Paranormalcy, by Kierstan White

  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.

So much for normal.

Evie (whose name is so rarely mentioned that when it was I had to remember who she was) works for the IPCA (International Paranormal Containment Agency or Association or something) because when she was a kid they stumbled upon her and realized she can do what none of them could-she could see through glamours, enabling her to identify paranormals with a single glance. The IPCA took her in and raised the way too bubbly blonde and now, when she's 16, weird stuff starts happening. First, there's the psycho ex-boyfriend, who happens to be a fairy, who wants her heart (not in an Evil Queen in Snow White kind of way thankfully), then there's the hot teenage shape-shifter who breaks into headquarters, oh, and did I mention that paranormals are mysteriously dying?

My sweet and innocent little sisters who devour books (especially young adult fantasy) almost as fast as I do are constantly asking me for book recommendations, and it is exceedingly rare when I actually deem a book appropriate for them. Paranormalcy will be one of the chosen few, mostly because besides for actual cleanliness and age-appropriateness, the writing, characters, and relationships were basic, shallow and juvenile. A perfect example of this is the main character herself. Evie, as an escapee from the foster system and raised by an organization should be resentful and angsty. Instead, she's eternally bouncy, happy, and loves pink. (I was horrified when she revealed, on the 2nd page no less, that her weapon of choice is a pink sparkly taser she calls Tasey. I was praying for a massacre in headquarters when I read that. Then I regretted my prayers a hundred pages later.) Another incredibly irritating thing about Evie is that despite the fact that her work is with the most untrustworthy sort of folk she doesn't hesitate to trust Lend. If you found a guy breaking into a secret organization and rifling through files in one of the head honcho's offices would you befriend him? I didn't think so. Yet, Evie is so desperate for teenage company that she falls for a spy who for all she knows was sneaking in to kill them all. I think the sequel should be about Lend going nuts and running around with a chain saw while changing into the people he kills. That would show her.

Lish and Evie's friendship was adorable, but I think I'd go nuts if my best friend only spoke through a computer and did it in a monotone. I know someone who talks in a monotone and she could be talking about the most interesting thing in the world and I'm already asleep. She could be telling me that the apocalypse is coming and I'll just be snoring away. Which is why I didn't really miss Lish when she ------------. I also didn't really miss her because Evie is a lousy friend who instead of caring about what happened to her fishy pal got all tweeny and excited about her new boyfriend. You know what, I think she deserves the monotone best friend after all.

Also, zebra print dress with pink boots? That is all kinds of outrageous that should not be worn even if the only other option is a Snuggie. Zebra print dresses are risky and pink boots only look good on girls under the age of 6, so when I pictured Evie wearing that in my head she looked like a crazy cougar.

 Don't be fooled by the cover-it's not that serious.

3.9 stars.