Review Detail

First off, I loved the Hex Hall series. I mean the books were incredible. I just finished Spell Bound the other day *because I was determined to finish it before I read this one*, so that review will probably come next week. Anyways, Ms. Hawkins is delightfully funny with just the right amount of snark to the humor in her books. I adore that quality in her writing. But enough for now. I could ramble on and rave for pages about how much I love the humor in her books.

But on to the book. So School Spirits is a spin-off from the Hex Hall series. *Caution* If you have not read Spell Bound, there is a bit of a spoiler ahead. So when Sophie finds out that her mom is a Brannick, we meet her cousins Izzy and Finley. Well this book focuses on Izzy. In Spell Bound, Izzy sort of had Sophie's sense of humor which we get a taste for in this book. It's nice. *Ok I'm really done now* The story focuses on Izzy and her life as a Brannick. Sadly, Finley has disappeared. I will say that that part of the story is how I know there will have to be another book, or I will cry. The book dives into Izzy's first assignment to conquer on her own *sorta* in the foreign land of high school. I mean seriously. It may as well be another planet for Izzy. There's a serious ghost problem at the school, which should be an easy fix. Of course, magic always tends to complicate things. Plus, Izzy has never had to worry about having friends....

Now though, entering the world of high school, she has to deal with all kinds of things that being trained as a Brannick never trained her for. Like girlfriends, cute boys, kissing, and the sport of dodgeball. Fitting in is not exactly the easiest thing for her. She has a lot to learn.

I really enjoyed getting a deeper look into the Brannick family and getting to know Izzy better. Plus, the book shares more information about Torin, who I found to be incredibly interesting in Spell Bound. Izzy has such an interesting perspective, and seeing her explore the world of high school was pretty interesting. Plus, seeing the world of Prodigium through someone that isn't exactly Prodigium was a nice change. I have to say that Izzy's relationship with her mom was a little sad, and I wasn't entirely thrilled with it most of the time. I mean I get that all relationships aren't super happy and rainbows and unicorns, but I still get sad when I see them like this.

Ok so last but not least, the book's love interest is named Dex. He is adorably goofy with a funny sense of humor that I adored. His word play tends more towards pretentious but in a way I can admire and not want to slap him. He pulls it off well. Izzy and his interactions were one of my favorite parts of the book, but I loved that the romance didn't overwhelm or take over the story. It was just a fun part that was included. The ending was a bit abrupt, but if there is to be another book I think I can try and be content with it.

Who Should Read It: For those of you who loved Hex Hall, I think we all know you are dying to pick up the spin-off. Plus, if you just like a good ghost story and a good dose of snark, why not? *I will say that there is no new book in the series being published probably in the next couple of years. Ms. Hawkins is focusing on her new series Rebel Belles, so it could be a little frustrating with the lack of resolution in the ending*

*Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!*