School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Source: Netgalley
ISBN: 139781423179085
Release Date: May 14, 2013
Pages: 193
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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? Rachel Hawkins' delightful spin-off brings the same wit and charm as the New York Times best-selling Hex Hall series. Get ready for more magic, mystery and romance!
School Spirits follows the story of Sophie Mercer's cousin, Izzy Brannick. Izzy comes from a long line of monster fighting, basically all around badass lineage of women who fight Prodigium (monsters, faes, vampires, witches, etc.) who have gone rogue.
I adored Izzy. I really liked her in the Hex Hall series. She was so straightforward with her thoughts on Prodigium, but now realized maybe not all Prodigium are evil. Izzy's mother decides to move them to Ideal, Mississippi as there is a ghost terrorizing the local high school. This also gives Izzy a great opportunity at a "normal" life, albeit brief.
Izzy soon (as in her first day) meets what was obvious to me the popular kids and the weird outcasts. I always cheer for the main character in the book to make friends with the "outcasts" it just makes for a better story. Izzy also attracts the eyes of two boys, and here is where I thought I had a problem. I don't enjoy love triangles. They are unrealistic and you can usually tell who she is going to pick. And I always end up loathing the other guy who I don't want the character to pick, so it's just not fair for Boy 2 that I hate him just because he is getting in the way. Anyways, luckily this triangle is brief and is taken care of quite quickly.
As tough as Izzy is, she is quite naive. She doesn't see that both boys are crushing on her until they are both obvious about their feelings.
You're a Brannick, a Queen Among Women, and you're scared of going to school. When, really, it's the school that should be scared of you.
A large portion of this book, was Izzy adapting to a normal life. Her first day, she accidentally maims a football player while playing dodgeball. I really enjoyed her time adjusting to her new life and you could tell how close she become with the PMS (Paranormal Management Society)'s group.
I really hope this novel will be expanded into more because I want more of Izzy and Dex! Overall, this was a great light, fun read. I read it on my short train ride.
