Paranormalcy

Author: Kiersten White
Publisher: HarperTeen
Released: September 1, 2010
Genre: Paranormal (Romance)
Author's Website: http://www.kierstenwhite.com/
Author's Blog: http://kierstenwrites.blogspot.com/

Evie is a normal girl - but she lives in and is employed by the Center of the International Paranormal Containment Agency. All Evie wants is to be able to really live like a normal girl, going to school, having a crush, having a locker... But Evie is the only person able to see through paranormals' glamours to be able to identify potentially harmful paranormals and "bag-and-tag" them to neutralize them. When a paranormal no one can identify breaks into the Center, everything Evie has known as truth up till then is turned on its head - including her own normal-ness. Caught up in prophecies and plots set in motion before she had any say in them, Evie tries to balance having a normal life and maybe having a boyfriend with dealing with who she is and the paranormals determined to keep her from that normal life.

I love love love this book! The blurb on the cover calls it "refreshing," and I must agree. The voice of the story - Evie's voice - is so natural and clear, and really compelling. It all sounds like a teenager. The issues that Evie deals with sound very much like any teenager's issues. Sure, her identity crisis puts regular teenagers' identity crises to shame, but I like the correlation. I also found it refreshing that this book is appropriate for younger teens as well - nothing beyond kissing, which is so beautifully written.

I love Evie as a character and I emotionally connected to her. She's a strong heroine, but with normal teenage faults and blindnesses. She's smart and emotional, a nice balance which helps her and hinders her throughout the story. She's altogether a likable person.

As for Lend - wow! I'm not sure who I like more, Evie or Lend. I love the way Kiersten brings Lend to life. His shape-shifting and assuming hot guys' bodies doesn't mask him, because the way Kiersten describes Evie seeing through the glamours to the real form of Lend is so gorgeous. And his personality is so great. He's really smart, he's kind and funny, heroic and brave. I love the way he interacts with Evie - every scene when they're together is so beautiful.

The plot is amazing too. Never too slow or too fast, the pacing is just right, and there are plenty of surprising twists to keep you gasping in suspense. I like how there are clues dropped here and there, some of them totally misleading, the way Evie might be experiencing things. We, as the readers, never know more than Evie does, so we really experience what Evie is going through. I love that.

There are going to be two more books in this trilogy, Supernaturally and an as-yet-unnamed third book. Based on Paranormalcy itself, I'm excited for the next books, and after reading Kiersten's website and blog, I really can't wait for them!