Review Detail

After reading the summary foreshadowing a faerie prophecy about death and destruction, you would think this would be a dark and twisted, serious read. But that is so far from the truth! Paranormalcy had its moments of darkness, but its an overall light and fun read.

At first all of Evie's references to pink and glitter had me inwardly groaning - I was picturing another Zoey Redbird bullpoopie situation. Fortunately Evie's naiveté and obsession with the colour pink makes her endearingly charming. Her love of normal teenager things, like owning a locker and going to prom, adds to her charm and I couldn't help but get caught up in her excitement for what I take for granted.

The plot moves along nicely and we soon learn that there is more to the organization IPCA, for whom Evie has worked for since she was 8, then we originally thought. As Evie starts to realize that her nobel intentions may have been met with not-so-nobel ends, she starts to question both everything she knows about the paranormal and herself.

Evie is a wonderful protagonist. She's insecure enough to be relatable, without being weak. When she begins to question her beliefs and the ethics of how paranormals are treated, I can see her inner struggle, which only adds to my ability to relate to her. She is fun, and opinionated and while she fears the repercussions of telling the truth, she is brave enough to face the consequences. She's not perfect, but the choices she inevitably makes are the choices you want her to make.

Her relationship with Lend is adorable. Unlike most YA romances out there, it was not love-at-first-sight, and we get to watch the relationship grow from one of convenience to one hinting at love. It was refreshing to watch Evie realize her feelings for Lend might be deeper then just friendship, and the following insecurities about whether her feelings were reciprocated. I loved watching them go from the barest of touches, to the innocence of just holding hands, to their first kiss(es). Again, it was adorable and completely believable; it was exactly how I picture a relationship should develop when its both your first real relationship and you're only sixteen.

The only (not-so) negative thing I have to say is that I felt some of the supporting characters were slightly underdeveloped. I didn't feel the motherly bond between Evie and Raquel (that Evie sometimes mentions) and while I know Lish is Evie's best friend (because I am told so), we don't see Lish in the friendship role very often and so it was hard to see her that way. Reth was an interesting character, and I would have liked a little more history on him, but I'm glad that he was presented as an obstacle to overcome versus an object of Evie's affection, thus creating a love triangle. I hope to see more of him in the future, if only to get some questions answered.