Paranormalcy

By: Kiersten White

Narrated by: Emily Eiden

Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, 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 Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

©2010 Kiersten Brazier (P)2010 HarperCollins Publishers

Why Did I Wait So Long?

Right now I'm kicking myself for waiting so long to listen to this book. I've had it in my Wish List over 6 months and I'm really mad I left it there so long. This book was wonderful, and the narrator was great too. Very rarely do I find a book that can make me (both) laugh out loud and cry. But, this was one of those pieces of work.

Kiersten White is wonderful at making you understand the true emotions that her characters feel. The love that Evie feels for Lish (her best friend who is also a mermaid), the loathing she feels for Reth (a faerie that seems to stalk her) and the confusion that Lend (an unknown paranormal creature who can steal the appearance of others) brings into her life. Plus, I admire any author that can bring a young adult book to life without any cursing. Instead you get Lish's hilarious monotone voice "bleep"ing. Just try not to laugh when you hear it!

If you're looking for a book to listen to in small intervals during your commute, this is NOT the book for you. This book sucks you in and leaves you wanting more.

Hilarious fun!

I thought the ditzy Valley-voiced narrative would wear on me but after listening to the sample I couldn't help but laugh and enjoy Emily Eiden's portrayal of Evie, who knows nothing of being a real American teenager except what she's seen on a WB/CW-type teen drama. I'm impressed with Kiersten White's debut novel: the story is clever enough to sate those seeking Buffyesque YA fangs, claws, and things that go bump in the night adventures; the heroine is sympathetic enough to keep you engaged until the end. I even found myself eagerly waiting for the next time Evie would excitedly yell "SHUT UP!" (not in a "please be quiet" sort of way, but a "no way, really? that's awesome!" way). Heck, I'm excited for the next one, and I'll definitely get the audio. (And don't you dare change the reader! She's a keeper!)

Fun & funny book without the bleeping cursing!

I love when ya books can be so heartfelt and not cluttered up with all the foul language and innapropriate sex scenes for their age category. The author really made me feel the emotions of what each character was going through. It drew me in and I can hardly wait to start the next book.
Evie is a 16 yo employee of the IPCA, her job is to subdue all paranormals and bring them back to the facility for neutralizing. But instead of making her older beyond her years the author made her just like any other mall loving, clothes buying, tv series addicted 16 yo out there (except she loves school!). Her best friend is a mermaid who talks through a computer and any curse words come out as "bleep". Evie instantly becomes curious about a guy she captured breaking into the facility & from there it's just pure fun and enjoyment.
I totally recommend this book for all ya and not so ya readers.
And the narration was PERFECT... I think Emily Eiden was the perfect choice for this book.
Off to read book 2.
HAPPY READING (listening)

Tons of Bleeping Fun

Plain and simple, this book is hysterically funny and you should read it, like right now. You won’t be disappointed by this bleeping* incredible paranormal adventure.

Evie, age sixteen, is an employee of the International Paranormal Containment Agency (IPCA). Her job: find paranormals, tag them, read them their rights, and bring them in. Her unique ability to see through glamours enables her to easily identify paranormals, making her the best tracker in the world.

Despite her success as an IPCA employee, she longs for a normal teenage life. She wants to have teenage friends, date boys (other than creepy faeries), and feel the cool smooth surface of a high school locker. Maybe even learn to drive as well.

When Evie meets (more like electrocutes) a strange paranormal teenage boy, she is drawn to him and the two become fast friends. As they learn more about each other, he makes her second guess who she is and her life at the IPCA. When things in the paranormal world start to change and creatures around the world are found dead, Evie seems to be the only one who can do anything about it.

Evie’s quirky and super teenagery personality made me laugh out loud, a lot. She is easily my favorite character. My second favorite character would have to be Tasey, her pink rhinestone bedazzled taser gun. It’s a trusty little thing that never failed to kick butt and zap all the things that go bump in the night back in line. Who knew electrocuting things could be so funny?

I also loved the author’s take on the paranormal world. White fills this world with every paranormal creature imaginable and you would think that so many types of paranormal creatures in a book would be over the top, but it’s not. White balances them all well and they all fit nicely into the story line. Evie’s unique ability to see through glamours gives the creatures a little quirk that makes them not your average spooky supernatural being. White delivers her world perfectly and you just know she had fun writing it.

Paranormalcy is a clever and refreshing young adult fantasy read. If you are in the mood for something funny with a lot of the paranormal, this is the perfect book for you. I can’t bleeping* wait to read Supernaturally, the next book in the trilogy.

* Inside joke from the book.

Fun book!

A paranormal YA that doesn't take itself too seriously!

I listened to the audio version of Paranormalcy, and I was really worried that the teenager-y voice was going to grind on my nerves, but it didn't. Not at all! In fact, since I'm not a teen of the 2k generation, I would not have had the right sarcastic tone that the reader, Emily Eiden, brought to Evie.

Kiersten White brought the perfect balance of sarcastic wit and fun first love with dangerous monsters, death and destruction. Especially at the very beginning of the book, Evie reminded me of an updated Buffy - coming from me, that's a huge compliment!

This was a lighter read for those of us who usually gravitate toward the heavier, dark prophecy type paranormal series. It was a nice break.

I was skeptical, but this book is so much fun.

Great story. Despite the paranormal environment the lead character is actually a normal teenage girl. She has a pink taser which she named... can you guess? "Tasey". It is like a teenager wrote this character, which i think is what is missing from this genre sometimes. Fun story and the drama doesn't overpower the "fluffy" moments. Evie and Lend are great characters, i hope there is a second book although the end is pretty conclusive on it's own. The narrator is a bit nasal, but it works for the character.

Worth a credit if you enjoy Teen PNR. :)

Very much a TEEN listen...

Naration voice portrayed a TEEN very well. Story very predictitable. GOOD listen for TEEN. If you are looking for ADULT; this is not it.

Loved it!

The story was wonderfull and adds a suprising new spin on the popular paranormal genre of today. Evie is only 16 and the narrator did a wonderfull job portraying her as a typical teenage girl dealing with atypical situations. Can't wait for the next one.

Left me feeling much too old.

From the reviews I read, I expected a book filled with humor and wit, with a side of supernatural...on the lines of Buffy or early X-Files. I didn't laugh at all and took about three times longer than normal to work my way through the book. It was light-hearted enough, but lacked depth and substance. I could have walked away at any time and probably not thought about it again.

If you like Vampire Academy or The Vampire Diaries series...I think you will love this. They gave me the same vibe. If you are a parent looking for a contemporary and safe read for your child...this is one of the best choices I have come across in this genre. I was actually impressed with the lack of bad language and sexual references. Even the violence was minimal.

No complaints about the narration. It grated on my nerves at times, but that was more in the phrasing, which would have been a problem reading as well. I really do think the voice of the character was accurately portrayed.

Overall, I would recommend it for a younger audience or someone who enjoys more youthful humor. If you are looking for something along the lines of Molly Harper read by Amanda Ronconi...this is not it.

I can't believe I loved it so much!

Would you consider the audio edition of Paranormalcy to be better than the print version?

Probably not, Emily Eiden is enthralling. She brings the story to life!

What other book might you compare Paranormalcy to and why?

Not a book, but think about the movie Clueless. Cher is flighty and silly at times, yet very smart and caring. You can't help but love her. For me, that is Evie. Full of surprises.

What does Emily Eiden bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Her Evie is so cute! Fun, sassy, feisty. Her other character voices are great. She does a few accents that are just fine. I also really dug her Lish voice. Not easy to be a computer, and one that doesn't drive you nuts.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Poor Lish. That's all I can say.

Any additional comments?

The humor mixed with touching, serious moments was really excellent. This book made me laugh out loud. It painted pictures with such great detail, and you cannot help but love Evie!