Paranormalcy

Starred review from September 13, 2010
First-time author White shows the technique and polish of a pro in this absorbing romance, which comes closer than most to hitting the Buffy mark. Evie, 16, works for the IPCA, an organization charged with keeping paranormal beings under control. Evie is the only human who can see through any glamour, and she's an expert at "bag and tag"—stun the target, slap on a tracking bracelet, and send it on for processing. It's a dull, regimented, and sequestered life from Evie's point of view, and she longs for normal things like a school locker and a driver's license. When a shape-shifter, Lend, is captured, Evie is drawn to this boy her own age who has lived in the normal world. Lend tells her uncomfortable truths about herself, but shares his secrets, too, and when Evie's certainties suddenly and terribly break down, Lend becomes the person she can count on. The action is fast; fun and fear are in abundance; and Lend's father is actually a cool grownup. How's that for supernatural? Ages 12–up.

December 1, 2010

Gr 7 Up-First in a trilogy, this clever, must-have debut focuses on sassy Evie, 16, who calls the International Paranormal Containment Agency home. Armed with her unique ability to see through all paranormal "glamours" and her trusty pink taser, Evie bags, tags, and helps IPCA track and contain a variety of familiar creatures. Despite her unconventional life (no origin story, mermaid best friend, werewolf colleagues, etc.), she considers herself to be pretty normal-until shape-shifting elemental and extremely cute Lend breaks into IPCA looking for answers and ironically becomes one of the agency's latest puzzles. The more pressing concern: Who's been murdering paranormals? Lend's arrival; fae ex-boyfriend's (literally) hot, increasingly threatening advances; unsettling dreams; and a well-planned attack on the agency force Evie to face surprising revelations about IPCA and herself. White's storytelling successfully balances the fun and the sinister. There's an interesting mix of magic and technology. The pace is brisk with plenty of action. White's faeries (not vamps) are the beautiful and manipulative paranormals to watch out for, a refreshing change for some readers. Characterization is consistent, though Evie is the most fleshed out. A perfect blend of normal/supernatural, she simultaneously doubts her genetic makeup while yearning for and worrying about typical teenage concerns. Featuring a clever, kick-butt heroine channeling both Buffy and a PG Sookie, this book will likely fly off library shelves.-Danielle Serra, Cliffside Park Public Library, NJ

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2010

Evie wants a normal teenage life, but at the IPCA Center (International Paranormal Containment Agency) life is decidedly not normal. Evie's unique ability to see past the glamours of all paranormals to their essence is a valued asset in the efforts to contain werewolves, vampires, hags and the like. Trained to handle their capture, Evie becomes attracted to her most recent catch, Lend, a unique paranormal who can change his look to match anyone around him. It's not his hot teen looks that pull her in, but the magically smooth and fluid way he seems underneath. Add in a faerie who is determined to pull her into real evil and a truly murderous unknown paranormal being attacking the Center for extra zing. Most of the fun of this novel is in the play between this imagined world and Evie's desire for such normal teen amusements as dates, shopping and prom. Her first-person narration is light, but she's appealingly determined to do the right thing when all else is upside down. Good, romantic--and a little weird--entertainment. (Paranormal romance. 10 & up)

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

October 15, 2010
Grades 9-12 Sixteen-year-old Evie learns that she is not quite the person she thought she was in this creature-feature mash-up. Possessing the unique ability to recognize paranormals beneath their glamour, Evie has lived most of her life under the protection of the International Paranormal Containment Agreement (IPCA), an organization dedicated to the cataloging and neutralizing of paranormal creatures. After a mysterious entity begins killing paranormals around the world, Evie discovers some startling truths about her own identity. This is a fast-paced, entertaining debut, reminiscent of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series in its story of a seemingly normal girl coerced to work for a supernatural agenda that she doesnt always understand. White creates compelling tension as Evie longs for a normal teenhood while trying to preserve the humanity she has always believed to be her birthright; a love triangle adds further conflict, as Evie must choose between not only two different interests but two starkly different destinies. Alternately funny and tragic but never maudlin, Whites debut will have broad appeal among fantasy fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)