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Publication Date: September 1st, 2010
Publisher: HarperTeen
ISBN: 0061985848
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal/Supernatural
Source: My bookshelf
Lootability: ***
Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie’s always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shape-shifter, and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal.
Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.
Could White have made her main character, Evie, anymore pink and sparkly in her new paranormal novel for YAs,
Paranormalcy? For a girl separated from other teens, brought up surrounded by vampires, mermaids and other scary supernatural critters, she is the stereotype of a teenage girl. If she were a comic character her speech bubbles would be pink and glittery.
What I Liked: White produced an interesting view of paranormal creatures and methods for their containment. For example, Vampires are tagged with a leg tracker that will dose them with a lethal amount of holy water if they feast on human blood.
The International Paranormal Containment Agency is the ruthless guiding hand of the world's paranormals, determined to keep them under control by any means necessary.
What I Didn't Like: Evie was Vampire Hunter Barbie. The girl took down a vampire (cool, right?) with a pink rhinestone covered taser. Shouldn't there be some kind of OH&S rule about impairing the quality of your weapon? You know, maintain the dignity and usability of your weapon?
Her taser - cleverly and creatively named Tasie - is the perfect example of her creepy Barbie ways (what with matching her knee high high heeled boots and zebra print dress...)
But mostly the problem with Evie is a a problem that thrives in YA literature. A few morons once said, "
OMG, like, OMG, seriously?" a few too many times and have tainted an entire generation. I'm not sure if its an American thing but I've been there, I have friends who live there and no one seemed to be a completely hollow headed moron with a speech impediment.
So here's a call out to all YA authors, please stop portraying all teenagers as mindless chimps in pink pumps.
#RantOver
Reading primarily YA novels, it gets annoying to see every character being based on stereotypes and I've taken that frustration out on my rating of this book. However, Evie does have some redeeming qualities, when she isn't muttering inanities or flashing her rhinestones (seriously though, am I the only one who fines rhinestones completely hideous?), that make her an easily likable protagonist. I would be her friend if she'd let me train the Barbie out of her.
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Cover Conversations: I want to live in that dress forever and always (see I do like some pink!). The cover model looks poised and elegant, if only every other mention of fashion hadn't been so...
