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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.75 Stars
School Spirits is the spin-off to the Hex Hall trilogy and follows Izzy Brannick, who comes from a family of female monster hunters. She and her mom are the only Brannicks left now after her older sister disappeared.
Izzy and her mom move to a new town for a job and in order to do the job, Izzy has to go to highschool. It's her first experience with a normal life and what starts as a simple job, becomes complicated when she starts to make friends. And stuff... I'm having a hard time with the synopsis of this one.
Moving on!
I loved the Hex Hall trilogy. So when I found out about the spin-off, I was equal parts excited and sceptical. I don't like it when authors mess with perfectly good series. Thankfully, this book is pretty good.
I was slightly disappointed by the prologue (it had a plot-device-y vibe to it) but after that, the book was good. The story was interesting. I liked Izzy. She was very different from Sophie. Badass, but not as confident or sarcastic. She was new to the whole highschool thing and wanted to fit in. She wanted to impress her mom and she wanted to do things right. I liked her.
The other characters, like Dex, were also great. I still miss Archer (from Hex Hall) but that's inevitable. Dex was nothing like Archer. He was a funny and nice guy with a slightly unusual fashion sense. He was one of the odd kids, and so were his two friends.
Honestly, there's not much to say about the novel. It wasn't great but it wasn't bad either. I liked the story, the characters and found the book to be entertaining. But it wasn't the smartest book, nor was it that exciting. It relied a bit on the characters not being too smart. Or the novel would have been even shorter.
The story isn't wrapped up and we don't get all the answers but that's because this was supposed to be the first book of a series. The series didn't happen and now we'll never know about some things. I blame that on the existence of the Rebel Belle series.
Overall, this was a good and entertaining read, much better than [b:Rebel Belle|8475505|Rebel Belle (Rebel Belle, #1)|Rachel Hawkins|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1371650817s/8475505.jpg|13340323]. But not the best. I still have my fingers crossed for a sequel even though it's highly unlikely.
First in the School Spirits urban fantasy series for Young Adults---a spin-off series from Hawkins' Hex Hall series---and revolving around Izzy Brannick, the youngest and one of the last of the family. The majority of this story takes place in Alabama.
My Take
This is one of those books that makes you want to curl up in a comfy armchair. It's cute with a unique twist on teenage monster-hunting even if it is a bit simplistic with a cozy troupe of outcast characters.
Hawkins was clever with Romy's arguments as to why the PMS club deserves to be a school club. Hawkins gets even more clever in her setting Izzy up with a need to prove herself, although it got old rather quickly. And Izzy tends to jump too quickly to conclusions. It's not right to condemn someone on conjecture alone without actual proof.
I'm curious as to why or how the Brannicks have been so reduced.
Dang, it took going back over my notes to finally get what Pascal was talking about---the boy in the mirror. Wee-eeewwww. I am surprised that Hawkins doesn't repeat this suspicion.
Nor does she do well with the guilt she's trying to get Mom to project. It's more as if someone suggested humanizing Mom or wanted her to be more mom-like, but Hawkins never really got behind it. It's heavyhanded and unnatural.
Hmmm, another loose end with Dex's comment about being viewed as a freak when he was younger—I do like his confident independence!
There's some fun snark in this...intelligent and spot on. A nice core group of friends whom I'll miss in the next story. Hint, hint-hint, hint...it would be lovely if disaster were to break out and the Brannicks just had to stay…
I'm surprised that Anderson doesn't stop and pick Romy up to go to school since he has a car and appears to live along her route.
I'm not sure which was supposed to be the true purpose of School Spirits: settling with the ghost or the tension and drama of just what Dexter was---a Prodigium or something Izzy has never before encountered. Whatever he is, he's my favorite in School Spirits!
Oh, and Dexter's decision at the end just made me cry. A bit melodramatic on Hawkins' part...but definitely requiring Kleenex. I did expect more from that hammer Mom was wielding. And what's with Mom's contradictory attitude about Torin?? I don't get it.
I didn't care for the very end of the story. It's too simplistic and takes away half the fun.
Still, I'm looking forward to the next in the series.
The Story
It's a moping Izzy who ends up going undercover in high school when Maya conjures up a haunting case at Mary Evans High. An unnerving---and first time---experience for our Izzy who's been homeschooled all her life.
The Characters
Isolde "Izzy" Brannick, a strong girl who heals fast and can sense Prodigium, is one of the last two of the Brannicks, a family of monster hunters with a compound in the woods in Tennessee. Once an independent and large family, the Brannicks have been reduced to being a police force for the governing Council. And they don't do magic! Finley is the slightly older sister who went missing. Torin is the 18-year-old, give or take 400+ years, evil warlock who got trapped in a mirror. He can travel between mirrors and see into the future, one that sees Izzy freeing him somehow. There's a Rowena who makes a very quick, brief appearance in one of the dreams into which he pulls Izzy. Aislinn is Izzy's mom. Maya is a hedge witch Mom knows and employs.
Dexter O'Neil is a gorgeous young man with asthma and an attraction to Izzy. He just loves what she did to McCrary! Nana is his grandmother who is taking care of him. Romy Hayden started up the Parnaormal Management Society (PMS). Anderson is the rest of their group---the resident ghost lore researcher; he's in love with Romy.
Other classmates and teachers at Mary Evans High include:
Adam Lipinski is anti-PMS, but pro-Izzy. At least for a while. Ben McCrary sounds like he's a jerk at school; I like what Izzy did to him, and it does gain Izzy a number of friends. Beth Tanner is Ben's girlfriend, and another target.
Mrs. Steele is the English teacher. Mr. Snyder is the chemistry teacher who was attacked.
The Prodigium is the governing council of supernaturals; cousin Sophie is destined to be Head of the Council some day (which I'm curious about).
Pascal is a rogue vampire Izzy is sent to capture. Mary Evans is the ghost of a high school girl who got died.
The Itineris is a portal that allows the Brannicks to travel quickly all over the world, with only a few drawbacks.
The Cover
The cover is definitely pretty colors with that bright gold and the deep teal. The black-and-white checkerboard floor is a nice touch, although I'm not sure why the standing Izzy is reflected in Torin's mirror as Izzy...
The title should really be singular as those School Spirits are really only one.
My Take
This is one of those books that makes you want to curl up in a comfy armchair. It's cute with a unique twist on teenage monster-hunting even if it is a bit simplistic with a cozy troupe of outcast characters.
Hawkins was clever with Romy's arguments as to why the PMS club deserves to be a school club. Hawkins gets even more clever in her setting Izzy up with a need to prove herself, although it got old rather quickly. And Izzy tends to jump too quickly to conclusions. It's not right to condemn someone on conjecture alone without actual proof.
I'm curious as to why or how the Brannicks have been so reduced.
Dang, it took going back over my notes to finally get what Pascal was talking about---the boy in the mirror. Wee-eeewwww. I am surprised that Hawkins doesn't repeat this suspicion.
Nor does she do well with the guilt she's trying to get Mom to project. It's more as if someone suggested humanizing Mom or wanted her to be more mom-like, but Hawkins never really got behind it. It's heavyhanded and unnatural.
Hmmm, another loose end with Dex's comment about being viewed as a freak when he was younger—I do like his confident independence!
Torin cracks me up with his assessment of Izzy's wardrobe:
"Whatever shall you wear...there's the black T-shirt with black jeans. Or perhaps you're going for elegance over function, you could wear the black T-shirt over black jeans. ….Ooh! … Do you know what would be particularly fetching? The black—"
There's some fun snark in this...intelligent and spot on. A nice core group of friends whom I'll miss in the next story. Hint, hint-hint, hint...it would be lovely if disaster were to break out and the Brannicks just had to stay…
I'm surprised that Anderson doesn't stop and pick Romy up to go to school since he has a car and appears to live along her route.
I'm not sure which was supposed to be the true purpose of School Spirits: settling with the ghost or the tension and drama of just what Dexter was---a Prodigium or something Izzy has never before encountered. Whatever he is, he's my favorite in School Spirits!
Oh, and Dexter's decision at the end just made me cry. A bit melodramatic on Hawkins' part...but definitely requiring Kleenex. I did expect more from that hammer Mom was wielding. And what's with Mom's contradictory attitude about Torin?? I don't get it.
I didn't care for the very end of the story. It's too simplistic and takes away half the fun.
Still, I'm looking forward to the next in the series.
The Story
It's a moping Izzy who ends up going undercover in high school when Maya conjures up a haunting case at Mary Evans High. An unnerving---and first time---experience for our Izzy who's been homeschooled all her life.
The Characters
Isolde "Izzy" Brannick, a strong girl who heals fast and can sense Prodigium, is one of the last two of the Brannicks, a family of monster hunters with a compound in the woods in Tennessee. Once an independent and large family, the Brannicks have been reduced to being a police force for the governing Council. And they don't do magic! Finley is the slightly older sister who went missing. Torin is the 18-year-old, give or take 400+ years, evil warlock who got trapped in a mirror. He can travel between mirrors and see into the future, one that sees Izzy freeing him somehow. There's a Rowena who makes a very quick, brief appearance in one of the dreams into which he pulls Izzy. Aislinn is Izzy's mom. Maya is a hedge witch Mom knows and employs.
Dexter O'Neil is a gorgeous young man with asthma and an attraction to Izzy. He just loves what she did to McCrary! Nana is his grandmother who is taking care of him. Romy Hayden started up the Parnaormal Management Society (PMS). Anderson is the rest of their group---the resident ghost lore researcher; he's in love with Romy.
Other classmates and teachers at Mary Evans High include:
Adam Lipinski is anti-PMS, but pro-Izzy. At least for a while. Ben McCrary sounds like he's a jerk at school; I like what Izzy did to him, and it does gain Izzy a number of friends. Beth Tanner is Ben's girlfriend, and another target.
Mrs. Steele is the English teacher. Mr. Snyder is the chemistry teacher who was attacked.
The Prodigium is the governing council of supernaturals; cousin Sophie is destined to be Head of the Council some day (which I'm curious about).
Pascal is a rogue vampire Izzy is sent to capture. Mary Evans is the ghost of a high school girl who got died.
The Itineris is a portal that allows the Brannicks to travel quickly all over the world, with only a few drawbacks.
The Cover
The cover is definitely pretty colors with that bright gold and the deep teal. The black-and-white checkerboard floor is a nice touch, although I'm not sure why the standing Izzy is reflected in Torin's mirror as Izzy...
The title should really be singular as those School Spirits are really only one.
I absolutely loved this book. The characters were so believable and... Real. The story was awesome, and simple enough that it didn't take forever to explain or too simple and bore someone to death. I loved the character Dex, he was hilarious. The whole book was awesome without being cheesy. And so many fun twists that nothing was predictable but it didn't come way out of left field. I don't think I can say enough about this book.
Dex is just sooo cute I am swooning to death! i prefer him to Archer in Hex Hall series though I am torn between him and the sexy warlord in the mirror
I am incredibly disappointed in this book. Not only is it practically unfinished, no questions were answered and this book ended on a cliffhanger with no follow up book coming, but it was just super boring. It has been a hot minute since I had originally read the Hex Hall books back in high school, but I’m not sure I would have liked this if I had read it immediately after it came out. It just felt unnecessary to the series as a whole. None of the characters from the original series were present, and I honestly can’t remember who Izzy was. For all I know she wasn’t in the original series(granted it’s been almost 10 years since I read Hex Hall). I know this was suppose to have an continuing book, but since it won’t this just felt unnecessary to the world as a whole. It felt like it could have been a completely separate series with no ties to Hex Hall at all. Very very disappointed.
And, after a very successful read of the Hex Hall series, I of course had to read the spin off stand alone novel too. And just like the other three books in the main series, it was a very pleasant and quick read which I enjoyed from the very first page to the very last.
Izzy is a really nice point of view character. Unlike Sophie she has been brought up in the supernatural world and therefore it's all the more fun to see her confronted with all those normal life things that are so much part of high school. Her first date is truly awkward, like I think a lot of teenage dates are and Hawkins put a lot of thought in all those unwritten social rules we learn ever since we're in Kindergarten, but Izzy hasn't even heard of. It's hilarious and incredibly entertaining to read.
And of course we also meet lovely new characters in this story. At first we get to know Thorin a little better, but we also meet a group of somehow normal teenagers (as far as teenagers in a ghost hunting club can be normal) who all found their way into my heart. And those characters invite us to join them on a lovely adventure. The plot is original, has some really nice touches and details and has the perfect mix of teenage drama and lethal mystery.
Combine this all with a lovely sense of humor and a very nice writing style and it creates a wonderful and nice Saturday evening read! I only wish there was another book, because it feels like there are still a few important storylines that didn't get solved yet.
Izzy is a really nice point of view character. Unlike Sophie she has been brought up in the supernatural world and therefore it's all the more fun to see her confronted with all those normal life things that are so much part of high school. Her first date is truly awkward, like I think a lot of teenage dates are and Hawkins put a lot of thought in all those unwritten social rules we learn ever since we're in Kindergarten, but Izzy hasn't even heard of. It's hilarious and incredibly entertaining to read.
And of course we also meet lovely new characters in this story. At first we get to know Thorin a little better, but we also meet a group of somehow normal teenagers (as far as teenagers in a ghost hunting club can be normal) who all found their way into my heart. And those characters invite us to join them on a lovely adventure. The plot is original, has some really nice touches and details and has the perfect mix of teenage drama and lethal mystery.
Combine this all with a lovely sense of humor and a very nice writing style and it creates a wonderful and nice Saturday evening read! I only wish there was another book, because it feels like there are still a few important storylines that didn't get solved yet.
This was a great book. It is disappointing that this storyline had to end. It built everything up and then let you down that there is not a second book. But I was happy I got to read it.
Not as good as Hex Hall, but for fans, a pretty decent spin-off of the series.
