Review: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Title: Paranormalcy
Author: Kiersten White
Genre: YA Paranormal
Publishing Information: September 21, 2010 by Harper Collins

Where I got it: E-book from the library

One sentence: A teenage ward and employee of the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie is determined to find out who or what is killing paranormals, only to find out that she and her abilities may be involved.

Themes: Paranormal creatures, humor, romance, mystery/crime, urban fantasy

Main character: 4.5/5
Gahh, Evie was adorable! She was cute, likeable and funny- and it all makes sense because she doesn’t know very much about the world outside of the IPCA. I know a lot of people thought that Evie’s pink taser named Tasey was ridiculous- but even that gave her an individual flare and funky style. I really liked how Evie was different from the new trend in YA female protagonists- it was extremely refreshing.

Secondary characters: 4/5
I really liked Lend and I especially loved the way White developed their relationship as more of a friendship at first. The only secondary character I wanted more from was Reth- I wish I knew more about his motivations and why he was so obsessed with Evie. I think it was very cool how White exploited and played upon some of the stereotypes already in play in paranormal YA fiction, as well as jumping outside the box and creating fun and memorable new characters.

Writing style: 4/5
I loved the personality in the character’s conversations, and most of the pace was exceptional. It moved easily and quickly without skipping things or making me confused. There were a couple scenes in the middle where things started to drag, but they were few and far between. White had a fast-paced and witty writing style that I enjoyed.

Plot: 3.5/5
I thought the initial concept was adorable and fairly original. I love the first couple chapters as they just lay out the feel of the novel and introduce the premise so smoothly! The conflict kept my attention, but I wouldn’t say it was particularly innovative or fascinating. I did enjoy some of the twists, as they kept me guessing.

Ending: 3.5/5
Slightly anticlimactic, but still reasonable. I like how it had a complete conflict that resolved itself, but still left many questions to be asked.

Best scene: Meeting Lend in the IPCA headquarters

Positives: Strong characters, fast-moving and enjoyable writing style, unique premise

Negatives: Just okay conflict, a couple slower parts

First Line: "Wait-did you-You just yawned!" The vampire’s arms, raised over his head in the classic Dracula pose, dropped to his sides.

Cover: Absolutely gorgeous! A little darker than the book ended up being.

Verdict: So cute and fun, but also original and well-thought out. A major page-turner.

Rating: 8.2 / 10