Review: School Spirits

School Spirits

By Rachel Hawkins

Published: May 14, 2013

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?

My review:

I thought this spin-off from the Hex Hall series was a lot of fun. I enjoyed reading about Izzy trying to fit in as a normal teen while investigating what is going on at her new school. Things are made complicated by her friendships with Romy and Dex. Romy is the head of the school's paranormal investigation group (PMS) and Izzy finds herself drawn to Dex, another member of the group who might have a paranormal secret of his own.

Izzy is a great character. She is dedicated to fighting monsters and doing her part as a Brannick but she has spunk. Izzy is dealing with the disappearance of her sister and how much she misses Finn as well as her sometimes difficult relationship with her mom. She finds new challenges in going to high school and playing the part of a regular teen. She also has the possibilities of friendship and maybe more than friendship with Dex. It was great to see Izzy grow and experience those things she never got to be part of before. 

Both the secondary characters of Romy and Dex are a lot of fun. They serve as role models on being true to yourself instead of going along with the crowd. The romantic aspect of the story is toned down from Hex Hall which I thought fit the story. I look forward to seeing what develops in the future for Izzy. The mystery surrounding the hauntings kept my interest and I wanted to know who was behind it. I was surprised a little when I thought I had something figured out and I was wrong. There are still some things that are not tied up as this is the first book in the series. 

Overall I think this is a good beginning to this new series. It is funny and entertaining with a main character I really liked and good secondary characters as well. Fans of Hex Hall should be pleased and I think readers who liked Kiersten White's Paranormalcy will also enjoy School Spirits. I will definitely be checking out the sequel. 

Note: I received an e-galley for review purposes courtesy of NetGalley