Sunday, November 25, 2012

Nothing Normal About Her: Paranormalcy

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
Harper Teen, 2010

Oh, what wouldn't Evie give for a normal life? Ever since she was a toddler, she's been living with the International Paranormal Containment Agency, all because she has the one-of-a-kind ability to see through the through the glamours that magical creatures use to make themselves appear normal to humans. Plus she has a demented faerie for an ex-boyfriend, she's falling for a new boy who is a shapeshifter, and she finds herself caught in the middle of an ancient faerie prophecy that could result in the total destruction of all paranormal creatures around the world.

I was recommended this series by several students of mine at the school where I work. These girls were horrified that I hadn't read it yet and insisted that despite my reservations due to paranormal-overload the last few years, White's story was one worthy of my time.

Paranormalcy is a great selection for the younger teens in your life, perfect for those especially in their freshmen or sophomore years of high school. No swearing, no sex, a believable amount of action in this interesting world that has been built, and a fun premise. White has written an entertaining paranormal story that does have some romantic elements, but that's hardly the whole point (cough cough Twilight cough cough). Evie is a girl who longs for normalcy and is actually faring pretty well given her extraordinary circumstances. The relationships in her life clearly mean a lot to her and I felt a lot of empathy in her search for answers and desire to do the right thing, especially as it becomes clear to her that her paranormal world is even further from normal than she ever could have realized.

All in all, it's a cute story and a series I could see myself picking up again in the future if I happen to see copies of the sequels Supernaturally and Endlessly are on library shelves. If you're looking for a light paranormal read (or the young teen in your life is), then this is probably the book for you.

Comments welcome, and, as always, happy reading!

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2 comments:

  1. I thought Paranormalcy was a cute read but I haven't been dying to pick up the other books in the series.

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    1. That's how I felt, too. I'm fine with that I read it, but I won't actively seek out the sequels (at least for the time being)

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