![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
impyYou know what we haven't done lately? We haven't had me cram a book down your throat.
Let's remedy that, shall we?
If you read the back of the book, ignore it. I can't really see how it ties into Evie's story at all, really. It's selling you a book that it does not deliver. That said, Paranormalcy is a really good read if you like your heroines funny and equipped with a sense of self-preservation. I can't tell you how many books I read where our star is an absolute idiot when it comes to keeping themselves alive without divine intervention. And we're not talking about the ones who are supposed to risk their lives in big, epic showdowns on a regular basis, okay? We're talking the little battles that could be avoided if our hero/heroine had the extra braincells to rub together to not run full stop towards danger for funsies.
Evie lives and works at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, or IPCA, where she helps tag vampires, werewolves, and other things that go bump in the night. Not kill them, merely help IPCA keep tabs on them. Usually by slapping an ankle monitoring device on them. Of course, there are a few tweaks to this device, like holy water for the vampires to keep them from biting people or blowing off their assignment. Whatever.
It doesn't take long to realize that all Evie knows about 'normal' kids her age she's learned about from watching television. As such, she's got a skewed basis for normal, which should either strike you as endearing or annoying. If it's the latter, odds are good you're going to check out now. What else doesn't take long? For Evie's world to be turned upside down. A paranormal no one can identify breaks into IPCA and refuses to talk to anyone other than Evie, and even then he doesn't say anything helpful. Until Evie goes out to tag a vampire and is nearly killed by an angry mob of vamps. When IPCA returns after Evie's escape, which has serious consequences, all the vampires are dead, but there's no visible reason as to why.
Mystery guy confirms that paranormals all over the world are being hunted but no one seems to know anything. Instead of working with Mystery Guy, IPCA ignores the warning signs that are piling up. Remember Evie's rescue? Yeah. She was forced to call her psychotic sort of ex boyfriend, Reth, to rescue her. He's a faerie but he's one of the more frightening types that have been showing up more and more over the years. Evie isn't nearly careful enough with her commands with him and, well... I can't ruin it all. But suffice it to say, Evie is pretty sure that IPCA's reliance on faeries is a Very Bad Thing. And I doubt you'll disagree before it's all over.
And then the mystery paranormal killer hits a little too close to home and all hell breaks loose.
Say what you will, but the idea of a woman ablaze is frightening enough for me, even before you add to it the fact that she's going around stealing people's souls. Some people have complained that Vivian isn't nearly scary enough, but I think that at least in theory the idea works. I think this is one of those areas where the book should have been paced better, but I can't really say for sure because I'm totally biased. (Lish! No! Not enough time, dammit!)
It should go without saying that a big, government agency is likely to have some seriously questionable practices, but Evie's young enough that it makes sense that she doesn't see that coming the same way a normal teenager (or someone older) would.
I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series. Not just because Viv is still alive, even if she's not exactly lights-on-someone's-home.
Oh. And ignore the quote from Aprilynne Pike who is all swoonage over Reth. Reading that quote makes me doubt her braincell capacity. And usually I like the third wheel in any given love triangle, but... No.
Let's remedy that, shall we?
Paranormalcy- Kiersten White
If you read the back of the book, ignore it. I can't really see how it ties into Evie's story at all, really. It's selling you a book that it does not deliver. That said, Paranormalcy is a really good read if you like your heroines funny and equipped with a sense of self-preservation. I can't tell you how many books I read where our star is an absolute idiot when it comes to keeping themselves alive without divine intervention. And we're not talking about the ones who are supposed to risk their lives in big, epic showdowns on a regular basis, okay? We're talking the little battles that could be avoided if our hero/heroine had the extra braincells to rub together to not run full stop towards danger for funsies.
Evie lives and works at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, or IPCA, where she helps tag vampires, werewolves, and other things that go bump in the night. Not kill them, merely help IPCA keep tabs on them. Usually by slapping an ankle monitoring device on them. Of course, there are a few tweaks to this device, like holy water for the vampires to keep them from biting people or blowing off their assignment. Whatever.
It doesn't take long to realize that all Evie knows about 'normal' kids her age she's learned about from watching television. As such, she's got a skewed basis for normal, which should either strike you as endearing or annoying. If it's the latter, odds are good you're going to check out now. What else doesn't take long? For Evie's world to be turned upside down. A paranormal no one can identify breaks into IPCA and refuses to talk to anyone other than Evie, and even then he doesn't say anything helpful. Until Evie goes out to tag a vampire and is nearly killed by an angry mob of vamps. When IPCA returns after Evie's escape, which has serious consequences, all the vampires are dead, but there's no visible reason as to why.
Mystery guy confirms that paranormals all over the world are being hunted but no one seems to know anything. Instead of working with Mystery Guy, IPCA ignores the warning signs that are piling up. Remember Evie's rescue? Yeah. She was forced to call her psychotic sort of ex boyfriend, Reth, to rescue her. He's a faerie but he's one of the more frightening types that have been showing up more and more over the years. Evie isn't nearly careful enough with her commands with him and, well... I can't ruin it all. But suffice it to say, Evie is pretty sure that IPCA's reliance on faeries is a Very Bad Thing. And I doubt you'll disagree before it's all over.
And then the mystery paranormal killer hits a little too close to home and all hell breaks loose.
Say what you will, but the idea of a woman ablaze is frightening enough for me, even before you add to it the fact that she's going around stealing people's souls. Some people have complained that Vivian isn't nearly scary enough, but I think that at least in theory the idea works. I think this is one of those areas where the book should have been paced better, but I can't really say for sure because I'm totally biased. (Lish! No! Not enough time, dammit!)
It should go without saying that a big, government agency is likely to have some seriously questionable practices, but Evie's young enough that it makes sense that she doesn't see that coming the same way a normal teenager (or someone older) would.
I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series. Not just because Viv is still alive, even if she's not exactly lights-on-someone's-home.
Oh. And ignore the quote from Aprilynne Pike who is all swoonage over Reth. Reading that quote makes me doubt her braincell capacity. And usually I like the third wheel in any given love triangle, but... No.
