School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins

Official Synopsis: 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?

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        It is a truth universally acknowledged THAT I LOVE RACHEL HAWKINS. I remembered being in 8th grade when Hex Hall first came out. That 14 year-old me didn't know was coming. 

        I loved Hex Hall, loved all the characters involved (even the minor ones). When Izzy was in the last Hex book I was eh with her. I love Rachel Hawkins though so to not by the book would be a sin. BUT IZZY WAS AMAZING. DEAR LORD MY FIRST KID WILL BE NAMED ISOLDE. I DON'T CARE. THAT NAME ROCKS. She is one of the best female characters I have read in a long time. 

        I haven't been able to get into a single book, yet School Spirits sucked me in right from the start. I've known people that get turned off by spin-off books. Sometimes they do get annoying because, yeah there is a new POV, but all the same characters are back and there is lacking in character development. Rachel Hawkins doesn't do this! She mentions Sophie and Archer once, but the rest of it is Izzy, her mom, and a whole bunch of new characters. Romy just seems like the person I would be friends with. She's not annoying and definitely far from being weird. Anderson was minor too but I love how Rachel Hawkins doesn't push him in the corner like a kid in time out. He has just as much of a roll in everything that's going on. And the man that has stolen my heart: 

                 DEX!!

        He is seriously after my heart. Dresses old fashioned? Check. Speaks correctly? Check. Witty? HELL YES.  Here are two lines:

"Whoever used to hang out here, they must have been pretty tiny," I joke.  

Dex turned his flashlight on me. "Um, Izz, pretty sure they weren't standing up." 

"Romy, I don't think Harvard is going to be very impressed by your membership in something called PMS." 

        I love him. It's the truth. 

        I loved School Spirits. It was the first book I read straight through. Like literally straight through. I finished it in seven hours. Or less... It was fast paced, but too fast, and it made me realize how much I miss this world. Like I took all my Hex Hall books and curled up on my bed. My mom may have walked by and saw this and may have called me crazy. Whatever. They only complaint I have, which may bother some people, is that there was a lot of writing mistakes. A period where it should be placed, the wrong letter for a word, leaving out some words. But publishing will always have small things and it definitely didn't take away from the book. Also, I read that this is only one book. I seriously hope not because it ended with some major questions not being answered and I really need Izzy and Dex to become Dezzy/Dizzy/Dexy/Zexy... So I'm basically making my OTP into sounding like sexy. They are though. I see your judging eyes *lifts chin up and puffs out chest* but I don't care. 

        Go buy this book. Right now. If you didn't read the Hex Hall series (but like come on, you did. Right? No? Well, GO BUY IT) you could could still read SS first. There are some spoilers to Hex Hall, major ones to me, so I would first read Hex Hall.  So go out my lovelies and read while I do this:    

A VIDEO! Two Lovely Books

In which I fail at doing a video. This was just easier to do because I had to study for my AP exam. But yes, here I speak how two books that I love. Like OMG WHAT IS AIR.  But this was me while making this video and reading these books

 

But you lovely oxygen breathing people (or non-breathing people. Whatever you prefer) should go out and buy these books! 

And watch Supernatural. 

~Lauren 

PS- I read Anna so many times it fell apart. It's true. 

Prince of Wolves by Quinn Loftis

    Jaque Pierce was just an ordinary 17 year old girl getting ready to start her senior year in high school in Coldspring, Texas. When a mysterious foreign exchange student from Romania moves in across the street, Jacque and her two best friends, Sally and Jen, don't realize the last two weeks of their summer was going to get a lot more interesting. From the moment Jacque sets eyes on Fane she feels an instant connection, a pull like a moth to a flame. Little does she know that the flame she is drawn to is actually a Canis lupis, werewolf, and she just happens to be his mate; the other half of his soul. The problem is Fane is not the only wolf in Coldspring, Texas. Just as Fane and Jacque are getting to know each other, another wolf steps out to try and claim Jacque as his mate. Fane will now have to fight for the right to complete the mating bond, something that is his right by birth but is being denied him by a crazed Alpha. Will the love Fane has for Jacque be enough to give him the strength to defeat his enemy, will Jacque accept that she is Fane's mate and complete the bond between them?  Goodreads


        I give it: 2/5 stars

     Now, I have been waiting to read a good wolf series for a while. Most of them suck and usually end up trying to hard to be Twilight, which is just puke-tastic. My friend turns to me yesterday and says," Hey read this book. It's really good." All I have to say is... THANK THE BOOK GODS IT WAS FREE. This book was just not good at all. First off the book just opens up and BAM, HERE IS WOLF BOY. HER IS GIRL. EYE CONTACT AND INSTA-LOVE. And I get it. Part of the reason why I wanted to read this book was because of the idea that wolves meet their one mate and it's an instant connection. I get that, but I don't get how Jaque is so automatically accepting of everything. I mean YOU HEAR A VOICE IN YOUR HEAD. I'm sorry but if I hear a voice in my head I wouldn't be as okay with it as Jaque is. Like she freaks out and calls her friends... but they don't react to her as if she's crazy. I know they're supposed to be BFFs with the whole OMG-HOT GUY-GOSSIP TIME but if my best friend turned to me and was all hey, the new hot guy moved in and I swear he spoke to me in my head I would gently sit her down and ask what drugs she may be on.

      Besides many of the reactions in this book just not seeming real (i.e. Jaque’s sudden acceptance around pages 60-80 of hearing Fane’s voice was just strange. Just because the voice says it’s the person doesn’t always make it real.), the grammar and writing was also horrible. I'm not saying I'm the Queen of Grammar, but I’ve seen FanFiction with better writing. I was happy for one thing: it helped to prepare me for my SAT today.

        I am happy I downloaded it. If I spent my money on this book I would be extremely pissed. If you want to try it, do it. It’s free. I really wish the characters were better and the plot was outlined better. It could have been a good book.

~Lauren