*Disclaimer: I received this book through Around the World Tours.
Kiersten White's debut novel, Paranormalcy is an absolutely delightful story. I loved it!
Our heroine, Evie, is one of the best female characters I've read in what seems like a long time. She hasn't had an easy time of things. She's been living at and working for IPCA (International Paranormal Containment Agency) since she was 8 (which btw, is underground. *shudder*). Now at 16, she has never been able to experience normal. Her best friend is a mermaid who can't speak without a computer to translate, her tutor is a werewolf, and her only experience with the world outside IPCA is when she's sent out on assignment to retrieve a paranormal, and 'tag' them — making them less of a hazard to the human population.
Evie is so valuable to IPCA because she is the only person they've ever come across who can see through a paranormal's glamour — the face that they present to the rest of the world, so she can always spot the paranormals. It's an ideal trait when your hunting them. But it's been hard for Evie. She's 16, and her version of normal is what she can watch on TV. I felt bad for Evie. It must have been incredibly hard growing up away from almost all human contact. But, I was incredibly impressed by her. She made the most of her life, and most of the time seemed genuinely happy. I love the parts of Evie that seem incongruous with her job and her situation. She carries a taser, hunts paranormals, and is really pretty hardcore for a 16 year old. But, her taser is pink, named Tasey, her knife has a pink hilt, her wardrobe contains tons of (yup) pink, she has high heeled zebra print boots (ummm, ya... I want) and she is in love with the high school equivalent of a soap opera, which is also her only tie to a 'normal high school experience.' Sure, she wished things could be different, but she also understood why she was there, and why it wasn't possible for her to have much outside contact.
Everything changes though, once Lend enters the scene. He's like nothing they've ever seen before, and even Evie has a hard time focusing on his real form past his glamour. He's a shape shifter, and is able to mimic any form and voice he sees. He breaks into IPCA, and no one knows why. They contain him, but he's not talking to anyone, until Evie starts hanging around. They form a bond and become really close friends. And of course, given the nature of paranormal YA lately, of course they start a romance, but they were friends, and liked each other as people before they decided they were in love with each other. There was none of that instant flash of recognition/chemistry/whatever that seems so prevelant in YA lit now, and I for one was beyond grateful. I don't actually believe it's possible to truly fall in love that fast. You can definitely become attracted to someone, but that is not love, it's hormones. But I digress...
I though Lend was also a great character. He's pretty down to earth, and is accepting of things he doesn't understand. And, he helps Evie understand herself better too. I liked their relationship, and I liked watching it grow at a normal pace.
I think that the characters, and their relationships with each other are really the best part about this book. The world White created was wonderful, but wouldn't have been terribly memorable or unique without her amazing characters to brighten the world. And when I say characters, I also include her descriptions of the other paranormals that we don't really get to meet. How creepy must it be for Evie to see past a vampire's glamour. We see someone pretty hot, she sees that superimposed over a rotting, decaying corpse. Ugh. The nymphs were wonderful, werewolves interesting, and fairies creepy. I'm actually really excited to see what role Reth is going to have in the future installments.
This book is part of a trilogy, so we don't get to learn everything about Evie's past, and there's definitely more places she can go in the future. But, I loved the way White handled it. Although there are still questions, Paranormalcy ended at a good place. It's not a horrible cliffhanger that's going to leave you angry for a year until the next book comes out. It's a comfortable place to end the story. Although, there is also enough information missing to ensure you're going to be wanting and waiting for the sequel. I'm definitely excited for the sequels to come out. I can't wait to see what the future holds for Evie and her friends, and eager to learn more about her past.