Review: School Spirits

My first post in almost a month, yikes! I had a stomach bug of death that took me nine days to recover from, teens to prepare for an AP exam, end of the school year wrap up, and a speech to write and deliver at graduation. So glad that is over and I am back in the blogosphere.

My first “I’m baaaaack…” post is for one of my favorite reads of 2013, ‘School Spirits.’

If you have not been introduced to the writings of Rachel Hawkins, your reading life is empty. Seriously. I have yet to read a YA writer that is able to rival her level of wit.  

OMG - this cover!

Title: School Spirits

Author: Rachel Hawkins

ISBN: 9781423148494

Pages: 304

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Available: NOW at your local book store or library

Source: Netgalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

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!

My Thoughts:

In this ‘Hex Hall’ spinoff, Sophie’s cousin Izzy is a vampire hunter searching for her missing sister, Finley.

Hawkins thrusts readers into a paranormal mystery full of humor, friendship, and awesomesauce

I loved this book. I absolutely loved it.

The plot of the novel is solid—it is nicely paced with the refreshing voice we have to come to love of Hawkins. Here’s what I love about her writing style: as I read, I can picture it like a John Hughes movie. Seriously. Can’t you imagine Dex standing under Izzy’s window holding a boombox above his head while playing a romantic song while waiting on a lawn mower to take her away? No, just me?

Well, I stand by it. I really do. Hawkins’ style is so easy going because she understands what her audience wants from her as a writer—and because she is an easy going person with the best sense of humor. All of this is reflected in her writing, just like John Hughes reflected the plight of the modern teen on the big screen.

Speaking of the plight of the modern teen, Izzy, Dex, and Romy are quite a trio. I loved their on-page chemistry, and the three of them should rule the world. The world would really be a better place if they were in charge. I wrote a note in my reading notebook that said “kick Anderson out.” He did not make a good impression on me as a reader. I felt the trio would stand alone stronger, but that could also be because a trio is what I am accustomed to in YA reading.  

Hawkins’ character development of these four was strong. Izzy is by far my favorite character, which is a good thing since she is the star of the show. But, Dex gives her a run for her money on the page. He is mysterious. He is beautiful. He is awesome. He is all of the things a YA male character needs to be. And he gets some of the best lines too.

And may I say that school would be so much more interesting if we had a Paranormal Management Society? I mean, that is the best idea ever. I want one where I teach. We could investigate Dead Children’s Playground, old cemeteries, take field trips to visit sights that claim haunting. We could have awesome T-shirts and wear awesome headgear at night while filming what we find. We could have a reality show on TLC. See what Hawkins has done—put ideas into my head.

And this is why I love Hawkins. She appeals to readers like me with her magical words and magical ideas of how to make high school a lot more appealing than it is.

Just saying.

Bascially, I loved this book and I loved the characters and I loved the plot. This is such a great follow-up to the ‘Hex Hall’ series where it is clear that Hawkins is a force to be reckoned with in the world of paranormal, and she is here to stay. Thank goodness. I need more Hawkinesque YA paranormal in my life.

Be ready to laugh. Be ready to nibble at your nails. Be ready to enjoy a YA paranormal that breaks the mold. What I mean is this: if you do not usually ready paranormal, you are missing out. ‘School Spirits’ would be a great place to start. Or even the ‘Hex Hall’ series. These novels aren’t the basic lovey dovey YA paranormal. They are filled with kickass female heroines that are smart and funny and amazingly awesome.

What are your thoughts on ‘School Spirits’? What’s the best paranormal novel/series you’ve read recently?

Happy Reading!

-      The Hodgenator

Review: Rapture

I bought this book the day it came out, and then I realized I was not ready to let go of Luce and Daniel. During the holiday break, I decided it was time. Why not end one of my favorite series as I was preparing to say goodbye to another year?

Title: Rapture

Author: Kate Lauren

ISBN: 978-0-385-73918-4

Pages: 448                                   

Available: NOW at your local bookstore or library

Summary (from the book jacket):

The sky is dark with wings…

Like sand through an hourglass, time is running out for Luce and Daniel. To stop Lucifer from erasing the past, they must find the place where the angels fell to earth.

Dark forces are after them, and Daniel doesn’t know if he can do this—live only to lose Luce again and again. Yet together they face an epic battle that will end with lifeless bodies…and angel dust. Great sacrifices are made. Hearts are destroyed.

And suddenly Luce knows what must happen. For she was meant to be with someone other than Daniel. The curse they’ve borne has always and only been about her—and the love she cast aside. The choice she makes now is the only one that truly matters.

In the fight for Luce, who will win?

Rapture is the astonishing conclusion to the FALLEN series. Heaven can’t wait any longer.

My Thoughts:

Get the box of tissues ready Luce and Daniel fans…you just might need them.

In this fitting conclusion to this four-book series, Kate takes readers on a rollercoaster ride, full with the ups and downs, twists and turns.

In their continued struggle for eternal love, Luce and Daniel must stop Lucifer from returning to the exact spot the angels fell; otherwise, the past will be erased. There are only two problems: they must discover this spot and survive a journey that could cost them everything.

Of the four in the series, this one is my favorite. I loved the unfolding of this story. In the other books I found Luce and Daniel to be the stars, as they should, but not in this final installment. It was not the characters that drove the story but the story itself. I could not put this book down because I wanted to know what reveal(s) Kate was going to give me next.

Several unanswered questions become crystal clear to readers, and I did not close the ending of this book feeling unsatisfied in any way.

Kate spends the first three novels setting readers up for all the reveals in this novel. While I loved it, I still feel that this series could have been accomplished in three books instead of four. Either way, I love Luce and Daniel. Their eternal love is something that many readers can root for because what is life without love?

What I love about Luce as a character is that I see her grow from book one to book four. There is no stagnation for her, and this happens sometimes in series. At the start of the series I was expecting the stereotypical female heroine in a paranormal romance, but it is Luce’s fearlessness that seems to help her character crack the mold.

She wants to know the truth of her history, no matter the sacrifice. That really come to fruition in Passion, but in this final installment she finally discovers the truth of everything. As readers, we experience the same moment of enlightenment as she does, putting all of the pieces from the previous three books together. While I wish Kate had given a few more pieces to the puzzle in the other books, after reading this one, I see why she held out on us. It worked to her advantage, and to Luce’s as well.

Daniel. Daniel. Daniel. What can I say about him as a character? He is loyal. His heart is full of love. He cannot bear to lose Luce one more time. His entire being is for her, to give himself fully to her. He is the key to Luce’s truth, and what a secret keeper he is.

I enjoyed experiencing his unconditional love for Luce throughout each book, and this one was no exception. I do not consider him to be the “hottie” writers usually give readers in the paranormal romances, but his devotion to his lady warms my heart.  

As a whole, I found the ending of this series quite fitting. I particularly enjoyed the Epilogue. It left a smile on my face and a tingle in my heart.

This book will appeal to those who love series reading and/or paranormal romance.

Have you read this series? What’s your favorite paranormal couple?

Leave your thoughts/comments below.

Happy Reading!

Review: Finale

I have put off writing this review because I was just not ready to say good-bye to this series. This is one of my favorites, and up to the final page, Fitzpatrick did not disappoint me.

Title: Finale

Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

ISBN: 9781442426672

Available: NOW at your local bookstore and library

Summary (from the book jacket):

Will Love Conquer All?

Nora and Patch thought their troubles were behind them. Hank is gone and they should be able to put his ugly vendetta to rest. But in Hank’s absence, Nora has become the unwitting head of the Nephilim and must finish what Hank began. Which ultimately means destroying the fallen angels—destroying Patch.

Nora will never let that happen, so she and Patch make a plan: lead everyone to believe they have broken up, and work the system from the inside. Nora will convince the Nephilim that they are making a mistake in fighting the fallen angels, and Patch will find out everything he can from the opposing side. They will end this war before it can begin.

But the best-laid plans often go awry. Nora is put through the paces in her new role and finds herself drawn to an addictive power she never anticipated.

As the battle lines are drawn, Nora and Patch must confront the differences that have always been between them and either choose to ignore them or let them destroy the love they have always fought for.

My Thoughts:

As the title suggests, this is the end of Nora and Patch’s story. I was hesitant to read it because I love these two, but ultimately all good storytelling must come to an end, and I was anxious to see how Fitzpatrick was going to end this one.

The plot contains the basics: romance, intrigue, kidnapping, betrayal, grueling workouts, addiction to Nephilim stimulants, you know, the usual. But these basics all build and explode to a heart-pounding conclusion. I almost felt as if I ran a race by the time the novel was over. I may have even said a few things out loud too in the anticipation of where the author was leading me.

Fitzpatrick does a nice job bridging the events together to a satisfying conclusion. At least, I was satisfied. Were you?

Nora’s character becomes more developed. She is now the fearless leader, and she must act as so. This means training with Dante to prove that she is worthy of the title, a title she must keep in order to protect the one she loves. This was a fun Nora, one that was all about “girl power” and fighting for what she loves the most. But I did not buy the element of “addiction”—not even a little bit. I felt that was too contrived and too out of character for her. Maybe that is what Fitzpatrick was going for, but it is the one flaw I had with the novel.

With Nora’s character development, don’t expect the same from Patch. We do not learn anything new about him. We only see his dedication to keeping Nora safe—the same from all the novels. But I am okay with this. I think sometimes it’s important to see that in a relationship growing happens in all forms. For Patch, it is his growing love and protection of Nora that makes him a worthwhile character. And he’s hot, so that helps too.

The secondary characters in this novel added a lot, and they helped compliment Nora’s character. Whether it was during training or during a bar fight, all the characters acted as pieces to a bigger puzzle. I think my favorites were Dante and Marcie. I enjoyed reading Nora’s interaction with these two for very different reasons, but there were times I found myself smiling, laughing, and even cringing, especially during Dante’s training sessions with Nora. Ouch!

As a whole, I enjoyed Finale. I am a huge fan of Becca Fitzpatrick’s storytelling. I find Nora and Patch to be a lovely paranormal couple, and I am sad that with this review it is finally time to bid the two adieu.

Patch and Nora FOREVER!!!

Have you read/reviewed Finale? Share your thoughts/links below.

Who is your favorite paranormal couple?

Happy Reading!