'Supernaturally' Paranormalcy #2 by Kiersten White

Received from the Publisher

From the BLURB:

Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be . . . kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees.

But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself.

So much for normal.

Once upon a time Evie dreamed about a life of normalcy – school, homework, lockers, cafeteria gossip and cute boys. In reality, Evie worked for the International Paranormal Containment Agency where she helped bag and tag renegade supernaturals – from vampires to werewolves, trolls and faeries. Her ex-boyfriend was a controlling and beautiful fae maniac, and her best friend was a mermaid.

But that was months ago. Before Evie found out she was soulless, possible part-fae and unfairly mortal. Before Evie met Lend, the handsome shape-changing boy who stole her heart and broke her out of IPCA.

Now Evie is living that life of normalcy, and it’s decidedly . . . dull. Life is nothing like her favourite teen drama, ‘Easton Heights’ – gym is torture, homework hell and Evie doesn’t fit in anywhere, for Bleep’s sake.

So when her crazy fae ex, Reth, turns up talking about the fae realms and looking out for Evie’s best interests, she’s wary but also a little relieved. And when her old boss, Racquel, pulls Evie back into the IPCA department she finds herself once more with purpose (not to mention a company credit card!).

‘Supernaturally’ is the second book in Kiersten White’s YA ‘Paranormalcy’ series.

I read ‘Paranormalcy’ late last year and was blown away. White’s book was a mix of ‘Hellboy’ and ‘Heroes’, with witty writing to rival Joss Whedon – it quickly earned a place on my ‘favourites’ list.

So it was with great expectation that I started reading ‘Supernaturally’ . . . but by book’s end I was slightly deflated.

When the book begins Evie is living normal. After spending most of her young life at the IPCA, she is now attending high school, rooming with a vampire and working minimum wage at the local diner. Her boyfriend, the Döppelganger Lend, has gone off to college in Georgetown and they only spend weekends together. Evie is struggling with her grades and trying to cope with a gym-teacher’s unjustified hatred. All in all, normal adolescent behaviour is not all it’s cracked up to be.

Evie misses feeling useful and hates how out of depth she is now. So when her ex-boyfriend, the fae Reth, reappears in her life she’s scared and even a teensy-weensy bit curious. And when IPCA comes knocking, she readily agrees to lend her services – even if it means keeping it a secret from her boyfriend.

I think White spends a long time establishing Evie’s ‘fish out of water’ hopelessness. The first half of the book is dedicated to illustrating just how miserable she is, but determined to put on a brave (normal) face. It’s interesting to read Evie’s growing friendship with vampire-roomier, Arianna, and how she juggles living normal in a supernatural world. But a big hindrance to these scenes is the lack of Lend. I thought Evie and Lend’s unconventional but cosmic romance was a big selling-point of ‘Paranormalcy’ – Lend is a boy who can change his appearance to look like anyone, and Evie is the only girl in the world who can see through the facade to his true self. I thought they were a brilliant couple, so I was a little disheartened to discover that Lend is absent for most of ‘Supernaturally’. Granted, his absence is a part of the plot, but I still would have liked more of what hooked me in ‘Paranormalcy’.

I also felt a little led-on by the blurb for ‘Supernaturally’. Reth is mentioned, and I thought that hinted that he would have a bigger role in this second novel . . . especially since his character was trotted out in ‘Paranormalcy’ to tease and intrigue readers. And Reth is a brilliant, complex and shadowed character with much potential. I had my fingers-crossed to read more of him in this book, but sadly his page-time is minimal at best. There is a possibility that he could have a meatier role in the third book . . . but I won’t hold my breath.

I was chugging along in this book, a little disheartened by my lack of enthusiasm for, what I thought was, a really promising new series. And then Kiersten White put the pedal to the metal and really kick-started the plot to run full throttle to the finish line. The last five or so chapters are twisted, and heart-palpitating – the action is frenzied and harrowing and all the characters clash together in a brilliant final crescendo.

Uver-vamp frowned. “Beg Pardon?”

“Don’t make me do this. You remember in the alley? You knew then. I saw it – your instincts kicking in, telling you to be afraid of me.” I leaned forward, my hands balled into fists and trembling at my sides. “You should listen to your instincts.”

He smiled, licking his sharp teeth. “I’m afraid I’m rather more curious than frightened. I want to taste you, find out what kind of monster you are.”

The last few chapters have Evie confronting uncomfortable truths and unearthing lies. It’s an intense dash to the finish – but the finale bumped this book up in my esteem and has me salivating for third instalment, ‘Endlessly’, scheduled for 2012.

3.5/5

'Paranormalcy' by Kiersten WHITE

From the BLURB:

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.

Putting the ‘normal’ in ‘paranormal’

Evie has a fairly typical life. She has an annoying ex-boyfriend who won’t leave her alone, an amazing best friend and a serious obsession with TV show ‘Easton Heights’. Never mind that the ex is a fairie, the best friend a mermaid and Evie lives in a reform centre for paranormal’s. Yeah, totally normal.

Evie may only be sixteen, but she is fairly high-ranking at the International Paranormal Containment Agreement, IPCA. Because of Evie’s ‘gift’ she has the job of bagging and tagging everything from vampires to werewolves, trolls to hags and bringing them to the IPCA for reform and rehabilitation. Because Evie’s gift is very useful to the IPCA – she can see through glamour’s. No vamp or werewolf can hide from Evie, and that makes her invaluable.

But one day there’s a break-in at IPCA headquarters – a shapeshifter boy called Lend who can be anyone’s Döppelganger tries to steal the IPCA’s information about a slew of paranormal deaths. . . and suddenly Evie’s dreams of normal adolescent behaviour is rudely interrupted.

Rehabilitate your Imagination

I absolutely loved ‘Paranormalcy’. I was only a few chapters into this seriously cool book when I knew that I had discovered a favourite new YA series. . . ‘Paranormalcy’ is the first in what will be a trilogy, with second book ‘Supernaturally’ coming out this in fall 2011.

The concept is very unique and Evie is a protagonist like no other. The story takes place mostly in and around the IPCA headquarters, the only stable home life Evie has ever known. She is constantly surrounded by rehabilitated paranormal beings and the humans who ‘monitor’ them. Evie believes herself to be a human with unique gifts, until a slew of paranormal murders and a facility break-in leads Evie to discover some unsettling truths about who (and what) she is. . .

I felt like my mind had short-circuited. I always knew I was weird. But I figured I was a normal human who could do something paranormal. Not a paranormal who could do some things human.

“Evie,” Lish said, waiting until I met her eyes. “You have always known you were different. Do not let this change the way you see yourself. IPCA is – ” She paused and then moved closer to the glass. “IPCA is not always right about everything. You are not paranormal.” She smiled at me, sadness behind her wide, green eyes. “You are special. There is a difference.”

I loved the IPCA centre setting. Evie is surrounded by high-tech gadgetry and characters from childhood fairytales. Her tutor is a werewolf, her best friend is a mermaid and everybody travels via faerie portals. Brilliant! The IPCA centre has a ‘Hellboy’ and ‘Heroes’ feel to it and offered an utterly fascinating landscape.

Epic Love

Evie’s world is shaken-up by a shapeshifter boy called Lend. Lend is a Döppelganger, able to shift forms to look like anyone. . . except Evie is never fooled because she can see through glamour’s, even Lend’s. Lend may be able to ‘lend’ other people’s faces, but Evie is always able to see his watery-self below the surface. And actually, his almost invisible face is really cute, and as the only other seventeen year old in the IPCA centre, Evie gets quickly attached to Lend and his tales of normal human life. . . like high school lockers and proms.

Lend and Evie are easily one of my favourite YA couples, seriously! These two are so cute. I knew from the get-go that these two would be special – Lend as the boy without a face of his own, and Evie the only girl who can see the real him. So freakin sweet! Evie has never had a proper boyfriend (a psychotic faerie doesn’t count!) and Lend is the first boy she has been able to try her flirting techniques out on. Likewise, Lend has never felt himself around anybody (for obvious reasons) but finds himself being open with Evie since he can never hide himself from her. . . *sigh*. These two have a very tender and sweet romance that is no less epic for the gentility of their affections.

Damn Faerie’s!

Evie has another ‘boy’ on her plate. . . her ex, faerie Reth. Reth is cold and smothering in his affections and attentions towards Evie. Regardless of his creepiness, I did find myself oddly fascinated by him. Faerie’s are, by nature, elusive and secretive. Reth drops a few hints throughout ‘Paranormalcy’, and while I’m sure I was supposed to be freaked out by him, I found myself intensely interested in his role in the next book. Hmmm. . .

Make light

The cover hints at a slightly darker, gothic book than ‘Paranormacly’ actually is. Yes, Evie is an orphan in the middle of a killing rampage and government conspiracy. . . but she’s also funny! Evie is obsessed with the TV show ‘Easton Heights’, has a taser called Tasey, wears copious amounts of pink and replaces swear-words with the word ‘Bleep’. She’s a modern Buffy, complete with all the witty trimmings and bubbly attitude. I really loved Evie because while she’s fun and flirty on the outside, on the inside she’s battling some serious demons. . .

Wear your Heart on your Sleeve

Evie is very up-front about her problems. She’s lonely, and feels like all her life no one has ever wanted her (her parents abandoned her at the age of three, and she went through the foster care system until IPCA discovered her at the age of eight). Evie is very open about having nobody in her life beyond the IPCA, and how she craves Lend’s normal family life and his typical teen behaviour. White has definitely written Evie’s heart on her sleeve – and sometimes I wished that, as a reader, we’d had to work harder to know her fears and weaknesses. That being said – I thought Evie’s personal obstacles were fascinating, and very relatable teen problems (if, heightened). Evie just wants to fit in – she wants normal and she wants to be wanted. There’s real heart in this character, distilled in those very wants. . . and I think her cravings for family and normalcy will be an interesting grapple throughout the next two books.

To Read is to Obsess

‘Paranormalcy’ is a blockbuster new YA paranormal read. A kick-butt heroine, epic romance and conniving faeries. . . this book has everything! Evie is an adorable teenage protagonist, and her romance with Lend is swoon-worthy. There’s action, conspiracy and destiny that coalesces into a thrilling plot and unforgettable debut book. White’s ‘Paranormalcy’ series is my new obsession, and I can’t wait for second book ‘Supernaturally’.

5/5