Book Review: Paranormalcy

So I've been gone for two months.  Really, I'm sorry.  Computer problems have kept me away, but Paranormalcy by Kiersten White.

that shouldn't be a problem much longer.  Anyway, I thought I'd kick off my return with the review of the book I just finished,

This is the first in a trilogy and centers on Evie, the only person who can see past the glamours Paranormals put up to hide from the normal world.  She works for IPCA, a international containment agency for Paranormals.  Evie's always wanted a normal life, but has always been deprived it.  She's also been deprived a lot of knowledge of the IPCA, even as she works there.  Then one day Lend, a mysterious new paranormal, shows up.  He can shape shift into anyone and his kind has never been seen before.  Evie spends time with Lend, falling in love with him, and then something starts killing Paranormals.  This something, or someone, is intrinsically linked to Evie, and she'd like to know how.

Basically, this is one of those books that incorporates a bajillion types of mythical stuff into it.  There are no real "rules" for specific type of creature.  Sometimes this works well, sometimes not so much.  This book is one of those that works out well.  I was unhappy that there was a lot of focus on fairies, though, because I really wanted to explore IPCA and the types of Paranormals that roamed the world.  Neither of those things happened, and I think that crippled the story.

Also, the pacing had a few problems nearing the end of the book, and Lend's character kind of fell apart.  He was all set up to be this deep, mysterious guy, but then it turns out he really is just a two dimensional character.  Maybe I just feel this way because it was a lighter book, in need of lighter characters, but I was a little disappointed.

If White was trying to set up a love triangle between Reth, Evie, and Lend, she failed.  Reth was a jerk, I mean I really, really hated him, so it really wasn't a love triangle.  I would, however, like to get to know his character a bit more, and then maybe I could like him.

Evie herself was fun.  Her obsession with the color pink got on my nerves, but really it was fine.  The way she acted about her favorite TV show, though, that's exactly how I act about my shows.  It was really funny to see it play out on the page like that, but I loved it.  That kind of personal connection is rare, so I'm glad I found it.

Well, I've got the next two books on my shelf and ready to read, so we'll see how they go.  Till next time, Just keep reading one page at a time.