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Author: Rachel Hawkins
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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?
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?
Review:
"You're a Brannick, a Queen Among Women, and you're scared of going to school. When really, it's the school that should be scared of you."
When I read the first chapter, I expected Izzy to be surrounded by monsters, both good and bad. I expected this to be like Hex Hall. In a way, it was. There were unnatural creatures popping everywhere, missions and cute guys. There was even school--but it's not like Hex Hall where Izzy's cousin, Sophie went to. It was good ol' normal high school.
I was really surprised with all-grown-up Izzy here. As far as I can remember, she used to be sweet and a bit softer than her sister but definitely matured a lot. Growing up as a Brannick, all she knew was to chase and kill monsters. She never imagined that fitting in high school would be tougher than what she was used to. I love this new adventure and I love the new characters. Izzy's new-found friends were cool and dorky--but still cool and they're very likable.
Dex. I can't help but sort of compare him with Archer but although both of them were really cute they are actually opposite. Archer was this sort of formal guy although he can joke around sometimes but he seems always serious and mature. Dex on the other hand was witty, sarcastic, humorous and terribly funny. I actually didn't expect him to be the guy but I really enjoyed reading him.
The only thing that seems unclear to me was Adam. He was cute and sweet and thoughtful at first then became a jerk the next. What the hell? He didn't give off that douchebag vibe until that basketball game where he mocked PMS. Then after that, he acted like a total tool. It was like Adam, whom Izzy first met in her whole high school experience vanished like poof! A part of me tells me that there's more behind this and maybe he'll appear again in the series to surprise us.
Among all characters, Maya was the only one who wasn't given much focus on her history which made me curious about her. With Izzy's mother's warning when she was first mentioned in the book, I really thought she was some sketchy witch that would cause harm or even slight problems but at the end of the book she seems pretty reliable and really concern with the Brannicks.
Written in a humorous and very enjoyable narration, Hawkins brings us to another adventure that would kick some ass. As early as this point, I am now ready for the next book.
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