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    School Spirits: A Hex Hall Novel
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    School Spirits: A Hex Hall Novel
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    School Spirits: A Hex Hall Novel
    Audiobook6 hours

    School Spirits: A Hex Hall Novel

    Written by Rachel Hawkins

    Narrated by Cris Dukehart

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick was trained to fight monsters. For centuries, her family has hunted magical creatures. But when Izzy's older sister vanishes without a trace while on a job, Izzy's mom decides they need to take a break. Izzy and her mom move to a new town, but they soon discover it's not as normal as it appears. A series of hauntings has been plaguing the local high school, and Izzy is determined to prove her worth and investigate. But assuming the guise of an average teenager is easier said than done. For a tough girl who's always been on her own, it's strange to suddenly make friends and maybe even have a crush. Can Izzy trust her new friends to help find the secret behind the hauntings before more people get hurt?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDreamscape Media Audio
    Release dateAug 1, 2013
    ISBN9781624068935
    Unavailable
    School Spirits: A Hex Hall Novel
    Author

    Rachel Hawkins

    Rachel Hawkins is the New York Times bestselling author of The Wife Upstairs, Reckless Girls, The Villa, and The Heiress, as well as multiple books for young readers. Her work has been translated into over a dozen languages. She studied gender and sexuality in Victorian literature at Auburn University and currently lives in Alabama.

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    Reviews for School Spirits

    4/5

    139 ratings32 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      This spin-off of the Hex Hall series finds Izzy Brannick attending high school and pretending to be normal. Which, of course, she hates, because all she really wants to do is find her missing sister.

      The book was fun, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the actual Hex Hall series. (Mostly because Izzy attended regular public high school, not a wacky boarding school.) Still, I'll read more from Rachel Hawkins.
    • 3/5
      I read Hex Hall earlier this year and enjoyed it, so when I saw that Rachel Hawkins had written a spin-off series, I knew I’d have to check it out. I haven’t really heard much about it, so I pretty much went in blind.

      School Spirits starts off with Izzy on a hunt, trying to kill a vampire. When a distraction almost leads to her death, her mom decides it’s time to try something else. So Izzy and her mom are off to Ideal, Mississippi to track a ghost who nearly killed a teacher. In order to track down the ghost, Izzy must enroll in a public high school for the first time in her life.

      On her first day of school, Izzy meets two of the coolest characters in the book, Dex and Romy, who also happen to be members of the Paranormal Management Society (PMS, for short), who are also trying to track the ghost. She joins the club to try to get more information, and to stop the silly humans from doing something stupid, but she becomes friends with them. These two characters are eccentric and amusing, which complement Izzy’s straightforwardness very well.

      Watching Izzy navigate her way through high school for the first time was amusing at times, but sometimes I forgot I was reading a paranormal book. It just felt a little too school-centric sometimes, and I felt like very little of the actual reason she was there (the ghost) was delved into until the last 80 pages or so. I also really enjoyed seeing her relationships form with Romy and Dex, since she’s never really had any interaction with people outside of her family, let alone normal teenagers.

      I found the actual ghost storyline to be really interesting because she wasn’t an everyday ghost for Izzy and presented more questions than answers. I was definitely intrigued and just wished that there was more of it. When it was there, I thought it was really great, and the twist at the end was something I didn’t see coming. I had my own predictions, and I was way off on all of them, which was definitely a plus.

      Overall, I thought that School Spirits was a good start to the series. While I didn’t love everything about it, I thought it set things up really nicely, and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

      This review was originally posted on my blog, Mommy's Reading Break. You can read it here
    • 5/5
      an excellent sequel. ..kind of a teenage girl, Supernatural with heart. I lived it and can't wait for the next book.
    • 5/5
      This book was great! I loved learning more about Izzy Brannick and the Brannick family as well as Torin. Torin & Izzy have a really fun relationship to watch although it was also really fun to see how the relationship between her and Dex developed as well. Her time at High School was also pretty entertaining. I hope to see more of Izzy Brannick in the future.
    • 4/5
      I liked this book, but I don't recommend it for younger children. Hawkins is a gifted writer and I'll look to see if she continued this book. While many people summarize the plots in a review, I don't think it's my job, it's the writer's job. The fact that I'm looking for a sequel gives you an idea that I liked the protagonist and the story plot.
    • 4/5
      The book is about a teenage monster hunter. She goes undercover to hunt a ghost. Along the way she makes friends who are part of strange group. Never being a normal kid, she struggles fitting in. As we go further into the story she suspects her new friend is the cause of the ghost problem. In summery this book is about navigating the sea of high school and dealing with a deadly ghost problem. I rated this book at fore stares because it has a very interesting story line.It also is a spin off of another series that I enjoyed. The Book is well written and really makes you fell you are there.
    • 5/5
      Holy hell give me the next one! Hook.me.up!I can devour a book when I've fallen in love with it and this was no exception. The only down fall for me was not having more to read! I found myself lamenting over finishing it so fast. I want more, plain and simple.I received this book from the publisher for an honest review and boy am I glad to give it one. Hawkins was wonderfully consistent with her characters and the world she built. It was love after first page. Now I've never read the Hex Hall series, but now I plan to. And this book is definitely going on my shelf in May.Without giving anything way, we find ourself with Izzy Brannick, a monster hunter, and her mother months after her older sister has disappeared, leaving them lost and a bit empty. Deciding it was time for a fresh start and to get back to business, Izzy's mother moves them to the small town of Ideal for a simple job, or at least it was suppose to be simple. But monster hunting never really is and before Izzy knows it things start to spiral slightly out of control as a maleficent ghost get down right nasty.Hawkins sets the pace and she sets it well. Never did I feel that things were moving too slow or too fast. Everything was just right and I am glad to see that she's still in touch with her teenage self as I've seen too many times to count that some YA authors just are not, which is sad given the genre they're writing. I thought the characters were great and I loved enjoyed getting to know them. This was a read that I devoured pretty quickly. I'm rather excited to see where the series goes and I'll be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
    • 4/5
      I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed this novel. I never finished the Hex Hall series, but I think I might have to after reading this novel. Let's start with the characters.Izzy- She is one of the famous Brannicks who have fought monsters for eons. However, there are only three, uh, make that two since Finley, Izzy's sister disappeared on a routine case. Finley told Izzy to stay in the car, she had it covered and so Izzy did. Now she blames herself since her disappearance. There is no trace of her sister anywhere. Izzy is not the kind of girl that feels sorry for herself. It seems like affection is not freely given or even talked about in the Brannick family. So she stuffs her feelings down and puts on a show of bravado just like mom. But she misses Finley, her only friend. Brannicks don't have friends. They never stay anywhere long enough. But Izzy is a girl. And when she finds she has to go to high school, something she's more afraid of than the ghost that's haunting it, she buys DVD's of cheesy teen shows and magazines to find out how to be a teenager. She is trying to blend in but is a complete failure at it. Izzy is definitely someone you'd want on your side. She puts humans first and unless you tick her off in dodgeball, you're safer with her than anyone else in high school. She may seem awkward to you at first, but show her the ropes and she'll fit right in.Mom- Hard ass. Cold, stoic. Hidden behind that is a woman mourning the loss of her oldest daughter and at a loss as to how to comfort her youngest daughter. She thinks she's failed at being a mother, missed out on the things real mothers do for their daughters and now she only has one daughter left. Desperate to find any clues to lead her to Finley. Actually loves Izzy hugely, just afraid of showing any signs of weakness or vulnerability.PMS Members- Yes, that is truly the name of the club. Or their initials. Nope, gotta read the book!Romy- a girl that I would definitely be friends with. Nerdy, outcast, oblivious to those facts and doesn't let it bother her. She's into ghost hunting and has started a club for it. Quick to forgive. Fun to hang out with.Anderson- In love with Romy. Will protect Romy with his body if he needs to. Did I say loves Romy. Another outcast and doesn't care. Former jock before he blew out his knee. In love with Romy.Dex- Very funny, dapper guy. I couldn't tell if maybe he was a ghost, but no he wasn't. He wears cravats and pinstripes and has very bad asthma. He loves Izzy's sense of humor and is also a fellow outcast. Doesn't bother him.Torin- I'm not going to say much about him but to say he's trapped in something and is about 400 years old. He's been with the Brannick family for a long time. Izzy talks to him for advice. He doesn't always give good advice. And he can never be released from where he is trapped. Bad News!The World- Apparently Izzy and her mother and Finley before she disappeared lived in a small home that existed as part of a compound that used to house hundreds of Brannicks for training. Then it was just the three of them. Fathers of the girls are picked for their bravery and strength, soldiers, Navy Seals, Green Berets. Travel is done through something called an Iteneris which hurts a bit, but gets you from point A to point B quickly. Otherwise, the world is just like ours. Except for the paranormal things that exist in it.The Story- Simple- Izzy is supposed to go into Mary Evans High (MEH) and get rid of a ghost, believed to be Mary Evans. Izzy is almost disgusted with the assignment it's so easy. But the hard part is fitting in and on the first day she has an accident in dodge ball that gets her sent outside to run laps where she meets Dex. She becomes his idol after she tells him what she did and a fast friendship begins. Izzy finds out that Romy and Dex are on her bus so they become friends and then she joins their club because they investigate ghost sightings. She's more than a bit worried about the trouble they can get into with that. The rest of the story is investigating her friends, the ghost, and Izzy trying to fit in to high school. She thinks she has things figured out but there's a little twist to that part and it seems that she might actually have to hurt someone in order to get rid of the ghost of Mary Evans as she's gotten so strong. Twist, tragedy and a weird thing happens to the Brannick family. The ending was delicious and I'm not sure it's going to work out quite like Izzy and company want it to, but we'll see.This is a very clean read and great for fans of Rachel Hawkins Hex Hall series, YA Paranormal stories with a little bit of romance, mysteries with paranormal and romance bits, just lovers of YA.You can find Rachel Hawkins here-Blog/ Tumblr/ TwitterI received a copy of this book for review from the publisher. The opinions expressed in this review were not influenced by this and are completely my own.
    • 4/5
      I've been reading quite a few stories with ghosts and spirits lately. I just must be in a supernatural frame of mind. Rachel Hawkins never seems to be a disappointment either. I've always loved her stories. Izzy is quite the spirited (pun intended) girl! I like the premise of this story as well. I'm sure we will have an opportunity to read more abou the Brannick clan and their antics. I enjoyed this book. The characters were cool, not too over the top (a good thing) and relatable. Love the romance building between Izzy and Dex. Ghost hunting, monster killing seems completely plausible. Giving this one 4 spirited kisses!
    • 4/5
      I never read Hex Hall so this was my first encounter with Rachel Hawkins. And I liked it.In the flood of paranormal young adult fiction, School Spirits is a good addition to this genre. Perhaps it doesn't add anything new in terms of how it deals with the lore about vampires, witches, ghosts etc., but it offers a look from a different perspective. Izzy is a hunter of all things supernatural, a job her family's been doing for centuries. She lives for it, she has lost her sister to it. She doesn't know life outside the hunting, instead of going to the cinema with friends, she practices using weapons and handling vampires.The main themes of the novel are isolation, friendship, family, growing up, showing us what it is like to be all alone and not having friends. Izzy may think disposing of a ghost is super easy, but she doesn't have a clue about how normal teenage girls behave, she doens't know they're supposed to go to the restroom in groups, or that you shouldn't sit with your friends if you're on a date with a boy. This aspect of the book was a delight to read.Not that the paranormal stuff wasn't fun and suspenseful. The plot is well-paced with zingy dialogue, comic incidents and enough mystery to make up for the lack of action (of the ghost busting variety).Perhaps a little more depth to the characters of Romy and Anderson would've been a plus, but Izzy and Dex are delightful characters, fun, engaging, even a little mysterious at times.Once I started, I read the book in one sitting, wanting to find out what the deal with the ghost was, and how things would develop between Izzy and Dex. I wasn't disappointed with the ending either.
    • 4/5
      I always think that Rachel Hawkins' books will be insipid bits of fluff that I will get frustrated with. That's really never the case. Oh yes, this is fluff. Monster slaying homeschool girl takes on high school for the first time in order to banish a murderous ghost. But, as always, great characters, funny and charming dialogue and a decent plotline. Delightful!
    • 3/5
      Izzy has spent her life hunting and fighting monsters (vampires, ghosts, demons, etc.) with her mom and sister. But sister went missing on a mission, so Mom decided that an easy hunt, where Izzy can spend some time as a “normal” teen would be a good idea.

      This story had things I liked about it: Torin, trapped in the mirror; Izzy, though a misfit, finds real friends; and Dex, who is sure of himself in his uniqueness. But there are small plot issues that stuck with me. If they moved to a different house for this mission, how is Izzy able to go into her sister’s room, to look at stuff? Did they move sister’s stuff? That doesn’t make sense to me. They aren’t planning on staying in this house. That said, I probably won’t work real hard to get the next one before my students.
    • 5/5
      This was a fun listen while at work. I would recommend
    • 4/5
      A charming companion book to the wonderful Hex Hall trilogy.
    • 4/5
      3.5

      I love the Hex Hall series, and was stoked when I heard there was going to be a spin off.

      School Spirits is more of a good ol' "who done it." It was great to have the mystery and paranormal aspects blend together. The story line moved at an easy pace. I didn't feel rushed, or like I was going to be bored to tears. Izzy also learns, or tries to, how to live with normal people. Well, not exactly normal, but kids who don't have to hunt down monsters. I think this book is as much about Izzy learning how to fit in as it is about finding the cause of the haunting.

      I am so happy we get to learn more about Izzy. I don't remember her being mentioned much in Spell Bound. She's a sweet girl with great intentions. She feels like she has to prove herself to her mother. She wants to show her she's just as capable as Finn. Izzy also feels she's somehow responsible for Finn's disappearance. I don't see how Izzy manages all of the stress. She hunts monsters, tries to blend in at school, and tries not to care about the friends she's made. I'd be exhausted. Izzy is determined, and pretty strong for dealing with everything on her plate. She shouldn't have to prove that to anyone else. She reminded me of Sophie, so I love her even more!

      There is a definite crush, and I want to know what comes of it. You're left with a feeling of "say whaaa." So hopefully the next books clear some of that up. Also, Torin is up to something. I'm not sure what yet, but I want to know what the man in the mirror is up to. He seems so different than how he's portrayed in Spell Bound. There are twists and turns. I thought I had things figured out, but, uh, nope. Not so much.

      School Spirits is a fun read, and if you liked the Hex Hall series, you'll like School Spirits.
    • 5/5
      Absolutely love this book! So good! Although a spin-off of the Hex Hall series, and it's good to read Hex Hall for some information, it's not too necessary.
    • 4/5
      I liked the audio, just about as much as I liked the Hex Hall series on audio. I was happy to get back into the Hex Hall world, but I'm not happy with how the book ended. Especially since there probably won't be another book out in this series, which makes me sad.
    • 4/5
      What would you do if you had never been a normal teenage girl, and all of a sudden, you had to act like one? Would you be able to play the part without getting attached? Would you be able to just do your job and do what needed to be done and then move on without a second thought?

      Read this book, and you will find out whether or not Izzy Brannick was able to do that. The answer to how that goes will probably surprise you as much as it did me.

      While some parts of the plot in this story felt like filler, or didn't always make sense, the characters were real and I could feel myself going through the things they were going through and experiencing the turbulent experiences with them.

      I was really amused about the high school soap opera that Izzy watches to try to find out how to act. I laughed because as a teenager I was one of those kids who didn't feel like I fit. It seemed like something I might have done as a teenager if I would have thought of it!

      I wish I could see what was happening now, though. While I enjoyed this story, I feel like I have too many unanswered questions and it does not look like this one will be a series from all of my digging about, so I will never find the answers to them. IF the author is reading this, I really would like to know MORE!!!
    • 3/5
      3.5 stars. I liked it but it just didn't seem to have the same "meat" as the Hex Hall books.
    • 4/5
      3.5/5 stars

      I liked the book. Honestly, this book is funny that I actually want to join the PMS gang myself. PMS means Paranormal Management Society.

      Isolde, Izzy for short, was very much likable. I mean, she was really struggling with mundane problems like dating, kissing, fitting in, etc and I totally understand her. She's used to fighting and not with those normal things. But she managed to fit in eventually. It's not hard to like her.

      I liked Dexter. He's not your usual strong and bad-boy type. He has asthma and was always attacked by it but he managed to caught my heart. I feel like I can see a little "Will Herondale" in his actions and words.

      "I'm Dexter O'Neil, Mrs. Brannick," Dex said, offering ng his hand to shake. "I'm hoping that you'll adopt me."

      Oh my gosh, that line absolutely made me laugh. It's just so bizarre blurting that out after Aislinn smashed the mirror that imprisoned Torin.

      The thing with Dexter's Nana, I didn't see that coming. Yeah, I had my suspicions but what happened is far from what I predicted.

      Oh my word. He's going to live with them and I can't wait for the next book to come. This book was great and I recommend it to all the fans of The Hex Hall Series.
    • 4/5
      This is a fun book, an easy read, and a quick read. It does not break any new paranormal ground, so it does not read four or five stars from me, but it's fun. I am repeating myself because that's all I can say about it -- not spectacular, but good.
    • 4/5
      Pros:
      * Hex Hall world continues!
      * Izzy and Sophie are different characters!
      * Explores more of the prodigum

      Cons:
      * Short books
      * Ghost?

      I really appreciate that Izzy is not Sophie 2.0. So many times in a spinoff series the new main character reads exactly like the old one.

      This was a fun, new adventure in the Hex Hall world with strong ties to the first trilogy, but it really stands on its own.
    • 3/5
      This book is a good one. I mean, I love the Hex Hall series. But there's just something about this one that is not that quite good as the first three books of Hex Hall. Maybe it was because it makes me a bit annoyed at the part where Izzy was like "I'm new at this stuff so I don't know how to react right." I know that she's new, she's been sheltered since she was born and now her mom was making her experience the world. By world I mean going to a high school.

      But if you disregard that fact, it's pretty fun. Though the adventure that is presented to us is not that much cause mostly Hex Hall series' adventures are intense. I'd definitely read the next book to know what happened next. But am I that eager to know? No. I am not. Just normal me. Lol.
    • 4/5
      It confused me at first, because I thought it was a sequel and then I couldn't tell if it was the same main character or not. My fault for going into it knowing nothing about it? Editor's fault for not suggesting some sort of up-front material to make that a bit clearer? Cover designer's fault for using a cover waaaay too similar to the other series?

      I found a logical consistency/internal chronology error. There were also more typos than I'd like, especially as it got towards the end.

      Quick read though.
    • 5/5
      Fans of Rachel Hawkins' novels will no doubt adore School Spirits, a spin-0ff featuring Izzy Brannick, a cousin to Hex Hall's Sophie Mercer. Those who haven't read one of Hawkins' fast-paced, witty novels will no doubt fall in love after meeting Izzy!Brannick is more than a last name for the main character of School Spirits, it's a role to fill - and a big one at that. Izzy and the women in her family protect the world from monsters normal people don't even realize exist, living hard, nomadic lives filled with danger and with little time for friends, nevermind boys. Of course, all that changes when Izzy's mother gives her her first solo assignment: rid a high school of the spirit that haunts it, an assignment that requires Izzy to attend a public school and, for the first time, form relationships with her peers.Izzy's independence is one of her best and worst traits. On one hand, she's a badass and can take care of herself. On the other, there are situations in which admitting some weakness would have been an obvious help. But, of course, this is part of Izzy's journey. It was clear Brannick women are expected to have a fierce sense of independence, but I loved seeing Izzy embrace her weaknesses and ask for help. There aren't very many Brannick's left and I felt Izzy's realization that it was okay to form relationships and ask for help was a valuable lesson for continuing the dying Brannick legacy. I was amused by Izzy's unique group of friends - who are members of a ghost hunting club - and found their attempts to track down ghosts comical next to that of a true Brannick. I also loved Izzy's protectiveness of the group, who she felt sure would find themselves in more trouble than they could handle. For a girl who has so little experience interacting with kids her own age, she is a surprisingly well-adjusted individual. I liked that about her; I think it made her easier to relate to.Aaaaand, of course, Hawkins includes a splash of romance, an element that always proves to be absolutely wonderful in her novels. School Spirits is no exception and features a boy quite different from Hex Hall's Archer, but just as swoon-worthy.I adored School Spirits and can't wait to read more about Izzy! I have a quite some time to wait before the next book releases, so I'll have to comfort myself by rereading Sophie's story in the Hex Hall books!
    • 4/5
      I will just say right out that I am a huge Hex Hall fan, and while this spin-off wasn’t quite as good, the novel definitely did not disappoint. Rachel Hawkins has her humor and sarcasm at the ready and her awesome characters to save the day.

      While Izzy was no Sophie and Dex was no Archer, I loved both if them lots. Izzy was fun and Dex made me laugh frequently. I also enjoyed learning more about Torin, a centuries old guy in a mirror, who also had me laughing despite the fact I had huge trust issues with him.

      One part I liked was that Dex's story was unpredictable, some of his secrets came out (some even he didn't know about) and I was just, like, "woah, did not see that coming"! Also, some of the other friend's Izzy made were fun, although they didn't have any of the cool magicky stuff Dexter did.

      The story was quite short, and moved very quickly. I am pretty sure I finished School Spirits in only a couple hours. Also, this book seemed a lot lighter than Hex Hall. I think the circumstances were more dire in the Hex Hall trilogy and Sophie seemed much older than Izzy. Plus, I think I got Sophie's humor so well, and with Izzy, well we just have different personalities! Still, the book is laugh-out-loud funny. I do love the Hawkin Sarcasm, as I have said before.

      I enjoyed how the family aspects were handled. Izzy is part of the Brannick family where she is taught to fight and fend for herself. Her father, however, is absent and her mother is more like a trainer most of the time. Also, Izzy’s sister is missing. The point is Izzy’s family is a little strained and hanging out with her first friends at school is good for her. I also loved the character growth between Izzy and her mother.

      Hauntings were very intriguing in this book, ghosts and spirits are another specialty of Hawkins. There is a lot of foreshadowing before the actual spirit events, though. This was kind of cool, as we got to spend more time with the characters and got all these clues to the mystery, but then again Rachel Hawkins always makes a good ghost and I would like to see more of each!

      I am looking forward to anther book to the series, but I have heard that if there is another one coming, it won’t be very soon. Rachel Hawkins is working on a different book that I am excited for though. So, at least I can read more by her in the future even if it is not in the Hex Hall/Prodigum world! Is anyone else who read this sad there won't be a sequel next year though?

      Overall, I would recommend this book to everyone, but only second to Hex Hall. I miss Archer and Sophie! School Spirits in light and fun though. And definitely still highly recommended!

      4/5 bookcases

    • 5/5
      When I read that Rachel Hawkins has a new book featuring the youngest of the formidable Brannick sisters from her Hex Hall series my curiosity was piqued to say the least. Isolde (Izzy) Brannick’s life hasn’t exactly been normal. While Izzy doesn’t have any paranormal superpowers, she’s part of a family of females that has accumulated hundreds of years of experience fighting and dispatching the magic “monsters” who do. Unfortunately, spending her entire 15 years in the family business thwarting evil vampires, demons, and witches has not prepared Izzy for her latest challenge--high school. Izzy watches a bunch of TV shows about high school as “research”, but the fact that her viewing partner is suave warlock who her family trapped in a mirror hundreds of years ago shows you just how far from typical her teen years have been. A vengeful, violent ghost is haunting the school Izzy is to attend and her mission is to get in, get rid of the ghost, and get out, but Izzy finds herself attached to the friends she was never supposed to make and the unlikely boy she was never supposed to fall for.This book had me laughing from page one, but it’s surprisingly moving too. Izzy’s capable kickass older sister has recently gone missing, a circumstance Izzy blames herself for, so the mighty Brannick family is down to just two, Izzy and her mother. (The fathers in the family are chosen for their strength and military prowess and don’t stick around--I don’t know what happens to any sons.) Izzy is determined to prove herself worthy of the family name, which leads to all kinds of trouble. I enjoyed this book as much, maybe even more, than the Hex Hall series so I’m looking forward to Izzy’s next adventure.
    • 4/5
      Book Info: Genre: Urban FantasyReading Level: Young AdultRecommended for: fans of YA UFTrigger Warnings: murder, attempted murderMy Thoughts: I hadn't realized when I accepted this book that it was a spin-off of the Hex Hall series, so I was a bit concerned when starting the book that I might not be able to follow it. However, I had no trouble following the story.This was a fun story. In some ways it reminded me of a Buffy episode, although not quite as drama-filled. Isolde Brannick is a strong young woman, but she's never experienced a lot of the things that normal kids her age experience, so going to school is something new for her, as are the dangerous shoals of the world of boys. All the characters were good, although several were just filler characters about whom we learn very little. The ones that were developed were developed fairly well, though, and I think this is a series I would like to continue to read. If you like Young Adult Urban Fantasy, then definitely check this book out.Disclosure: I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.Synopsis: Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick was trained to fight monsters. For centuries, her family has hunted magical creatures. But when Izzy’s older sister vanishes without a trace while on a job, Izzy's mom decides they need to take a break.Izzy and her mom move to a new town, but they soon discover it’s not as normal as it appears. A series of hauntings has been plaguing the local high school, and Izzy is determined to prove her worth and investigate. But assuming the guise of an average teenager is easier said than done. For a tough girl who's always been on her own, it’s strange to suddenly make friends and maybe even have a crush.Can Izzy trust her new friends to help find the secret behind the hauntings before more people get hurt?
    • 4/5
      I’ve been an unabashed fan of Rachel Hawkins since I discovered her Hex Hall series a few years ago, which was full of humor, witty one-liners, and fantastic characters. The third book in that trilogy, Spell Bound, introduced young teen Isolde Brannick – or Izzy, as she is known – who steps into the spotlight with Hawkins’ latest young adult paranormal/fantasy School Spirits. Can she hold her own as a leading lady?School Spirits was on my shortlist of books I was eagerly anticipating in 2013, so I jumped in on release day to purchase and download it to my eReader, and once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down. It is a very sprightly and entertaining story, with a wonderful protagonist in Izzy and a gentler, less snarky tone than its predecessors. Everything was on track to make this one of my top books of 2013 – until there came a bump in the road. More on that in just a moment, but first let’s take a look at what is done right.First and foremost, Izzy turned out to be the perfect focus of a spin-off. A tough-as-nails fighter who has unfortunately lost her edge after the mysterious disappearance of her older sister, Finley, Izzy jumps off the page with a great deal of charm. While she herself is not a slinger of one-liners, she definitely admires those who have that skill (I LOVED the quick shout-out to Sophie and Archer from Hex Hall who both sling with the best of them). School Spirits tones down those witty zingers and takes a different approach with Izzy. Instead of snark, she is a fish-out-of-water, a little confused by what “normal” teens are up to and appearing a little shell-shocked that boys are approaching her for her number. I loved how she “researched” teens by purchasing entire seasons of a teenage soap/drama called “Ivy Springs.” I found myself chuckling any time the show was discussed, because I could just picture a series like this on the CW (or the WB back in the day) and me sitting in front of the TV like Izzy devouring the teen angst weekly. Fun stuff like “Ivy Springs,” playing dodgeball for the first time (with disastrous results), or attending her first high school basketball game on her very first date, provided plenty of humorous moments to keep me entertained and zipping through the story.But this story isn’t all fun and games; there’s a little paranormal mystery at the core that adds some neat twists and turns to the tale. It seems the school’s namesake, the late Mary Evans, has suddenly appeared after 100 years and started attacking teachers and students, and Izzy’s mom has sent her in undercover to find out why. The ghost part of the story added a touch of creepiness to things – but just a touch. The mystery was the main draw for me, and I found myself questioning things right along with Izzy and wondering why things had suddenly been stirred up on the paranormal plane. I was a bit surprised by the answer and didn’t exactly see it coming, which I always enjoy (sometimes answers can be a little too obvious in a ghostly mystery).Helping Izzy investigate the ghostly attacks at her new school are the members of the school’s Paranormal Management Society (PMS for short – yes, this is the type of humor you can expect from Hawkins): asthmatic and individualistic Dex, quietly intense Anderson, and colorful leader Romy. I adored Romy and Dex right out of the gate; they are both such big personalities that the quieter Izzy and Anderson are needed to balance them out. I loved that both of them embraced their own fashion ideals – Romy with all the colors of the rainbow in her clothes, and Dex who is fashionable, well-groomed and has been “known to rock the occasional man-bracelet” (his own words). He even wears cravats and speaks in complete sentences with fancy words! Anderson was a little harder to get to know, but I enjoyed his obvious infatuation with Romy and quiet demeanor. Providing an additional assist was Torin, a dark warlock trapped in a mirror that the Brannick family as been safeguarding for centuries. With his vast knowledge of the dark arts, he was able to shed some light on a few things regarding Mary Evans, but what I really enjoyed were the moments he spent alone with Izzy – becoming addicted to “Ivy Springs “with her or taking over her dreams. There’s something intriguing – and just a bit sinister – about Torin so it was great meeting up with him again after his brief scenes in the earlier Spell Bound. Between the PMS crowd and Torin, there were some really great characters all around.So with its wonderful characters and engaging story, everything was going swimmingly…until suddenly it wasn’t. My biggest problem with School Spirits was the ending, which felt unfinished and rushed. If this was the first book of a planned series – or even of a duo – I wouldn’t have any issue with the way it was handled. But with the author herself indicating there is nothing currently in the pipeline with these characters (apparently there are some publishing complications), I have to protest a finale that seems to set things up for a sequel and then leaves me hanging so abruptly. Hopefully, something is resolved on this front soon, because I need to know more about these characters and how the future that Torin has foretold will play out. Even if nothing could be released until 2015 I’d be happy as long as I knew answers were coming!With a wonderful protagonist in Izzie, a fun cast of supporting characters in Dex, Anderson, Romy and Torin, and an intriguing paranormal mystery at its core, Rachel Hawkins’ Hex Hall spin-off School Spirits is a highly entertaining story – until an unfortunately incomplete finale stops it in its tracks. I can’t emphasize enough how much I want to see these characters again in a story that ties things up with finality instead of leaving me needing more. At this time I give School Spirits my qualified approval because there is so much to love about it, but there are definite issues with the ending that may leave some readers frustrated. If a sequel is ever announced, however, my reservations will be tossed out the window and I’ll be shouting from the rooftops for all paranormal fans to grab a copy to add to their library in the knowledge that more answers are on the way.
    • 5/5
      “Izzy” Isolde Brannick has faced down vampires, werewolves, and other scary monsters but her current assignment might be the scariest yet: high school. Sure, she’ll have to sort things out with a malevolent ghost haunting the school, but her hardest task will be learning how to fit in as a normal teenager when she’s anything but. Words cannot express how much I LOVE this book! School Spirits is a spin-off of the Hex Hall series, of which I am a huge fan. The author doesn’t disappoint with this new series. I love Izzy and her mom and her new friends are fantastic. The girls in this novel are strong, independent and unafraid to be who they are. And then there’s Dex – a wonderfully different love interest who is so easy to fall for. I can’t wait to see where Izzy and Dex’s relationship heads – I’m hoping somewhere good!The mystery in this book was well-thought out - lots of nice twists and turns and an ending I didn't see coming.