Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Details

Publisher:  HarperTeen (2010)

Pages:  335

Content:  L- Mild, S- Kissing, V- Paranormal injuries and death

Recommended Age:  13+
Source:  Dorchester County Library


Front Flap Description
Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie's always thought of herself as normal.  Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, 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 still. Normal.
   Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies.  She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths.  Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.
   So much for normal.

My Thoughts
I'll admit that at the start I was slightly annoyed by Evie (yes, another Evie- and don't even get me started on the recent overusage of the name Will in YA fiction), with her rhinestone covered taser, slangy, casual narrating, and obsession with all things pink.  But I quickly looked past her silly teenage girl exterior and fell in love with her.  Although she can be quite dangerous when she tries, there is an innocence and honesty about her that make her lovable.
   Also lovable is Lend, the mysterious shapeshifter who breaks into the agency where Evie lives and works.  Despite the dangerous and terrifying events that are taking place in the paranormal world around them, Evie and Lend manage to find a lightness and sense of wonder around each other that is endearing and fun.
   This book is packed with paranormals- werewolves, vampires, shapeshifters, faeries, mermaids, and on and on- a little something for everyone.  I appreciated how the author took the time to develop each of these species and the systems of magic instead of relying on old stereotypes and premade versions of them.  Although they were based on traditional depictions, they were different enough to give me, the reader, a new, interesting world to discover.  And while Evie's story and identity are entwined with the faeries, there is a fresh and original take on her connection to them (because, let me tell you, if I read one more book where some teenage girl discovers that she is the long-lost daughter of Queen Titania and King Oberon and now she must return to the faerie realms to help resolve the battle between the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. . . . sigh).
   I was very pleased with this book.  It was not super heavy, although there were some dark forces at work in this world.  But it was fast-paced and fun, and I had a difficult time putting it down when bedtime rolled around.
Rating
4.5/5