Review: Paranormalcy

Title: Paranormalcy (Book 1)

Author:  Kiersten White

Publisher:  Harper Teen

Publication Date:  August 31, 2010

Reviewer: Elisa

Summary: 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. (goodreads.com)

Review:  I wasn't sure about this book at first because the lead protag is really young, silly, bouncy, wears a lot of pink and is a bit spoiled.  But after reading one chapter, yes, just one, she grew on me. I found her funny and sweet, trying to do right even when she is huffing and puffing and rolling her 16 year old eyes. Basically because she throws herself whole-heartedly into what she is doing and is so excited about certain silly and normal things. Her love interest is a slow build which felt natural and her inner voice was enjoyable and felt real (or real enough).

Evie can see through glamor.  She is the only one who can do that, and having been raised by the IPCA (some sort of paranormal watch agency) who now uses her as an operative to bag and tag paranormals so they can't hurt the normal people out in the big wide world.  The problem starts when she finds out that someone is killing paranormals and no one knows who or what it is.

"All paranormals are classified as endangered; that's why even the icky ones just get neutered instead of, well, dead." (pg 66)

Her agency is very clandestine, but well, a government agency and she has drunk the koolaide and believes in her work and their policies.  Notice the quote above, they neuter paranormals.  Hmmmm.  So it is nice as she begins to speak to people outside of the agency and starts thinking for herself.

The love interest relationship is very young, cute and sweet.  She is a teenie-bopper after all.

"Oh heavens, I liked that boy. When I got back to my unit, I stared at the drawing. He really captured me, which made me hope he spent a lot of time thinking about me." (pg 147)

Awwww!  But it doesn't stay all bubble gum and pom poms, though she would if she could.  Evie learns a lot about her world, herself and begins to make decisions based on her experience instead of what she is taught from a rule-book.  Illusions are shattered, people are killed and she has to make some hard decisions.  This book is both light and dark, easy and difficult, pink swirled into black.  Even though it was dark, it was an easy and enjoyable read, I give it 4 stars glowing so bright they hurt your eyes, if you can see through glamour that is!  I will be reading the next book, when I need my darkness bleeding cotton candy.

-Elisa