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.

On My Chair

Here are the books I am currently reading, books I have bought, borrowed or have been sent to me, and books I am planning on starting this week (this post was inspired by The Story Siren's In My Mailbox).
Another slow week for me, I am still reading "Paranormalcy", but I did borrow a couple of other books from the library as well.

"The Replacement"
Brenna Yovanoff
Pub. Date: September 21, 2010

Synopsis: Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world.

Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs.

Edward Scissorhands meets The Catcher in the Rye in this wildly imaginative and frighteningly beautiful horror novel about an unusual boy and his search for a place to belong.

"Ink Exchange"
Melissa Marr
Pub. Date: April 29, 2008

Synopsis: Unbeknownst to mortals, a power struggle is unfolding in a world of shadows and danger. After centuries of stability, the balance among the Faery Courts has altered, and Irial, ruler of the Dark Court, is battling to hold his rebellious and newly vulnerable fey together. If he fails, bloodshed and brutality will follow.

Seventeen-year-old Leslie knows nothing of faeries or their intrigues. When she is attracted to an eerily beautiful tattoo of eyes and wings, all she knows is that she has to have it, convinced it is a tangible symbol of changes she desperately craves for her own life.

The tattoo does bring changes not the kind Leslie has dreamed of, but sinister, compelling changes that are more than symbolic. Those changes will bind Leslie and Irial together, drawing Leslie deeper and deeper into the faery world, unable to resist its allures, and helpless to withstand its perils...

So far, I am enjoying "Ink Exchange" and I am really excited to start "The Replacement" soon. What are you planning to read this week?

Review of "Wildthorn"

"Wildthorn"
Jane Eagland

5

Pub Date: September 6, 2010
Pages: 350

Synopsis: They strip her naked, of everything—undo her whalebone corset, hook by hook. Locked away in Wildthorn Hall—a madhouse—they take her identity. She is now called Lucy Childs. She has no one; she has nothing. But, she is still seventeen—still Louisa Cosgrove, isn't she? Who has done this unthinkable deed? Louisa must free herself, in more ways than one, and muster up the courage to be her true self, all the while solving her own twisted mystery and falling into an unconventional love...

Originally published in the UK, this well-paced, provocative romance pushes on boundaries—both literal and figurative—and, do beware: it will bind you, too.

When I started reading "Wildthorn", I was a bit confused as to what was going on. I was a little concerned that I was about to be hugely disappointed by this book, but then I realized that I was supposed to be confused. Jane Eagland is able to make the reader feel the confusion that Louisa experiences as she is stripped from her life and put into Wildthorn Hall. I was a little concerned about the switching from present day to Louisa's past, but it worked for me in this book. I felt like I was glimpsing into Louisa's thought process while she tried to figure out why she is in a mental hospital.

One of the best things about this book is that it always kind of leaves you guessing until the end. Things you thought you knew at the beginning of the book are turned on their heads at the end. Characters that you thought were the villains were only pawns and you realize that characters were not the people you thought they were at the beginning. I just felt like none of this book was wasted space.

I love books that are about women who don’t fit into the society they live in. I liked the conflicts between Louisa and her family; I also loved how her father was able to appreciate her passion for medicine. Part of me wonders if this makes me a bit bias, but who doesn’t have their biases? I don’t know if this book will be a hit with all readers. Parts of it were pretty disturbing, especially some of the moments in the asylum, and Louisa’s “unconventional love” may seem a bit shocking for some readers. I thought Eagland did a great job hinting towards this throughout the book, but if you didn’t connect these pieces you may feel it came from left field.

This book is for mature readers who enjoy historical fiction; those who aren’t a fan of historical fiction or books about women who push their roles in society probably won’t enjoy this book. It is a love story and does discuss family roles; it also focuses on finding your place and discovering ones identity, making it a book that teens can relate to.

*I was sent a review copy of "Wildthorn" from the publisher.

Contest

I meant to have this contest a while ago, but that obviously didn't happen! I guess that just means the prize will be bigger! Here is a list of all the wonderful ARCs you could win:

'The Ghost & The Goth"
"Hex Hall"
"Jekel Loves Hyde"
"A Love Story: Starring My Dead Best Friend"
"Linger"
"The Body Finder"
"The Eternal Ones"

All you have to do to enter is reply to this post with your e-mail by Thursday October 7th, 2010 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time.
You must be at least 13 years old to enter and live in the United States (sorry I don't have the money for international shipping). Check out my Contest Policies for more details, but I think everything is clear cut.

Review of "Wicked Lovely"

"Wicked Lovely"
Melissa Marr

4

Pub. Date: May 12, 2007
Pages: 352

Synopsis: Rule #3: Don't stare at invisible faeries.

Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty—especially if they learn of her Sight—and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens.

Rule #2: Don't speak to invisible faeries.

Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.

Rule #1: Don't ever attract their attention.

But it's too late. Keenan is the Summer King who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost—regardless of her plans or desires.

Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything.

Faerie intrigue, mortal love, and the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in Melissa Marr's stunning 21^st century faery tale.

I have wanted to read "Wicked Lovely" for a while now and I was so excited to borrow the audio book from the library. There are a lot of things that I loved about this book; the characters were my favorite part. Keenan's character was fantastic because I actually felt bad for him. He may be beautiful and powerful, but he destroys lives and has to live knowing he is hurting the women he cares for. It would be easy to hate him if he did this out of sport, but he doesn't have a choice in the matter. I actually felt if Keenan had any choice he would not be putting the women through the test of the Summer Queen. This was reflected in his feelings for Donia. I would love to explain why Donia is so wonderful, but I would end up giving things away. Aislinn (Ash) is strong and independent, but she is also caring at the same time. I love the fact that she has been trained not to flinch as faeries poke and prod her. Seth is also a great character, but I don't want to say too much about him either. I just like the fact that he's not the stereotypical leading man in most romantic fiction.

Another thing I love about the book was all the faery mythology; Marr adds a brief excerpt of faery lore at the beginning of each chapter. I enjoyed this because it just helped make the story feel more real. When you are seeing quotes from classic authors about faery mythology, you realize that these kinds of stories have deep routs in many cultures.

Something that bugged me about this book was that the end was a bit anti-climactic and I felt like it was a little too happy. We were warned about the wrath of the faeries so much throughout the entire story that I felt let down at the end. I also felt that certain parts of the book moved a little slow; there was almost a little bit too much planning done by the characters and not enough action.

Overall I really enjoyed the book, I loved the plot and wanted to know the fate of each character. I have no idea what to expect from the next book in the series, but I hope the faeries show their power a bit more. I want to see less of their sex appeal and more destruction. I swear that I am not blood thirsty, I just like when villains live up to the hype; Voldemort is a perfect example.