School Spirits

Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick doesn’t have a typical home life. Her family hunts monsters, or at least they did until her sister went missing. Ever since the disappearance, Izzy’s head hasn’t been in the game. Hoping to provide her with a less challenging foe, Izzy’s mother sends her to a normal school to investigate a ghostly occurrence. But Izzy is soon distracted by her first experiences at high school. In this first person narrative, Cris Dukehart deftly captures Izzy. She skillfully handles the book’s quips and sarcasm, and perfectly portrays Izzy’s inner doubts and guilt. Dukehart’s voices for the book’s human characters are consistent and appropriate. However, the voices she lends the book’s monsters sometimes fall flat. Still, fans of Hawkins’s Hex Hall series will find this a lively and enjoyable listening experience. Ages 12-18. A Disney-Hyperion hardcover. (Aug.)