School For Spirits

Spirit School #1

by Aron Lewes

Leigh Riley is three weeks away from her high school graduation when she's suddenly crushed by a truck. She may be dead, but her education is far from over. Seventeen-year-old Leigh is inducted into the School for Spirits, where she learns how to be a spirit guide for mortals.

Leigh meets Alyx, her rebel roommate who just doesn't care about the spirit guide stuff. Then Leigh develops a massive crush on an absurdly hot Archangel named Jophiel. Finally, she is assigned to a veteran instructor, Taishi Nakamura. The handsome samurai is quiet, strict and private, but Leigh is determined to crack his shell.

School For Spirits is a young adult paranormal romance. Due to some minor language, it is recommended for ages 13+.

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult, Romance, Ebooks, Fiction, Supernatural

233 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

I'm a rather reclusive author living in Ohio with four cats.
I write super fluffy fluff and darkest grim grimdark. "This author has a strange imagination" was my favorite compliment ever. I hope my strange imagination entertains someone out there!

Reviews

[Anubha (BooksFullOfLife, LifeFullOfBooks)]

I really enjoyed reading this book, as of now I hadn't read a plot quite like this. The story starts after death. The first line of the book literally says-

" My name is Leigh Riley. I'm seventeen years old. I'm standing in front of a church at half past midnight, looking at my corpse. "

The plot is about Leigh dying because of an accident and about her exploring afterlife. Unfortunately she finds out she still has to go to school but a different one, one for spirit guides. The book is very funny. And deals with everything from minor details like stuck with same clothes, to chocolates, to having a tab.

She has been assigned Taishi as her instructor who will take her to missions for granting wishes of humans. She discovers hot angels, and her constant bickering with Taishi are fun to read about. They both are super adorable.

Also Japanese words like Sensei. Taishi refering to Leigh as Riley- san seemed very endearing, cultural tid bits spread all over the book. I would really recommend this book if you want to read a light hearted, kinda enemies to lovers, quests filled YA book about after life and spirit world. Haha even angels abuse their power here, heaven is apparently not that different from mortal realm lol :P

[Ashdust]

Enjoyable but a little shallow

I find it really hard to review this book, overall I did enjoy it, but I can't imagine bothering to buy the next one.

I think my two main issues are first there is very little real emotion shown by the main characters, we are told they are sad, happy, angry, embarrassed, in love etc, but I wouldn't have known if the author hadn't actually told us.

Second is the lack of any reaction to what is going on, here is a young girl killed just before her high school graduation and she doesn't react, doesn't grieve, doesn't take time to adjust, doesn't really question it at all. It just seems very superficial.

And while I am on the subject of our heroine...she is maybe a bit of a Mary Sue, clever, attractive, amazingly good at what she does, with no reason given to explain why she is so good at her new job. And obviously incredibly hot guys fall for her. Quickly and with very little reason.

The saving grace for me was the minor characters, the mortals in the missions, other guides etc, they were well written and some of the stories in the missions reduced me to tears, if the whole book was written like that...and the main characters written in the same way, it would have got five stars.

Sounds like I didn't like the book, actually I did. Overall I would say it is a fun, unobjectionable read, which has potential to be so much more.

[Alicia Huxtable]

Good story

Very entertaining. Liked the way the story flowed, the way the characters ran the story. Everything made for a good read

[Mike]

Great book

I felt so sorry for Riley but she really surprised me with her choice at the end. However I do believe she made the right choice. A must read!!

Samantha

[Heather Joubert]

Who knew there would be a school in the afterlife? This book was pleasantly unexpected. I love all the different settings, I could really see the imagery. The romantic love parts felt a little juvenile and cheesy, but in a lighthearted fun way. This novel painted a really warm idea of what possibilities there could be after death.

[India]

When Leigh walks home from a party she doesn’t expect it to be the end of her life or the beginning of another life but that’s what happens. With her guardian angel in tears, she enters the School for Spirits and finds that death is definitely not the end, it’s not even the end of school.

The concept behind this book really intrigued me but the story itself was even better. Leigh is your average teenager and seeing her new ‘life’ through her innocent eyes made me laugh and cry. Battling an obsessive roommate, a seriously hot angel, and a moody mentor she has to get to grips with the highly emotional whims and wishes of the living.

The story is sweet, funny, and emotional and most definitely not just for teenagers.

[Genevieve]

I just loved this book. A young girl dies and ends up in heaven where she is becomes a student spirit guide with a hot and the best instructor.
I loved the story line and I loved hearing that things in heaven aren't perfect and that people even in heaven have bad emotions, tempers, and feelings.
The characters are so wonderful and the ending was fantastic and I am so glad the author decided to make this a series and not just a stand alone. I have to hear what happens to Leigh and Taishi and Jophiel.

[maria arcara]

great start to an interesting series

I thought this story was really interesting and makes a great start to the series. I especially enjoy the metaphysical aspects of the world Mr. Lewes has built. I really like Leigh's and Taishi's personalities, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing them work together to help their charges. I greatly anticipate the next books in the series, as I am excited to see what happens next!

[R.L. Mann]

This is a heartwarming read that grabs your attention right away with the death of the MC and follows her journey on becoming a spirit guide. No spoilers, but there is so much to love in these pages. Enemies to lovers vibe, hilarious side characters (like Alyx!) and moments that quite literally made me laugh out loud and later, cry. I absolutely loved this book. Easy 5 stars.

[Julie Baker]

This was a fun book to read. Angels school with all the anxieties and clicks of normal school but with way cooler classes. I liked the mixing of the centuries and of the people in them. I liked the system if 5 tasks. I liked the glimpses into what could be ahead. It was just an entertaining read.

[Jenni Guthrie]

Absolutely loved this. Will absolutely be reading the next one. Great story telling and the characters were easy to get on board with

[katie]

Spooky Szn Book 2. i couldn’t put this down! it was so sweet and wholesome and a journey into a new vibe for me. i really enjoyed it and loved seeing Leigh and Taishi’s relationship develop

[Kim Barker]

Beyond my expectations

This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it. We all wonder about Heaven and this was a version that I would like to visit.

[Cheryl Jumps]

Opus

Quite an interesting story about what happens after you die. Interesting characters and a beautiful love story. Who will Leigh choose?

[Brooke]

A Captivating Journey into the Afterlife

"School for Spirits" by Aron Lewes is a delightful page-turner that seamlessly blends supernatural elements with heartfelt characters. Leigh's determination and the intriguing dynamics between the characters, especially her relationship with the enigmatic Taishi Nakamura, kept me invested from start to finish. The author's exploration of life after death and the complexities of existence added depth to the story, making it more than just a young adult novel. I found myself pondering the profound questions posed by the narrative, making the reading experience both entertaining and intellectually stimulating. If you're looking for a charming and thought-provoking read that transcends age barriers, "School for Spirits" is the one to read.

[Loie☆]

Was this book written by a 12 year old? Because that’s seriously what it felt like. The concept for this book sounded so appealing and to be honest, it started off quite strong. But as I carried on, I found myself thinking “what is this?”
Its full of unnatural characters with poor personalities and a weak storyline that doesn’t really go anywhere. I liked the thought of seeing different time eras, but even those felt factually inaccurate and painful to read.
I’m glad it was only 200 pages because I don’t know how much more I could have taken.
Cool concept. Poorly executed.

[Samantha Sanchez]

I truly enjoyed this book and this is a first of me reading something like this life after death that isn’t a ghost story. It’s loving and heartwarming, I love the different challenges the main characters go through. It was a very fun read that I couldn’t put down. This book had me going through the emotions and waiting and wanting to see how it turned out. The character development was nice as well.

[LittleMiss93]

I love this book! Such a fun concept, likeable characters and a cute ending.

[Dani Rikku]

⭐️⭐️✨ 2.5 stars

School for Spirits, Book 1 — Aron Lewes

The premise of School for Spirits genuinely intrigued me. I picked it up as a free Kindle read and thought, why not — I love spooky stories, especially anything involving spirits. But this book wasn’t quite what I expected.

Although it’s labelled YA, I’d personally categorise it as younger. The writing style and character dynamics felt very middle‑grade, and because of that, some of the darker or more mature themes didn’t land with the depth or emotion they deserved. There’s a full series, but I won’t be continuing.

The world‑building also left me confused. The guides can travel to any point in the past to help people, but those moments have already happened — so how does that affect the existence of spirits? I thought the goal was to save lives, yet the final challenge involves someone dying centuries ago and still arriving in the spirit world. I’m not sure I fully grasped the author’s logic here.

A few minor characters stood out, but their stories felt incomplete — maybe they’re explored more in later books, but within this instalment they didn’t get the development they deserved. And the creepy older angel subplot, from what I remember, didn’t seem to have any real consequences, which added to the sense that this book needed a more mature hand guiding the themes.

Despite my confusion, I kept reading — it’s short, and I very rarely DNF. I did want to see how it ended. Overall, the premise has potential, but I think it deserved to be written with more nuance and emotional weight.

[Lana]

I just love Aron Lewes novels, and this first book in a new series captured me right from the start. It is a young coming of age paranormal romance, and the story is about Riley a young teen who died suddenly through a traffic accident. However though life as she knew it was over, a new one just began as she was recruited into the school for spirits to be trained to become a spirit guide. She took her training very seriously and had an excellent, if rather strict and morose guide, but her roommate Alex who was a rebel, and a suicide case was failing dismally. Riley's guide was Taishi, but she was falling for the very handsome archangel Jophiel and Taishi did not approve. I love that Riley is so naïve and trusting but am glad she is also a good listener and takes note of what her guide tells her regarding Jophiel. I also enjoyed all the cases she was charged to help out with, some more touching than others, and I definitely like to think that this could be something we could all look forward to when we ourselves pass on. I love this brand new series and would really love to go on reading further into this spirit world.

[Emma]

School for spirits

May contain spoilers

Leigh is dead and doesn’t know what to do next until Amber comes along and shows her the way.
Leigh swoon at the sight of her new spirits teacher Archangel Jophiel while her new roommate teases her.
Leigh’s spirit guide has plenty of experience in his field but is also a huge jerk.
Her new charge is Cynthia who lives in London she has to help her when needed and listen to her inner wants but manifesting is really difficult for her to learn.
Taishi is known to be difficult to work with he is a fantastic teacher and a spirit guide but he is cold and frustrated with Leigh constantly and she can’t figure out why.
As their missions continue they get more difficult and emotional.
It’s like a test for each charge/ mission completed their rank goes up presenting better gifts and opportunities.
Other than that it is almost like the mortal world but with perks.
This was such a lovely read and very different from anything I have read before because it is set after Leigh’s death.
I seriously choked up on their a couple of their mission and from then in my kindle was stuck to my hand. Thinking about how the author thought all of these characters and spirits was amazing to read.

[Stardust Booklover]

I thought the idea of a school for angels and spirits in training was really creative and different. I was immediately immersed in the book from chapter 1. I liked following Leigh as she discovered the afterlife and learned how everything worked. The story had emotional moments, interesting characters, and kept me wanting to know what would happen next. I also appreciated the fast-paced story flow. That kept me always wanting more.

One thing I would warn readers about is that this book might not be for everyone. There is some language and certain behaviors from the angels in training that some readers may find uncomfortable. If the afterlife or the way angels are portrayed is a sensitive topic for you, this might not be the right read for you.

Overall, I would give this book 4.5/5 stars. I enjoyed the story, the characters, and the unique idea behind the spirit world. I found the plot entertaining and would recommend it to readers who enjoy YA fantasy, supernatural stories, and stories about the afterlife.

I will definitely grab Book 2 in the series.

[Bri C]

If you can get past how obvious the plot is and how whiny/childish the main character is than you may like this book. It's an interesting take on the after life. I don't know who wouldn't made the choice the main character does though. It was okay I didn't hate it but didn't love it either. I can read the others at least

[Anna]

Never thought I'd enjoy this book but I really did. Light and fluffy but substantial enough to grab my attention and keep me wanting to know more. That battle was definitely my favorite part of the book amongst others. Leigh really made the right decision after all. Maybe I'll give the other books in the series a try!

[Ruby]

Epic

I have no idea what to expect when I started reading this story, it has amazing character development and the plot is really diverse, there are some things that bother me but they’re definitely overshadowed by how good the story is

[Stephanie]

It's a great young adult novel. Like many young adult novels, I sometimes get angry at the main character for being dumb, but she's a perfect 17 year old girl.
Since this book does have spirits being trained to be spirit guides, it has this fascinating collection of mini-short stories where the spirit guides are helping different people. The ability of the author to create these additional plot lines, draw you in and wrap them up in satisfying ways was impressive.
And this book made me cry. In good ways. It definitely has sweet moments.

[Amy]

After a 2 year reading slump and not liking the last 2 books I read, I decided to reread this since I saw more books in the series. It was a quick and enjoyable read. The main character was a little annoying at times, but I still enjoyed the story.

[Lisa N.]

Afterlife

The great fast read kept me on my toes the whole entire time is mysterious but also fun and imaginative of the other world we are unsure about

[Tricia Beaman]

Great YA fiction. Leigh is a new resident of Heaven and is given an instructor on how to be a Spirit guide. This has humor and heart and is just a great read.

[Margarita Rose]

Good read. Nice paced action. Unpredictable and relatable characters. Will like reading the rest of the series.