Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Title: Paranormalcy (Book 1)
Author: Kiersten White
Pages: 352

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: August 31, 2010

Sixteen-year-old Evie's job is bagging and tagging paranormals. Possessing the strange ability to see through their glamours, she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency. But when someone--or something--starts taking out the vamps, werewolves, and other odd beasties she's worked hard to help become productive members of society, she's got to figure it out before they all disappear and the world becomes utterly normal.

Normal is so overrated.

All Evie has ever known since she was little, was the IPCA. Her ability to see through glamours has always been valued by the IPCA. But when secrets and lies are uncovered, and IPCA--and her own life--is in danger, she must find the answers to her own questions and finally find out who she really is. One too many secrets, two heart-stopping romances, and one girl to figure it all out.

Ingrained with suspense, romance, and the paranormal, Paranormalcy entrances readers with its addicting prose and lure of mystery. Though set in a paranormal atmosphere, White efficiently and smoothly merges together Evie's teenage world and the tangible paranormal aspects in the novel, compounding a imaginative, entertaining novel. Readers will be magnetized into this electrifying and enigmatic debut.

Evie's personality is tough, witty, and sassy. She isn't afraid of being different, despite her flaws. This makes her a grounded, down-to-earth character as well as a source for humor and sarcasm. And although she works at IPCA, her worries and anxieties are still perceptible to any teenager. Her yearning for a normal, teenage life is palpable to the reader as Evie shows her true vulnerabilities. She is a balanced character who is assertive and mature, but also sensitive and scared. Evie's history keeps her guarded but when she isn't, she truly is an exceptional character both inside and out.

Reth and Lend are both two very different love interests for Evie. Reth is manipulative and overconfident while Lend is genuine and honest. Reth and Evie's previous relationship together is turbulent and almost has a destructive air to it. Evie's feelings for Reth is highly complicated and incomprehensible to the other characters in the novel. Lend, whom Evie is unsure of, at the beginning, is mysterious at first, but as their friendship grows, so do their feelings for one another. Their chemistry is perceivable and natural, developing slowly and consistently.

White's prose mirrors the essence of Paranormalcy, suspense-ridden and unpredictable. The descriptions are clear and expressive, pulling the reader into an authentic paranormal word, rapt with torrents of secrets and unearthly beings. White individualizes common supernatural creatures and makes them unique and more otherworldly, making Paranormalcy sensationally unprecedented.

Seductive, humorous, and prolific, Paranormalcy is a combination of an unpredictable plot, quirky, personified characters, and a convincing setting, all aspects of which, create a valiantly refreshing debut that dares to defy the barriers of young adult fantasy. Kiersten White fearlessly plunges readers into a well-written debut. (A+)

The Bottom Line: A hypnotizing, addicting paranormal read.

---Field Report---
Originality: 9/10
Ending: 9/10
Characters: 10/10
Plot: 10/10
My reaction/enjoyment: 10/10
Theme: 9/10
Imagery: 10/10
Setting: 5/5
Voice: 5/5
Style: 5/5
Tone: 5/5
Cover: 10/10
Total Score: 97/100 (A+)