Reading Rachel Hawkins' School Spirits more than anything made me regret that I have not finished the Hex Hall series. There just aren't enough reading hours in the day (plus I have decided that I need to do some re-reading and get back up to speed). That said, I don't feel that readers need to read Hex Hall to read School Spirits (something that pleased me quite a bit. I like when readers have multiple reading options and aren't tied to reading books in a certain order).
Izzy Brannick has never been to a regular school or hung out with other kids her age. The only person she's really hung out with is her older sister Finnley, but since Finn disappeared, her only other friend is Torin, the guy who just happens to be stuck in her mirror. Izzy and her mom take care of the paranormal. The novel opens on Izzy's attempt to get rid of a vampire. This portion of the novel came off as very anti-Twilight which I have to admit, made me chuckle. Soon Izzy and her mom move and it's up to Izzy to go undercover as a high school and try to rid her new school of a crazed ghost. Though Izzy knows that she won't be at this school for very long, she can't help make friends with her classmates and even begins to have feelings for a boy named Dex. Luckily, these new friends have started a paranormal club and will turn out to be a great asset in helping Izzy rid the school or it's ghost.
There were parts of this book that drug just a bit. At one point I thought I was reaching the climax and then realized just how much of the novel was left. I also thought that the ending was just a little bit too out there, just a little bit too lame, but also really sweet (as always, trying to avoid spoilers). The characters also came across a bit one-dimensional which was a bit disappointing. However, I did enjoy this book. Since I am not usually a fan of books that deal heavily in paranormal (except for witches, sometimes) when such a book grabs and keeps my attention, that is a good sign. This is certainly a book that I can feel confident recommending to readers and I know that fans of Hawkins will read this and be anxious for another book.
Happy Reading!
Melly
