3/5 stars
Oh Paranormalcy, I have such mixed feelings about you. Your beginning is everything I love. A smart-mouthed heroine carrying a bedazzled taser taking on the parnormals of the world. Evie is delightfully teenage--a bit boy crazy, TV-loving, addicted to all things sparkly but she's also a little bit kickass. Evie works for IPCA (International Paranormal Containment Agency), using her special ability to see through all magical glamours to bring paranormals to justice and keep mankind safe.
For me this book fell apart in the second half. It's all rolling and fun until Evie meets a boy. The boy is a strange sort of paranormal, a water-based shapeshifter who can take the appearance of anyone. Only Evie can see through his disguise and stops him from infiltrating IPCA. He's trying to get the answer to what's killing paranormals. Outside of IPCA hundreds of paranormals are dying. Nobody can save them because nobody knows who's killing them or how they're doing it.
Once Evie starts falling for Lend, who is a sweet sorta boy just as nondescript as his watery image personality wise, she stops caring about anything else. She wants to step back and let the grown-ups handle the problem. Nevermind the prophecy that appears to refer to her and ends with "death death death." Nevermind that her closest friends and paranormals around the world are dying.
You know what Evie starts caring about? Lockers, handholding and prom. I'm all for frothy books with both adventure and kissy-time but you've got to find the balance. This book goes way too far into the "I want to be a normal teen" direction. Here's the thing: for the most part we don't want to read about normal teens. Books and stories deal with the extraordinary, whether it's real life problems or fantasy. Frankly when people are dying and Evie might be the only one to save them, the main character shouldn't be more concerned about her prom dress than the deaths.
I'm frustrated by this book because some of it is fun but by the end I felt so disappointed. I wanted something like Hex Hall, but I feel like I got a watered down version. Nothing's wrong with glitter, pink dresses and boys. But it's also not nearly as important as paranormal genocide and the death of a friend.
4 comments:
I get your review, particularly considering the title of the book!
LOL, Cassi I'm pretty sure I would have felt the exact same way while reading this book. Can't we just keep going with the fun action and mysteries and paranormal creatures? Bah! :) Really great review, lady.
I actually quite liked this book. I think it's perfectly fine that she wants to be a normal teenager; that makes her so real in my eyes. Still, thanks for the honest review ^^
Tinberbell: You think they'd focus ont hat wouldn't you?
Catie I think you'd have the same problem too. Thanks!
Mel: A lot of people like this book. I just get frustrated when boys take precedence over everything else. Also, her best friend dying should've had more of an effect on Evie. Death is hard.
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