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.
Izzy Brannick is 15 and has been trained to fight monsters, but school is a whole new experience for her.
After Izzy's sister disappears, her mother decides it will be good for Izzy to take on a simple case. So they move to a town for Izzy to get rid of a ghost that haunts a school. Ghosts are easy to get rid and so the case will be quick. Or so her mother thought. Izzy finds out that this is more just a simple haunting and she has to find the cause of it.
A few years ago I read the Hex Hall trilogy and loved it. I decided I had to read this spin-off which features Izzy as the main character. Izzy was introduced in Spell Bound. And I really like Izzy. She is a great character.
This is different from the Hex Hall books and at first I thought it started a bit slow, but it picks and gets better as the book continues. Eventually I couldn't put this down and couldn't wait to see what would happen next. I think is almost as good as theHex Hall books and I'm really looking forward to the next one. This book was really good. And it is also the book that finishes the 50 states challenge I was doing.
It is also the last book I have while we are in the remaining hours of 2014. And I think it is a great book to end the year with.
School Spirits, a Hex Hall spin-off has in Izzy Brannick its leading character. Remember her?
She appears in the last Hex Hall book: She's Sophie's younger cousin.
More "grounded" on earth, Izzy's is nothing like her demon cousin. Well for starters she tends to hunt people with magic...
The Brannicks have been fighting monsters for all their lives, and have been paying the price for that.
The most recent casualty has been Izzy's older sister, Finn, who has disappeared without a trace.
Izzy's confidence is shaken, and her mother decides to give her a small "case" in order to boast the girl's confidence.
Now, how can someone who has been raised away from the civilization know how to adapt, when faced with the prospect of having to attend High School?
.....
She buys lots and lots of teen series dvd's....
I'm serious.
*Gulp* Poor girl.
The case Izzy's mother decides to give her, involves a somewhat run of the mill...situation involving a ghost.Which according to Izzy is just plain boring.
That is, until the basic "exorcism" techniques stop working : you know, the basic stuff like going into graveyards at night to drop salt into the ghost grave.
“You can’t just go around following people,” I told Dex as I tossed the empty salt carton into my backpack. “It’s creepy. And inappropriate.”
“Says the girl pouring salt onto graves.”
I glared at him. “This is…part of my religion.”
Suddenly, teachers, and students alike seem to have been turned into a target...and not even the family "heirloom" Torin, the guy who has been stuck in a mirror for more than four hundred years, knows what to do.
In high school Izzy makes some friends and meets a potential love interest...but how can a girl less than ordinary, get to live a plain old life?
Just like the Hex Hall series, School Spirits reads itself in a blink of an eye.
Unlike Hex Hall, and despite continuing to have a very particular sense of humour, I am happy to say that Izzy doesn't try to emulate her cousin's peculiar sense of humour!
Don't get me wrong! I love Sophie...but after awhile the girl drives a person insane!
This had a strong plot. I honestly had no idea who was the guilty part up until the end, which is always a bonus.
The sidekicks were all interesting people, and of course I couldn't help but love Dex's charm! Who cares if the guy likes his coats in purple?
They look good on him! lol
“It’s just…purple suits you. Which is good since you wear so much of it.”
Preening, Dex raised his head and pushed his shoulders back. “It brings out the color of my eyes.”
The end...delivered quite a kick in the gut, and despite wishing that some things had been more developed _and questioning Aislin's ability to, lets say...receive another person in the Brannick family _ I have to admit being pretty happy with how this one turned out . *Thumbs up*
In the end, my only question is:
For when the second one? :)
Oh, I just read this on the author's Tumblr:
"(..)there are no more School Spirits books coming in the near future. Never say never and all of that, but for now, those are over."
Excuse me:
Buy "School Spirits"
“I know it looks vaguely unsanitary and potentially scandalous, Nana, but I promise that Izzy and I are only pursuing noble…pursuits. We’ve even got a chaperone! Izzy, who was that woman who went into the cave?”
I blanked, not sure how to describe Maya. I settled on, “My…also my Nana.”
“See?” Dex said brightly, ducking his head in to kiss his Nana’s cheek. “Izzy’s Nana! We are totally safe and appropriate.”
Does this bother you?
As you well know by now, I am constantly quoting parts of the stories I am reading.
I just can't resist it! :/
If this bothers you, let me know!
Really!
I will try to stop doing it...mostly o_O
“You can’t just go around following people,” I told Dex as I tossed the empty salt carton into my backpack. “It’s creepy. And inappropriate.”
“Says the girl pouring salt onto graves.”
I glared at him. “This is…part of my religion.”
Smirking, Dex put his hands in his coat pockets. “Oh, so you belong to the Crazy Salt Freak Church?”
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