Review of "Paranormalcy"

"Paranormalcy"
Kiersten White


5

Pub. Date: August 31, 2010
Pages: 335

Synopsis: Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.

But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

I was really excited to read "Paranormalcy" when I first heard about it; I love paranormal books, so it was right up my ally. I got even more excited once I started hearing how amazing it was, but I also got a bit nervous that it wouldn't be able to live up to the hype. I am glad to report that I thought the book was as awesome as others have reported. I was so hooked on this book that I left the copy I borrowed from the library at work and I actually bought it on my nook because I had to keep reading.

What makes this book so awesome? Pretty much everything: characters, plot, narrative, and it is chalk full of paranormal creatures. Evie is fun, has a great sense of humor, a strong narrating voice, and is very relatable; I also love the fact that she is obsessed with pink. It is so funny how she yearns for normal so much that she is excited about ordinary things like lockers and is dying to be enrolled in high school. Lend's character intrigued me from the moment he appeared; I had to know more about him and I have to admit, I have a bit of a crush on him. Even some of the characters that only appeared for part of the book resonated strongly. Evie is a strong character, hunting all kinds of paranormals and all that jazz, but at the same time she can be insecure and has typical fears. A lot of teens struggle with finding their place and Kiersten White has made this a central theme in the book.

Kiersten White is able to balance the humorous with some darker themes as well. Evie likes working for the IPCA because she feels like she is making the world a better place, but she begins to question this later in the book. Is her job really helping the world? Is her power a gift or a curse? I will have to stop there so I don't give away any spoilers. Evie's faeries ex-boyfriend, Reth, is a good example of this balance. Reth can be saving Evie's life one minute and trying to manipulate her the next. There is this constant back and forth trying to figure out if he is good or if he is a villain.

"Paranormalcy" may not be one of my all time favorite books, but I absolutely loved it. This is a must read for anyone who is a fan of paranormal books. I stayed up far too late last night finishing this book, but it was totally worth it. I can't wait for the second book, “Supernaturally", to come out next fall.