Paranormalcy

From School Library Journal Gr 7 Up–First in a trilogy, this clever, must-have debut focuses on sassy Evie, 16, who calls the International Paranormal Containment Agency home. Armed with her unique ability to see through all paranormal “glamours” and her trusty pink taser, Evie bags, tags, and helps IPCA track and contain a variety of familiar creatures. Despite her unconventional life (no origin story, mermaid best friend, werewolf colleagues, etc.), she considers herself to be pretty normal–until shape-shifting elemental and extremely cute Lend breaks into IPCA looking for answers and ironically becomes one of the agency's latest puzzles. The more pressing concern: Who's been murdering paranormals? Lend's arrival; fae ex-boyfriend's (literally) hot, increasingly threatening advances; unsettling dreams; and a well-planned attack on the agency force Evie to face surprising revelations about IPCA and herself. White's storytelling successfully balances the fun and the sinister. There's an interesting mix of magic and technology. The pace is brisk with plenty of action. White's faeries (not vamps) are the beautiful and manipulative paranormals to watch out for, a refreshing change for some readers. Characterization is consistent, though Evie is the most fleshed out. A perfect blend of normal/supernatural, she simultaneously doubts her genetic makeup while yearning for and worrying about typical teenage concerns. Featuring a clever, kick-butt heroine channeling both Buffy and a PG Sookie, this book will likely fly off library shelves.–Danielle Serra, Cliffside Park Public Library, NJ. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. From Booklist Sixteen-year-old Evie learns that she is not quite the person she thought she was in this creature-feature mash-up. Possessing the unique ability to recognize paranormals beneath their glamour, Evie has lived most of her life under the protection of the International Paranormal Containment Agreement (IPCA), an organization dedicated to the cataloging and neutralizing of paranormal creatures. After a mysterious entity begins killing paranormals around the world, Evie discovers some startling truths about her own identity. This is a fast-paced, entertaining debut, reminiscent of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series in its story of a seemingly normal girl coerced to work for a supernatural agenda that she doesn’t always understand. White creates compelling tension as Evie longs for a normal teenhood while trying to preserve the humanity she has always believed to be her birthright; a love triangle adds further conflict, as Evie must choose between not only two different interests but two starkly different destinies. Alternately funny and tragic but never maudlin, White’s debut will have broad appeal among fantasy fans. Grades 9-12. --Kara Dean “A fast-paced, entertaining debut. Alternately funny and tragic but never maudlin, White’s debut will have broad appeal among fantasy fans.” (Booklist )“A fast, flirty roller coaster of a ride. This story was everything I hoped for—sassy, light-hearted and downright scary. Oh, bleep! I’m in love!” (Becca Fitzpatrick, New York Times bestselling author of Hush, Hush and Crescendo )“This was one of my favorite books of the year! I thought it was absolutely fantastic! I laughed out loud so many times while reading it, and it was wonderfully written and so refreshingly clean!” (ReadingTeen Parental Review (blog review) )“Strong characters, a clever premise, and a hilarious voice all team up to make Paranormalcy the most refreshing paranormal debut of the year.” (Lisa McMann, New York Times bestselling author of the Wake trilogy )“Good, romantic entertainment.” (Kirkus Reviews )“Perky, insolent, fearless, and insecure...teenage girls will recognize themselves [in Evie]. Likely to be a popular read.” (Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) )“Kiersten White creates the perfect blend of light and dark. Even as the stakes rose higher, Paranormalcy’s narrator, Evie, kept a smile on my face with her cunning wit. I can’t wait for more!” (Carrie Ryan, New York Times bestselling author of The Forest of Hands and Teeth )“First-time author White shows the technique and polish of a pro in this absorbing romance, which comes closer than most to hitting the Buffy mark.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )“Buffy meets The X-Files in this darkly sexy story.” (Romantic Times )“Paranormalcy seduced me. The two sexy paranormals who vie for Evie’s affections each had their own victory; one won Evie’s heart and the other won mine.” (Aprilynne Pike, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wings ) Kiersten White lives near the ocean in San Diego, where her days are perfectly normal. Paranormalcy is her first novel. Read more