Review Detail

I’m currently convinced that Kiersten White is some kind of YA genius. I mean, YA paranormal romance is “the genre” these days (well it was before dystopians came along)—everyone and their pet turtle is writing something paranormal. And for my little historical fiction loving self, I’ve always been on the fringes of that genre. Well, let’s just say that if I were ever to write a paranormal romance for myself, I’d want it to be almost exactly like Paranormalcy.

For one, Paranormalcy isn’t a very serious book. In comparison to all the doom and gloom paranormal novels out there, this one is suprisingly upbeat and fun. It’s like a paranormal beach read or something. It’s so girly and cute, contrary to the dark and mysterious cover.

The best part about this paranormal is that it has it all. Literally. Vampires, werewolves, mermaids, faeries, trolls, hags, nymphs. It’s like the supernatural family get together. Supes R Us or something. And it totally turns the whole “only one kind of supe per series“ thing right on its head.

And like I said, Paranormalcy is totally girly. There’s kissing and prom and soap operas. Expeditions to the mall and conversations about makeup. It’s just really fluffy and totally not what I was expecting.

Now okay, Evie, the main character is a teensy bit shallow and is most likely a Mary Sue. However, she was really fun. I mean, she carries around a pink rhinestone taser named “Tasey” and has an obsession with clothes—especially pink clothes. I don’t know, she’s just so girly that she’s adorable, and yeah, maybe she’s kind of unrealistic, but hey, she’s got a personality that’s pretty unique for the genre, so I’m not going to complain.

And, of course, there’s the obligatory YA romance. For one, Lend is invisible. For two, he’s pretty sweet. For three, it’s a YA romantic pairing—they’re all pretty much the same and there’s not much to touch on. I definitely didn’t hate the romance, all told.

Anyway. Sign me up for book number 2! (Yeesh, my wallet is getting skinny.)

Verdict: I was totally surprised by Paranormalcy, in the best way. It’s a cute, fast-paced read featuring a funny protagonist and a great collection of supes. What’s not to like?