SCHOOL SPIRITS is a spin-off companion novel to the HEX HALL series. You can read it separately, but chronologically it does follow the events of the previous Hex Hall books. If I were to compare SCHOOL SPIRITS to HEX HALL, this one just falls short. 
 Izzy Brannick gets sent to high school for the first time ever to investigate some otherworldly issues. Because of the high school setting and Izzy's naivete towards all things teenager, this one has a bit more Middle Grade vibes than Young Adult. It is also a bit slow as Izzy learns to navigate her new life, constantly researching via magazines and bad TV shows. 
 I have nothing against Izzy herself, but she didn't really have any qualities than stood out, especially against Sophie's humor from the last novels. She comes off as a bit hesitant and has some issues really believing in herself. 
 As for the other characters, they were pretty entertaining and I actually liked the love interest, Dex, more than the main character. He is quirky and definitely is not a YA stereotype. We also see more from the mysterious Torin, a warlock trapped in one of the mirrors in the Brannick house. Torin is very mysterious, his motives are anyone's guess. 
 Sadly, there are no plans for a sequel as of right now, so there are some questions that might not ever be addressed. I also wish we had seen some character cameos from the previous books, but no such luck. 
 There wasn't anything overwhelmingly wrong with SCHOOL SPIRITS, it just didn't stand out-especially in the shadow of HEX HALL.