Amanda Shofner

Actual rating: 4.5Original review: http://onabookbender.com/2011/08/31/review-paranormalcy-by-kiersten-white/Evie is what sold me so quickly on Paranormalcy. Her personality is so strong that it jumps off the page and grabs you. I was halfway through reading page 2 when I posted that update to Goodreads. It happened right here:“Tasers are a one-size-fits-all paranormal butt-kicking option. Mine’s pink with rhinestones. Tasey and I have had a lot of good times together.” And I was in love. Normally, I am not so easy. But then, Evie is anything but normal. She is bleeping fantastic. Her innocence — in more ways than one — is tangible, and her desire to be normal is overwhelming. She is most definitely a teenager, but rather than annoying in her teenage throes, she is bright and cheery, if occasionally insecure and unsure of her place in the world. That, or I’m turning into a total YA fan (again, all Tara’s fault) and it doesn’t bother me. Stranger things have happened.Evie’s characterization of Raquel’s sighs was hilarious, and only partly because it reminded me of my mother, who once rated an associate on her sighing on a scale of 1 to 5. And of course, Lish and her bleep bleep bleeping were awesome. You know, the kind of awesome that you want to copy in your own life. So if you see bleeps around here, you’ll know why. I loved the rest of the characters as well. Lend will lead to a video blog, which I may or may not post tomorrow depending on how cool I feel about doing it.The plot, while I was able to guess some of what was going on, was still enjoyable. The story ends nicely, yet still leaves enough hanging that I instantly put Supernaturally onto my wishlist. Paranormal creatures in Evie’s world have glamours that conceal their true identity. Evie is the only one who can see through those glamours. I don’t know that I have seen glamours done in such a way before, and liked the idea. The pacing was fantastic, and I zipped right through the book in two days. I would have read it in one, but I started the book too late in the day and I’m a cranky old woman who needs her sleep.