School Spirits (School Spirits, 1) - Hardcover

Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick comes from generations of monster hunters. Witches, vampires, faeries, werewolves-her forebears have dealt with them all, and mostly come out on top. But ever since Izzy's older sister disappeared a year ago while confronting a coven of witches, Izzy and her mother have become the last of the Brannicks. Keeping up the family business, the two of them move to a small Mississippi town to investigate a simple haunting. Naturally, nothing is quite that easy: the vengeful ghost is unusually powerful, the cute new boy in town has a mysterious aura of power around him, and homeschooled Izzy needs to learn how to make friends and survive her first high school experience. A charming and zippy paranormal mystery, Hawkins's self-contained spinoff from her Hex Hall series is built around a likeable bunch of characters including a heroine who is smart, kind, and resourceful, and a team of refreshingly non-stereotypical friends. Ace plotting, snappy dialogue, unexpected twists, and an exhilarating finale will have readers eager for more. Ages 12 18. Agent: Holly Root, Waxman Leavell Literary Agency. (May) PW"

Gr 7-10 Since her older sister went missing nearly a year ago, 15-year-old Izzy and her mother are all that remain of the family. Endowed with extra strength and supernatural powers, the Brannicks have been ridding the world of evil creatures for thousands of years. Without her sister by her side, it's a lonely life for Izzy, who is still trying to prove to her mother that she is ready to handle the family business on her own. After a nearly disastrous run-in with a vampire, her mother decides to give her something easier to work on. They move to Mississippi, and the teen enrolls in the local high school where a rogue ghost has attempted to kill one of the teachers. Dealing with the ghost should be a simple task, but attending high school for the first time is a scary prospect for the homeschooled teen. She joins the school-sanctioned Paranormal Management Society and becomes friends with its members. She begins to fall in love with one of them and discovers that another member may be the reason she can't get the ghost under control. Always warned by her mother to go in, do the job, and get out, Izzy realizes that the relationships she's formed may be placing people's lives in jeopardy. It's impossible not to compare this book to Buffy the Vampire Slayer as it blends equal parts humor, drama, and romance just like the popular TV series. Girls will eat this one up. Cary Frostick, Mary Riley Styles Public Library, Falls Church, VA SLJ"

In her Hex Hall spin-off, Hawkins takes us to Ideal, Mississippi, where fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick and her mother have fled for a breather from Izzy's sister's disappearance and Izzy's own botched vampire slaying. But Ideal is hardly the ideal small town. Instead, the high school where Izzy will soon enroll has endured a series of progressively escalating hauntings. Perhaps this is Izzy's chance to restore her reputation by solving a tragic, yet harmless, ghost visitation gone awry. Or perhaps it's just the opportunity she hasn't even known she desired: to finally have a best friend and even a boyfriend, who, by the way, might just be a Prodigium, a warlock of sorts. In true Hawkins fashion, School Spirits combines romance, intrigue, and the paranormal with humor and \ high-school drama to produce a light read that bodes well for another Hawkins series, this time featuring the Brannicks. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: This spinoff of the New York Times Bestselling Hex Hall series should be similarly well-received. - Frances Bradburn Booklist"

Izzy-short for Isolde-and her mother are the last in their centuries-old line of monster killers. Izzy's sister Finley disappeared while the sisters were dealing with a witches' coven, and Izzy has felt guilty about the incident ever since, holding herself responsible. Looking for a break, Izzy's mom moves them to Ideal, Miss., and sends Izzy to high school, an environment completely foreign to the girl, with the hope that she will be able to deal with a local ghost. Izzy makes actual friends there but learns that this ghost has far more power than usual, and she comes to suspect that one of her cherished new friends may have summoned it. Worse, she's attracted to Dex, but the boy gives off vibes that Izzy picks up as supernatural. She can't tell just what kind of being Dex might be, but she hopes she won't have to kill him. Hawkins dials the level of humor up to high throughout most of the book, with deftly phrased witticisms in both the narrative ("worry slithered through me") and her characters' dialogue ("I am affronted!" declares Dex). Her characterizations shine as original and funny, especially Dex and Torin, an Elizabethan-era warlock trapped for centuries in the Brannicks' mirror, who dispenses dubious advice. Finley still being missing, it's entirely possible this, itself a spinoff of the Hex Hall books, may become a series. Here's hoping the Brannicks will be back-their story's marvelous fun. (Paranormal comedy/suspense. 12 & up) Kirkus"

4Q 5P J S A spin-off of the successful Hex Hall series, this book introduces us to fifteen-year-old Izzie, whose family has an unusual occupation-they hunt wayward magical creatures called the Prodigium. Trained by her mother, Izzie has become a fearless warrior against these renegades who have broken the rules of the Council. Now Izzie must go undercover as a regular high school student to track down a powerful ghost that is haunting the town. As she settles into her new job, Izzie finds that she really enjoys making new friends and just being a regular teen. There is also her growing romantic interest in Dex to make things even more confusing. But the job must come first and Izzie is determined to succeed. This is an exciting paranormal romance that provides a dynamic and riveting plot line that will keep readers eagerly turning pages. Hawkins also takes care to develop her main character fully, allowing us to feel Izzie's struggle between her desire to just be a normal teen and her need to fulfill a destiny she has not chosen. The romantic tension between Izzie and Dex is nicely done, with a minimum of gooey purple prose. The ending ties up a bit too neatly, but fans of paranormal romances and Hawkins' Hex Hall series will be thrilled with this new series.-Jan Chapman. VOYA"

This zippy fun read begins a new magical series about the tough Brannick women, a spin-off of Hawkins' popular Hex Hall series. Featuring Isolde, they go around fighting monsters. Izzy and her mother move to a new town to deal with a haunting at a local high school. Izzy is going to prove herself worthy by blending in with the local students and finding this ghost herself. She makes friends, develops a crush on Dex, and deals with Torin, the warlock who has been trapped in the family mirror for centuries. This is a good story filled with magic, excitement, a little romance and danger, and teen issues. The author adds humor to the dialogue, and most situations are realistic and believable. It reads quickly and easily and offers older reluctant readers some fun. Readers will definitely be awaiting the next Brannick adventure. Melinda W. Miller, K-12 Library Media Specialist, Colton-Pierrepont Central School, Colton, New York Recommended Library Media Connection"

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! Praise for SCHOOL SPIRITS
* "Ace plotting, snappy dialogue, unexpected twists, and an exhilarating finale will have readers eager for more." -Publishers Weekly (starred review)

* "Hawkins dials the level of humor up to high throughout most of the book, with deftly phrased witticisms in both the narrative and her characters' dialogue. Her characterizations shine as original and funny, especially Dex and Torin, an Elizabethan-era warlock trapped for centuries in the Brannicks' mirror, who dispenses dubious advice." -Kirkus, starred review

"In true Hawkins fashion, School Spirits combines romance, intrigue, and the paranormal with humor and high-school drama to produce a light read that bodes well for another Hawkins series, this time featuring the Brannicks." -Booklist "[A]n exciting paranormal romance that provides a dynamic and riveting plot line that will keep readers eagerly turning pages." -VOYA