers her questions more like answering one thing and bringing ten more questions up. But, even though it is only October I felt Lily was distancing herself from her parents. Why did they send her to St. Sophia? For her safety? Think again, Mom and Dad, ithink she would have been safer going to Germany with you.

I am worried about her parents, I keep thinking about what they are doing; are they working for the Reapers? Will Lily have to go against them?

The plot might not be as cohesive as Firespell, as if maybe Neill really didn’t want the characters to have to go where the plot was leading. What happens is uncomfortable, and a bit shocking. But when you mess with evil you are going to end up in uncomfortable situations.