Review: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Title: Paranormalcy
Author: Kiersten White
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pub. Date: 8.31.2010
Genre: Paranormal YA
Keywords: Orphans, Powers, Paranormal Creatures, Love, Friendship
Pages: 352
Description (from GoodReads):
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.

You can't deny that Kiersten White's debut has a fantastic cover That alone will cause readers to flock, but it's Evie's charm and the unique plot that will entice them to stay... and ask for seconds.

The word I most closely associate with PARANORMALCY is fun. There's mystery, there's romance, but, mostly, this book is an engaging, quick read. At just over 350 pages, PARANORMLCY is one of the thicker YA volumes I've read of late, but, for the most part, the action moved at a quick pace and the chapters whizzed by.

I was impressed with the variety of fantastical and interesting characters White packed into Evie's world. She included the standard vampires, mermaids, etc, etc, but also cast a shapeshifter (without fur!) and many more, often creepy, creatures!

The one aspect of PARANORMALCY that I found lacking was the romance. It was cute, but it was missing the tension I'd hoped for. I liked the boy, I liked the girl, but I wanted more fire. Hopefully my tension-filled wishes will be fulfilled in the next installment!

Grade: B