Paranormalcy
4/5
()
About this ebook
Discover the first book in a sparkling paranormal romance trilogy from Kiersten White, #1 New York Times bestselling author of And I Darken.
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 supernatural glamours.
She’s also about to find out that she may be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.
So much for normal.
For fans of Teen Wolf, Buffy, and Supernatural, this New York Times bestseller is a witty, fresh, and downright fun read that will capture your heart.
Kiersten White
Kiersten White is the New York Times bestselling author of the Paranormalcy trilogy, The Chaos of Stars, and the psychological thrillers Mind Games and Perfect Lies. She has neither magic nor a pet bird, but wants both. Kiersten lives with her family in San Diego, California.
Read more from Kiersten White
The Chaos of Stars Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Illusions of Fate Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to Paranormalcy
Titles in the series (3)
Paranormalcy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Supernaturally Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Endlessly Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related ebooks
Supernaturally Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Endlessly Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Carrier of the Mark Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A Beautiful Dark Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Darkness Becomes Her Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sweet Evil Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Haven Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Nevermore Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Beautiful Evil Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Switched Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hollow Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Halo Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Unearthly Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Fractured Light Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sweet Peril Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wake Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shade Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Essence: A Pledge Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mind Games Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Embrace Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Crusade Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Radiant Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Angelfire Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Die for Me Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shadow of the Mark Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Oblivion: A Nevermore Book Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Defiance Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Indelible Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hidden Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Empower Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
YA Paranormal, Occult & Supernatural For You
My Lady Jane Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This Savage Song Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Defy Me Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Serpent & Dove Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Restore Me Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5City of Bones Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Bone Witch Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5City of Glass Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Clockwork Prince Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This Poison Heart Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Imagine Me Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Reveal Me Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Clockwork Angel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Silence Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shadow Me Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Heart Forger Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Gilded Wolves: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Siren Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Thirst No. 1: The Last Vampire, Black Blood, Red Dice Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Wee Free Men Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lobizona: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Devil in Ohio Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Night World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wake Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anna Dressed in Blood Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This Wicked Fate Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The First Horror Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Splintered: A Splintered Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Grimmer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related categories
Reviews for Paranormalcy
971 ratings131 reviews
What our readers think
Readers find this title to be a good book with an original story line. The book is well written and engaging, with the reader finishing it in one sitting. Some reviewers felt that the conclusion was sudden and the supporting characters were a little hollow, but they hope that a sequel will address these issues. Overall, readers love this book and consider it one of their favorites.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Originally posted at The Wandering Fangirl.Paranormalcy is one of those books that is just plain fun, with a cute, sassy heroine and a plot chockful of vampires, faires and weres, oh my! While it wasn't the best of the YA paranormal genre, there was enough fun and sass to keep things light.Evie, our heroine, is a tiny, pink-loving paranormal sort-of-cop, raised without parents by an international agency that polices paranormal creatures. She's a wonderful, fun protagonist, and she's the life of the entire book. I really enjoyed reading about her, and felt for her the entire time. The other characters are pretty decent as well -- Lend is kind of adorable, through Evie's eyes. I loved her best friend Lish, the mermaid (selkie? I forget) and her mother figure, Raquel, the head of IPCA, the paranormal agency that raised her.The integration of all the paranormal creatures was great, and I loved that the fae folk aren't entirely the best to work with. I love fiction that shows the fae as dangerous as they really are, and Paranormalcy totally delivered on that end.It's a great little book with a larger than life main character in Evie, and I can't wait to get my hands on Supernaturally.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Evie's been living at the International Paranormal Containment Agency (IPCA) facility since she was eight. She can see through glamours and that makes her valuable to the IPCA, an agency that captures "paranormals." She's great at her job but really bad at what she considers "normal" teenaged life--she gets all her information about that lifestyle from a tv show that she watches with her best friend, a paranormal living in the IPCA.
I like Evie, I like how she's childlike--because in many ways she's been kept that way--and I like how she tries to make her work into something pretty and sparkly like she sees on her tv show. And I really like how brave she is in stepping out into a new world. - Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5I found the book lacking any real plot. I had a hard time staying focused on the book and couldn't really follow along. The story was all about a girl and how her life was. I wasn't too thrilled with "Evie" throughout most of the book and wish that she could have been a little more, adult, about things. She was the perfect whiny teen and got on my nerves a lot. Once the book was finished I was happy to see everything resolved and will grudgingly start the second book in the series, just to make sure I know what happens, because no matter what, I always finish a series once I start it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I love to read YA and PNR books. So its was pretty natural that I ended up picking up this book. Well having read a good bit of these books Paranormalcy is different. While most YA paranormal books are about vampires or werewolves this one has it all. And some lesser seen paranormal entities like water spirits, and hybrids.
I enjoyed the book enough to read it in one day while I know its not long that doesn't happen often. I felt like Evie was a little different than most the heroines in this genre. Of course she was a slight mary sue, but it seems almost inescapable these days. Her mary sue traits aren't as noticeable as in other books fitting this genre. I really enjoyed the character Lend throughout the series along with Reth. I also enjoyed hearing more about other types of paranormals throughout the book. I really hope the second one includes more of them.
Besides Evie's horrid fashion sense for the most part the book was really good. I enjoyed it and can't wait to pick up the next one. I think if your into this type of book its a great read and well worth your time. If paranormal YA books aren't you thing then I wouldn't pick it up. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Still may go all the way to 5 stars on this. Evie's voice was great. Very well done character. There were some surprisingly perceptive things under the surface. Good dialogue; no awkwardness at all, anywhere. Both scary and very much fun.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wow 2 words: Freakin Amazing (well one out of two isn't actually a word but who cares). Ms. White can you please tell me your secret to making an amazing plot combine with great characters and lots of fun. Let me tell you I never thought a bunch of different supernatural creatures could fit into a novel until I read Paranormalcy , which by the way I totally recommend. I will admit I was very hesitant to start to this book for some odd reason. I guess everyone has been saying so much good things about it and I was afraid that I wouldn't feel the same way, but I totally regret waiting cause it's an awesome book.Evie is your typical girl, well not really. She 16, can see through paranormal glamors, lives inside the Paranormal Agency, has a best friend who is a mermaid and has a faerie trying to steal her heart. Add 2 hot looking guys, a few good plot twists and an end that will have you craving for more and you've got Paranormalcy.I loved how unique Evie was. She wasn't afraid to wear different fashions and be outgoing with people she meets. Even though she is in a tough situation she does her best to stick through it till the end which makes her a strong female lead. Evie is the type of girl who loves pink and watching her favorite teen drama show known as Easton Heights. She is the girly girl, which usually isn't my cup of teen but somehow I enjoyed her being that way. I also enjoyed seeing her out in the open, in the real world, and how excited she got about the littlest of things. An example of this is a locker (read and you'll understand).My favorite character was Reth. I was so excited whenever he appeared. He so sexy, dangerous, controlling and unaware of human interaction. I won't say much about him since that would spoil the plot, but I'm excited to see him in the next book.Lend is another male lead who swoon's Evie's heart. I love the name, lol. It's so original and different.I'm at a cross as to whether I'm Team Reth or Team Lend. I'm kind of a bit of both.The only thing that bother me in the novel was that some of the dialogue was a bit unrealistic. But other then that, it was all good.I'm super excited for Supernaturally, which is book 2 of this series. I have a lot of questions and I can't wait to find out the answers in the next book. If your looking for a good supernatural read then I definitely pick Paranormalcy.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This wasn't a particularly dark book, but it wasn't particularly light either; it was more like a shade of gray. Most writers wouldn't have been able to pull this off, but Kiersten White did, and she did it well. The plot was original, the character was relatable and lovable, and there was both action and humor. Oh, and did I mention paranormal romance WITHOUT the usual vampire/werewolf hero? All these equal a fabulous book that I read again and again.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5You can't deny that Kiersten White's debut has a fantastic cover That alone will cause readers to flock, but it's Evie's charm and the unique plot that will entice them to stay... and ask for seconds.The word I most closely associate with PARANORMALCY is fun. There's mystery, there's romance, but, mostly, this book is an engaging, quick read. At just over 350 pages, PARANORMLCY is one of the thicker YA volumes I've read of late, but, for the most part, the action moved at a quick pace and the chapters whizzed by.I was impressed with the variety of fantastical and interesting characters White packed into Evie's world. She included the standard vampires, mermaids, etc, etc, but also cast a shapeshifter (without fur!) and many more, often creepy, creatures!The one aspect of PARANORMALCY that I found lacking was the romance. It was cute, but it was missing the tension I'd hoped for. I liked the boy, I liked the girl, but I wanted more fire. Hopefully my tension-filled wishes will be fulfilled in the next installment!
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5I really want to give this book more than a two star rating because, as the two star description states, "it was alright"; but I couldn't do it - it just didn't hook me, you know? I just felt that any potential the paranormal story line held was ruined by the pointless dribble about Evie and her annoying love life and amazing high school lockers (read the book and you'll understand my frustration).
I'll start with the things I didn't like with this novel. Firstly, Evie. Gah, she was just so whiny and annoying. I know, she was a sixteen year old stuck in an underground, government facility, but she just didn't agree with me. Everything was a problem, life was out to get her, she loves someone she's just met, she couldn’t use a knife because it wasn’t pink, she missed Easton Heights TV show or whatever the hell it was called, yada yada yada... I know this book is a YA novel, so I expected some teenage spiel about feelings/pointless rubbish, but if I had to listen to "I think he likes me" or "I just held his hand for the nine thousandth time" one more time, I would have probably clawed my eyes out or thrown my kindle across the room.
Ahhh, I really liked the underlying idea behind this novel, the story line had potential but it was just drowned out by nonsense like “Ah, programme is on!!!”- it was so frustrating!
*Breathes*
Right, oh did I mention Lend? - point case number two on my hate list. Am I only the person who didn’t fall for his flat, boring character? Ughh, his artistic skills (cliché, I swear every story has an artistic supernatural male; ‘cause all the girls for mysterious artistic types right?) and his typical shallow male comments like “you look hot” make me want to stab him. Or suck out his soul - whatever, just get rid of him.
I didn’t believe their “love”; maybe on the basis that Evie is a sixteen year old girl, who may or may not have been in a relationship with a psycho faery. I don’t know, I was told Reth and Evie were together but apparently they never touched or did anything relationship wise, which makes me think she’s like one of those adolescent girls who convinces herself she’s in a relationship with a boy because he said her hair looked nice? I don’t know, it just seemed like their relationship was made up in her head. This then makes me think that the whole “I heart Lend” thing is utter rubbish. She, again, sounds like an adolescent girl who is in love after two days of being with someone. *Sighs*
Oh, that reminds me, how can I forget the constant sighing? *Sarcastic-rolls-my-eyes-whilst-shaking-my-head sigh*
Reth, Reth, Reth. You could have been such a good character, I really liked you to begin with and then you transformed into this weird kidnapper/stalker character who tried to put your warmth into Evie at every opportunity (weird, just plain weird) and it demolished any faith I had in you, or your side of the story. It just ended. Right there.
It pretty much sounds like I hated this book right? Wrong, surprising I actually enjoyed some parts, however, they were seriously out shadowed by the pointless teenage drivel .
I actually liked the fact that Kiersten White included different types of paranormal being. She had the A typical vampires, werewolves, ghosts and faery characters, but she then had mermaids, gremlins, shape-shifters, water nymphs - I mean you had a brilliant chance to make this book amazing but it just kinda fell flat. I have never read a book with such a variation of characters and I just felt the opportunity was wasted.
You could also say, I really liked the idea of Evie thinking she was human, but in actual fact wasn’t. She was something more and I loved how she realised that all that trust in the IPCA was a cover up really - they were essentially using her but were petrified of her ability. Ah yes, her ability. I loved this concept. I’ve not read a book like this that incorporates a special ability like this. It’s unique, but it’s a shame it was overshadowed by the other rubbish in the book.
I won’t drone on, there are a million things I didn’t like or didn’t agree with in this book. Like I said before, I felt it really did have the potential to be brilliant, it had the element of Evie’s ability and the combination of all of the unexplored paranormal creatures but it just didn’t work.
I’d also like the state that, if a sixteen year old girl wore a zebra print wrap dress and neon pink stiletto boots outside the house, she would be labelled something more sinister than “hot” and she would be attracting a different male age group entirely *sigh*. - Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5I have vague memories that people really loved this when it came out. I might be wrong though… Wouldn’t be a bad thing this time…
The biggest problem for me was Evie. She was way too naïve and childish. And liked pink more that is healthy in my opinion… She was found as a small child and grew up in IPCA - organisation that monitors all things paranormal – and yet seems totally clueless what IPCA does or about her own past.
She falls in love with Lend, paranormal who was captured by IPCA. Apart from being practically the only teenage boy she’s met, I don’t see what Evie saw in him. I just thought he was boring.
The most interesting thing was the fairies. They weren’t as “controlled” as everyone seemed to think. Evie’s ex Reth came at first a bit stalkerish but he turned out to be the most interesting pearson in the book. First you think he’s good, then he seems bad, then good.. And he seemed dangerous. Like he could have killed everyone. Or maybe that’s just me hoping.
This was quick and easy read and I can safely say that I won’t continue this trilogy. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I have heard mostly positive things about this YA series and decided to try it out for myself. Overall I really enjoyed the books and found a lot of specifics very unique even though there are more paranormal YA books on bookstore shelves than I can count."Paranormalcy" is about Evie, a teenage girl who works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, or IPCA. Basically what the agency does is track, capture, and contain paranormals. After a paranormal is `tagged', the agency tries to tame them or make them as safe as possible. Many, including vampires and werewolves, actually come to have positions within the agency. Evie is a special human who can see past glamours to see what kind of supernatural being the agency is dealing with. She was a foster child who ended up being raised by the IPCA.When paranormals start being murdered things start to take on a new urgency within the agency. They hope to find and capture the killer but the killer seems to be targeting the IPCA's creatures. When a paranormal teenage boy breaks into the IPCA, Evie is intrigued by him and finding out his link to the murders.I loved a lot of things about this book. First and foremost is Evie. She is sweet, slightly sarcastic and funny. She has grown up isolated from other kids her age and has never attended regular schools or gone on dates. She is excited by everything and I thought she was enchanting. Lend, the mysterious teenage boy is also a really fun character. The reader isn't let in on all his secrets right away and its interesting to see what kind of a person he is and where he came from slowly revealed.I liked the way the fairies were portrayed. You never really know where their loyalties lie. There is a lot of aspects of all the book's characters that isn't black and white or good or bad. This actually adds a nice bit of realism to the fantasy book. I don't want to go into detail but I also liked that Evie's world wasn't exactly what she always believed it to be. She had to make big decisions and trust her own instincts even when it meant going against the desires of someone she loved. I applaud books with strong and unique characters and "Paranormalcy" definitely had that!A couple of things kept this book from being perfect for me. Although I completely was glued to the first 2/3s of the book, after that point the pace seemed to falter. I also wasn't a big fan of the dream scenes. The not knowing what is really real concept is not a favorite. I also wasn't a huge fan of Vivian, even as the villain. The ending (as it involved Vivian) felt like it went out with a whimper rather than a bang.Still I was very pleased with this book. I think there is something special about this book and I am going to read the follow up as soon as possible. I would encourage readers to try this one.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I have been hearing many wonderful things throughout the blogosphere and twitter about this book. I am happy to say that those people had it right. Kiersten White did a wonderful job at combining all of the things we love most about the paranormal world. In this book you will find vampires, werewolves, faeries, hags and many other paranormal creatures, some that were new to me. One would think that with that many different elements within one book, things might be a little complex and complicated, but no. White clearly knows just what we are looking for. Evie is one of the best female protags I have seen in a long time. Probably the best actually. She was unique, to say the least. With that aside though, she was a strong character, who also had a vulnerability about her. Not weak, but unsure in some instances, which I think actually made her character stronger and more rounded. Lend was awesome as well. Quite mysterious and swoonworthy. The romance within this book is just perfect. Slow starting off and then finally being revealed near the end. It was an action-packed ride full of paranormal creatures and romance that had me constantly wanting more. I didn't want it to end.Overall, one of the best books of the year. I loved everything about it from the quick wit of Evie, to the sad parts(you'll have to read to find out). It was all very well written. I look forward to the next book in this series, Supernaturally, which unfortunately doesn't come out until September 2011, but it's definitely already on my wishlist.Recommended for any fan of paranormal YA. :)
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Good Stuff * Absolutely delightful, I just really enjoyed this one * Evie reminds me of a young Buffy * Tons of cheeky smart ass comments which made me lmao on the bus -- must remember to stop reading fun or sad stuff on the bus, people stare * Story runs nice and smoothly with tons of action * Unusual story and truly unique * Storyline and dialogue kept me immersed in the story and made me not want to put the book down * Nice ending to the story, except now I am impatient for the next book in the story * Brilliant and fun introductory chapter reminded me of Buffy and from than on, I was pretty sure I was going to love the bookThe Not so Good Stuff * The book was so much fun and the ending intriguing that I need the next book now -- when the hell is the next book coming outFavorite Quotes/Passages"Wait - did you - you just yawned!" The vampire's arms, raised over his head in the classic Dracula posed, dropped to his sides. He pulled his exaggerated white fangs behind his lips. "What imminent death isn't exciting enough for you?""Oh stop pouting. But, really, the widow's peak? The pale skin? The black cape? Where did you even get that thing, a costume store?""Lish tried to swear--which is always funny, because the computer won't translate it. It went something like this: "Bleep stupid bleep bleep faeries and their bleep bleep bleep obsessions. He had better stop bleep bleep bleep the bleep bleep rules or I will bleep bleep bleep the little bleeeeeeeeeeep." "You could try. And I could taser you again so hard you wouldn't wake up for six hours, giving you even less time to make it to Romania. So, can I keep reading you your rights?" He didn't say anything, and I picked up where I left off. "If you fail to report within the next twelve hours, you will be terminated. If you attack any humans, you will be terminated. If you attempt to remove the tracking device, you will be terminated. We look forward to working with you." I always thought that last line was a nice touch. "What I Learned * That I just plain prefer paranormal books with a quirky sense of humour * Man I wish I had Evie's gifts * Teens are so lucky, that they have all these fun choices for them to read, better than what we had at their age (wow, I'm feeling old today)Who should/shouldn't read * Teens and adults with a sense of humor and a love for the paranormal * Buffy fans would enjoy * Fans of Jennifer Estep, MaryJanice Davidson and Julie Kenner will also enjoyI got this book from the public library, because so many people had written amazing reviews about it
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5As a whole, I enjoyed the storyline but after a while Evelyn started to grate on my nerves. I would recommend it to others who like this genre; however, the annoyingly immature outlook of the main character may stop me, personally, from reading the sequels.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Paranormalcy was every-bleeping-thing I wanted in a YA novel! It has spunky characters, a Good Vs. Evil thing going on, and awesome writing.I completely fell in love with Evie’s character. Her voice captures you. Who doesn’t love a character with a pink blinged out taser?!? She is definitely kick ass! Her “power” is cool to… it’s making me think Edward( from Twilight) = EEK and Hello Lend! I liked Reth(Evie’s EX) but he’s still a mystery to me and definite Man(Faery) Candy- who doesn‘t love a guy who says my love .And Lend, he’s so sweet, a definite keeper(with soft lips *ahem*)I enjoyed reading Kiersten's writing. It was fresh and fun. I was hooked. I do hope that Evie will have a normal life; one that involves a boring old locker and a drivers license, but from now I can't wait to read what Kiersten has in store for us next. I guess I’ll have to wait* anxiously* until Supernaturally comes out *tear*ARC courtesy of Publisher.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/53.5 I've been wanting to read this since it came out and I saw good reviews for it. I am just now making time to get some books from the past few years of blogging that I know that I have missed out on, and for the most part it has been a great experience. The world building in Paranormalcy is good, simple enough but it has many supernaturals that add to the world. Evie herself has grown up in the agency after bouncing from foster homes. They took her in when they realized she saw through a glamour (outside appearance) to the real identity and look of the supernatural below. She has always thought of herself as human, and the work she does tagging other paranormals as helpful to the world in general. But a prophecy and a new guy, the likes of which Evie has never seen in the paranormal spectrum before shows up and things get a lot more action packed and adds in twists. Lend, the new guy, seems so sweet, and he marvels that Evie sees who he really is and they both really enjoy spending time together. There is also a fairy Reth who Evie used to have a special connection with, that Evie used to love but now just is scared that he is trying to take her heart. Things clear up a bit when Evie realizes that she has someone much like her but that the two differences in the prophecy could mean one for her and another for the mystery gal. I really enjoyed the romance and Evie's general outlook. She has never been to school, only watching a popular tv series about the "normals" that she loves. Her best friend is also a paranormal, she is like a mermaid and they have her in a tank. She speaks through a computer generated software and they have many laughs as she tries to say curse words and all that comes out it is bleep. I flew through this one and will be sure to read the next to see what will happen with Evie, Lend, Reth and the others I got to know in this book. Bottom Line: Good and fast paced paranormal.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Evie is a teen who works for the International Paranormal Control Agency because she has the unique ability to see through the glamors paranormal creatures use to disguise themselves. When a mysterious new paranormal creature appears at IPCA's central headquarters, Evie is fascinated by him. As it turns out, he came to the Center to try and solve the mystery of why large numbers of paranormals are suddenly dying -- but the IPCA knows even less than he does, and soon he and Evie find themselves running for their lives. Of course, they just happen to fall in love somewhere along the way. . . .This cute story is most likely to appeal to a middle-school audience -- lots of action, a sweetly innocent teen romance, and a main character who is both feminine and tough as nails. It's also refreshing to note that the vampires are portrayed as disgusting rotting corpses under their glamors, with nary a sparkle in sight!Paranormalcy does appear to be the first book in a series/trilogy, but it leaves only minimal loose ends. I liked it enough that I will probably read the sequels when they are released.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Paranormalcy was an interesting book about a teenage paranormal hunting girl that had lived in a compound for her entire live. I thought that it was a very entertaining and fun to read book and I enjoyed it a lot. It had a lot of original parts that kept me going, but after reading it you look back and see that it is somewhat of a cookie cutter type plot. I won't go into further detail to avoid spoilers, but it isn't the type of thing I would read multiple times. It reminds me of romantic comedies. They all have the same basic plot, just the actors and situation changes. All in all it was good, but I doubt I will read it again.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Paranormalcy successfully walks a fine line between lameness and humor. The book certainly is following on the tail of all of the other paranormal fiction being written now. White does not add anything new particularly, but does do some interesting things with the conventions she chooses to use. Evie, as a heroine, is not particularly impressive. She can protect herself to some degree, she is a little above average intelligence-wise and she is hugely innocent. In essence, she does seem like a real girl. She loves everything in the color pink, like her taser (Tasey) and her knife (no pink bullets, but she would have used them if she had a gun). While I found this absurd, I found it to be so in an entirely believable way.
While romance is a big part of Paranormalcy, it will probably disappoint some teen readers for its lack of sexual activity. The characters keep it PG, even in their thoughts, except for a couple of weak innuendos. The innocence of the characters is actually refreshing after having read so many teen books about seriously sexually active teenagers. While that may be true to life too, not all teens are that quick out of the starting gate. One of the scenes that sold me on White's portrayal of a teen girl was when the couple has their first kiss (the first kiss for both of them). The moment is awkward and sweet. When it's over, Evie keeps remembering the kiss, causing the "giddiness [to] set in anew." (No page number because I read this on my Kindle.) This perfectly captures a girl's thoughts in such a moment.
No, Paranormalcy is not a paragon of literature, even when limited to young adult titles, but it is a fun read. It is amusing and better written than many. For a fun, quick, humorous read, Paranormalcy is well-worth the time. - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5An enjoyable story, but nothing special. Evelyn isn't a bad main character, and I kind of like that she's a ditzy teenage girl. Gives me some big Buffy vibes. But it just made me want to watch Buffy, not read more.But anyway. It's an interesting story, and not entirely stereotypical. I'm still curious as to what Evie actually is; I'm not sure they ever explicitly said. I really don't want her to be a brand new made-up creature. It'd be so much cooler if she was something from mythology or fairy tales.Evie and Lend are cute, though it's awfully convenient she falls in love with the very first teenage boy she ever meets. I'm kind of expecting their love to go sour because of this, but I don't think I'd complain if it didn't. Like I said, they're pretty cute.Overall, not a terrible YA urban fantasy romance. It's fun and not too serious; perfect for a good escape.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book came out when I was about DONE with reading paranormal and thirsty for more contemporary novels. However, I got to meet the author at an event this past weekend. She did a reading from the sequel Supernaturally, and I was intrigued. When she talked about what the book was about, I was even more intrigued. This wasn't your typical paranormal.
I figured if the book was at least as entertaining as Kiersten, then I'd enjoy it. I was right.
I LOVED it. Evie is a great character--kick butt and funny. And Lend. Oh Lend. I LOVE that it's a book set in a paranormal world with a girl who just wants to be normal. She gets excited over the funniest things. And it was a page-turner for sure.
So, not much of a book review per se, but I'm looking forward to picking up Supernaturally and giving it a go. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fun, kind of a new take on Men In Black with faeries and other "species" instead of aliens. I love the main character. It's fun to see her fall for a boy who is literally transparent while trying to fend off her ex-fae boyfriend. Can't wait to see where the series goes in book 2!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book was bleeping fantastic (sorry I couldn’t resist). Kiersten White has written a clever, witty, humorous, awesome book. Paranormalcy was a breath of fresh air for me. I am currently very tired of werewolves and vampire stories, but this book is about other aspects of the paranormal genre. The story line was completely unique. I loved the idea of a secret organization like IPCA, working to collect all the “paranormals” from our world. I was immediately hooked from the first chapter and didn’t want to put the book down. Evie is truly the star of this book and who makes this book awesome. I love Evie’s voice. She was smart, sassy, stubborn, and I-could-kick-your-butt kind of girl. She constantly had me in giggles more times then I could count. While Evie is not a normal girl, having grown up working for the IPCA collecting paranormals for as long as she can tell and having the ability to see through paranormal’s glamour, she seems like a typical teen. Evie was just a fun character to read and truly made the story for me. Paranormalcy was definitely not what I was expecting, but in a good way. The plot was truly amazing. I had no idea where Evie would take us next or what was going to happen. When I thought I had the plot figured out, something else unexpected would happen. The characters were all great. I loved all of them, from Evie, to Lend, to Reth and Lish. And the romance? Perfect. I loved Lend. He as a particularly interesting paranormal who could change what he looks like whenever he likes. Lend and Evie had create chemistry and I could not wait for them to get together. The ending of Paranormalcy left me frantically hitting the forward page button on my nook looking for more. I didn’t want it to end!! I cannot wait for the next book in the series so I can learn more about Evie and what she really is. Kiersten White is an author to look out for and I highly recommend Paranormalcy to anyone who wants a sassy, intriguing, fast-paced read.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Great read! I can't wait for the next one!Evie lives a glamourless life. She can see through the glamours of all paranormals, which makes her a permanent resident at the IPCA center. She longs to live a normal life, but her life can never be normal. She falls in love with Lend, and is being sought out by faeries. Throughout this book, Evie discovers more and more of her past and what she really is. When paranormals are suddenly being killed everywhere, Evie is drawn to the person doing the killing and finds out they have alot in common.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I've been reading a lot of YA paranormal, urban fantasy and straight fantasy lately. So, I picked up this new author because it wasn't the same old plot. It was well written, a great world and predicament. A fast read with lots of adventure. Definitely someone to watch.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Evie is a teenager who works for IPCA, the International Paranormal Containment Agency. This agency catalogues and keeps track of paranormals (vampires, werewolves, faeries...). She has an advantage over the other workers as she can see through glamours.
Her life changes when she meets Lend, a shape-shifter, and finds out she is related to a mysterious creature that is killing paranormals.
I had read so many good reviews about Paranormalcy, that I had to check it out. I wasn’t disappointed and I would recommend it to all the people who like this genre.
One of the reasons why I liked this book so much is the main character. Evie fights against vampires and werewolves, but she is a normal teenage girl who likes to go shopping and watch tv series and who forgets to do her homework. She is not a perfect super-heroine, but a girl that could be in any high school class.
We see the events through Evie’s eyes and at first she doesn’t know much more than the reader. Evie thinks that she is just one more normal person in the IPCA and that she has just an advantage over the other workers. Her surprise and questions are understandable when she finds out that she is not just one more worker but a paranormal of a very high level. She starts to question her whole life and her relationship with IPCA and the chief, Raquel, who has been like a mother to her.
Evie’s view of the world changes drastically when she meets Lend’s family. Their view of paranormals is completely different from the one of IPCA. Most paranormals are just as normal as any human when given a chance. They have feelings and can love, feel sad and enjoy tv series. Like everybody. They are not a threat to humans.
Paranormalcy is a great story that shows that people, no matter how different, are just people. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Great characters and a new take on the paranormal world.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I loved this book. I loved how it was completely different from anything else I have read.... sure it had the vampires and the werewolves, but I loved the spin Kiersten White put on it. I loved the characters too, I loved how we saw and felt how isolated Evelyn was and how much she just wanted to be normal.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I know this is sort of a "duh" statement, but I'm reading a LOT of paranormal YA lately. And while I love it dearly and desperately, a lot of them are more or less the same. Teenage girl meets guy who's also a vampire/werewolf/faery and love and angst ensues. And I'm totally okay with that, because the people who write these books are awesome and it's a formula I love.I say all that to say this--Paranormalcy is different. (While yes, there's a teenage girl and love-angst, it departs from my usual formula.)Evie works for IPCA (International Paranormal Containment Agency), which makes her sort of like Buffy, only she arrests the vamps/werewolves/hags/shapeshifters instead of killing them. She's got a hot pink taser she calls Tasey and her best friend's a mermaid. Her sort-of ex is a faery and she's got feelings for a shapeshifter she arrested. And this is in the first few chapters, well before all the REALLY interesting stuff happens.I love Evie, I love Lend (shapeshifter) and I even love Reth (possibly sociopathic faery Evie used to date). I love this book and I cannot wait for its sequel. And know who else loves it? Becca Fitzpatrick. Highly recommended.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I have been looking forward to this book since finding Ms. White on Twitter and Facebook. Evie is as delightful a character as her author is. I savored this book on my recent vacation and eagerly look forward to many more books from Ms. White. Wonderful dialogue, intriguing characters and quick pacing held my attention from the first sentence.
Book preview
Paranormalcy - Kiersten White
OH, BITE ME
Wait—did you—You just yawned! The vampire’s arms, raised over his head in the classic Dracula pose, dropped to his sides. He pulled his exaggerated white fangs back behind his lips.
What, imminent death isn’t exciting enough for you?"
Oh, stop pouting. But, really, the widow’s peak? The pale skin? The black cape? Where did you even get that thing, a costume store?
He raised himself to his full height and glared icily down at me. I’m going to suck the life from your pretty white neck.
I sighed. I hate the vamp jobs. They think they’re so suave. It’s not enough for them to slaughter and eat you like a zombie would. No, they want it to be all sexy, too. And, trust me: vampires? Not. Sexy. I mean, sure, their glamours can be pretty hot, but the dry-as-bone corpse bodies shimmering underneath? Nothing attractive there. Not that anyone else can see them, though.
He hissed. Just as he reached for my neck, I tased him. I was there to bag and tag, not to kill. Besides, if I had to carry separate weapons for every paranormal I took out, I’d be dragging around a full luggage set. 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.
The vamp twitched on the ground, unconscious. He looked kind of pathetic now; I almost felt bad for him. Imagine your grandpa. Now imagine your grandpa minus fifty pounds plus two hundred years. That’s who I’d just electrified.
Tasey’s work done, I reholstered her and pulled out the vamp-specific ankle bracelet. I placed my index finger in the middle of the smooth black surface. After a few seconds it glowed green. Grabbing the vamp’s ankle, I pulled his pants leg up to reveal the skin. I hated looking at these guys and seeing their pure white, smooth skin at the same time as their shriveled corpse bodies. I clamped the tracker on, and it adjusted to the circumference of his ankle. Two soft hisses sounded as the sensors activated and shot into his flesh. His eyes flew open.
Ouch!
He grabbed at his ankle, and I backed up a few steps. What is this?
You’re under arrest under statute three point seven of the International Paranormal Containment Agreement, Vampire Protocol. You are required to report to the nearest processing facility in Bucharest. If you fail to report within the next twelve hours, you will be—
He lunged for me. Sidestepping, I let him trip over a low gravestone. I’ll kill you!
he hissed, trying to pick himself up off the ground.
Yeah, you really don’t want to do that. That shiny new piece of jewelry I gave you? It’s got two little sensors—think of them as needles—jammed into your ankle. And if your body temperature were to suddenly rise, say by the addition of human blood, the sensors would inject you with holy water.
His eyes widened in horror as he tried to pull the bracelet off, scraping against its sides.
Don’t do that, either. If the seal is broken, holy water, poof. Got it? And I activated the timer and beacon. So not only do they know exactly where you are, they also know your time limit to get to Bucharest. Miss it, and—do I really need to tell you?
His shoulders slumped. I could just snap your neck,
he said, but I could tell it was halfhearted.
You could try. And I could tase you again so hard you wouldn’t wake up for six hours, giving you even less time to make it to Romania. So, can I keep reading you your rights?
He didn’t say anything, and I picked up where I left off. If you fail to report within the next twelve hours, you will be terminated. If you attack any humans, you will be terminated. If you attempt to remove the tracking device, you will be terminated. We look forward to working with you.
I always thought that last line was a nice touch.
The vamp looked dejected, sitting there on the ground and facing the end of his freedom. I held out a hand. Need help up?
I asked. After a moment he reached out and took it. I pulled him up; vamps are surprisingly light. Having no internal fluids’ll do that to you. I’m Evie.
Steve.
Thank heavens he wasn’t another Vlad. He looked uncomfortable. Um, so, Bucharest? You wouldn’t happen to have money for a train ticket?
Paranormals, honestly. I reached into my bag and handed him a bunch of euros. Getting from Italy to Romania wouldn’t be easy, and he needed to book it. You’ll want a map and directions,
I called as he started to slink off through the graves. Poor guy. He was really embarrassed. I handed him the sheet of directions to the Bucharest Processing and Assignment building. It’s okay to use mind-control tricks to get through borders.
I smiled encouragingly.
He nodded, still morose, and left.
Finding Steve hadn’t taken as long as I had worried it would. Excellent. It was dark, I was freezing, and my vampluring outfit of a wide-necked white blouse wasn’t exactly helping. Plus I stuck out like a sore thumb in Latin countries, with my platinum blond hair in a braid trailing halfway down my back. I wanted out of here. I punched in the number of the Center on my communicator. (Think cell phone, without a camera. And they only come in white. Lame.) Done. I need a ride home.
Processing your request,
a monotone voice said on the other end. I waited, sitting on the nearest gravestone. The communicator flashed five minutes later. Sending transport now.
The trunk of a large, gnarled tree about fifteen feet in front of me shimmered, and the outline of a door appeared. A tall, slender man walked out. Well, not man, really. His figure was distinctly male, although it seemed stretched—a little too narrow. With delicate features and almond-shaped eyes straight out of an anime cartoon, his face was, simply put, beautiful. It made your heart ache with the desire to do nothing but stare at him for the rest of your life. He smiled at me.
Shut up,
I said, shaking my head. Did they have to send Reth? Sure, the Faerie Paths were the fastest way from here to there, but that meant going from here to there with him. And unlike the happy fantasy of faeries as delicate, tiny winged things who love nature—yeah, not so much. Faeries are a lot more complicated than that. Complicated and dangerous. Walking briskly up, I held out my hand and clenched my jaw.
Evelyn,
he purred. It’s been too long.
I said shut up, didn’t I? Let’s go.
He laughed, a silvery sound like bells, and traced one long, slender finger along my wrist before taking my hand in his. I tried not to shiver. He laughed again and we stepped through the oaken doorway.
I closed my eyes; this part always freaked me out. I knew what I would see if I looked—nothing. Absolutely nothing. Nothing under my feet, nothing above me, nothing around me. I put one foot in front of the other and held onto Reth’s hand as if my life depended on it. Since it did. No human could walk the Faerie Paths alone without being lost forever.
And then it was over. We stepped out into one of the cool, fluorescent-lit hallways of the Center. I yanked my hand away from Reth’s; his special brand of warmth had already spread through my arm and was creeping even farther.
Not even a thanks?
he called after me as I stalked down the hall toward my unit. I didn’t look back. Suddenly he was right next to me. We haven’t danced in so long.
His melodic voice was low and intimate. He reached for my hand again and I jumped back, pulling out Tasey.
Back off,
I hissed. And if you come out without your glamour on again, I’ll report you.
His glamour wasn’t much less good-looking than his real face, but it was regulation for faeries.
What is the use? I could never hide anything from your eyes.
He moved closer.
I shoved down the feelings bursting through me. Not again. Not ever again. Luckily we were interrupted by a shrieking alarm. Something was loose. A hairy little gremlin, mouth open wide and acidic saliva dripping from sharp teeth, was booking it on all fours toward us.
I watched it as if in slow motion. The gremlin made straight for me, a rabid gleam in its eyes. It leaped into the air and I kicked out hard, sending it sailing down the hall, right into the arms of the containment worker chasing it. Goal!
I shouted. Dang, I was good.
Thanks,
the worker said, voice muffled through the mask.
You betcha.
Reth’s hand had found the small of my back. I wanted to lean into him, let his arms wrap around me, let him take me away…. Then I remembered the time. Oh, crap!
I ran down the hall past the worker and still-snarling gremlin. After a couple of turns, I put my palm on my door pad, bouncing impatiently until the door slid open. Reth hadn’t followed me. I was glad. Okay, maybe a little disappointed. And then mad at myself for being disappointed.
I dashed inside, grateful that my settings kept the unit at eighty-five degrees, and flopped onto the purple couch. Turning on the flat-screen TV that took up nearly the entire pink wall, I sighed in relief. My favorite high school drama, Easton Heights, was just starting. Tonight’s episode promised to be spectacular—a masquerade ball in which tiny masks somehow hid identities enough for everyone to make out with the wrong person. Where did they come up with this stuff?
A POPULATION OF NIGHTMARES
The vid screen next to my couch buzzed again. It had been doing that off and on for the last thirty minutes. Finally, my show over, I hit the connect button. I was staring into a pair of green eyes, right in the middle of a green-tinged face. The image wavered, like always, since Alisha was underwater.
Why haven’t you checked in yet?
a monotone voice asked. I always wondered what her real voice was like. All we got was the computer program translating what she said into something we could hear.
Got done early—my show was on.
Her eyes crinkled up into a smile. It was good that she had expressive eyes, since her mouth barely moved. How was it?
"You wouldn’t believe it. It was a costume party. First Landon? He totally made out with Katrina. Who’s dating Brett, right? But then Brett thought he was with Katrina, but really it was Cheyenne, her sister, who knew that he thought she was Katrina and tricked him into kissing her, then took off her mask and he was, like, what on earth? And then Halleryn filmed Landon kissing that tramp Carys."
Alisha blinked her transparent eyelids slowly.
Man, high school must be awesome.
I found myself wishing I could be part of normal drama for once. Paranormal drama didn’t have nearly as much kissing.
You need to check in with Raquel,
Alisha prodded, her eyes still smiling.
Fine, fine.
I adored Lish. She was my best friend. Once you got past the weirdness of her robo-voice, she had a great sense of humor for a paranormal. Of course, unlike most of them, she was grateful to be here. Her lagoon had become so polluted it was killing her. Now not only was she safe, but she had something to do. Apparently being a mermaid is dead dull. I watched The Little Mermaid with her once a few years ago—she thought it was freaking hilarious. She couldn’t stop laughing about the shell-bra thing, given that mermaids aren’t mammals. Plus, as she put it, Prince Eric was far too hairy and peach colored
for her taste. I always thought he was pretty hot, but then again, I am a mammal.
Leaving my unit, I walked down the cold, sterile halls to Raquel’s office. We could have just done follow-up over the vid screens, but she always wants to see me in person after a job to make sure I’m okay. I kind of liked that.
I knocked once and the door slid open. The room was white—white walls, white floor, white furniture. Can you say boring? Raquel was a nice contrast. Her eyes were so brown they were nearly black, and her dark hair, pulled into a severe bun, was streaked with just enough gray to be distinguished without looking old. I sat, and she looked up from a stack of papers on her desk.
You’re late.
Her voice had a slight Spanish accent that I loved.
Actually, I’m early. I said I’d need four hours; it only took me two.
Yes, but you got back almost an hour ago.
I figured I’d take a little personal time as a reward for a job well done.
Raquel sighed. She was a professional sigher—the woman conveyed more emotions with a single exhalation than most people do with their entire faces. You know how important follow-up is.
Yeah, yeah, I know. Sorry. My show was on.
One of her eyebrows rose ever so slightly. You want a recap, too?
Most of the paranormals didn’t care about my shows, but Raquel was human. She’d never admit it, but I was sure—sure—that she liked television dramas as much as I did.
No. I want you to debrief.
Fine. Walked through the cemetery. Froze my butt off. Saw the vampire. Vampire tried to attack me. Tased the vampire. Tagged the vampire. Read the vampire his rights. Sent the vampire along. His name was Steve, by the way.
Any trouble?
Nope. Oh, wait, yes. How many times have I asked to stop working with Reth? Do we need to go for an even hundred?
He was the only available faerie transport. And if we hadn’t sent him, you would have missed your show.
A small smile played at her lips.
Fine, whatever.
She had a point, after all. Just, could you send one of the girls next time?
She nodded. Thank you for reporting. You may return to your room.
She turned her attention back to the papers. I started to leave, then paused. She looked up. Is there something else?
I hesitated. But what did I have to lose? It’d been a couple of years. Might as well ask again. I was wondering, you know, about maybe—I’d like to go to school. Normal school.
Raquel sighed again. This was more of a sympathetic, I know what it’s like to be a human wrapped up in all this nonsense, but if we didn’t do it, who would? kind of a sigh. Evie, honey, you know you can’t do that.
Why? It wouldn’t be too hard. You could just send for me whenever you need me. It’s not like I have to be here 24/7.
Truth was, here was kind of nowhere. The whole Center was underground. Not much of an issue when you have access to the Faerie Paths. It did, however, lend itself well to the occasional overwhelming bout of claustrophobia.
Raquel sat back in her chair. It’s not about that. Do you remember what it was like before you came here?
This time I was the one who sighed. I remembered. I had been bounced through the foster care system my whole life, until that fateful day when I was eight. I’d gotten tired of waiting for my newest foster mom to take me to the library, so I decided to go by myself. I was cutting through a cemetery when a nice-looking man approached me. He asked if I needed help, and it was like he was two people at once—the nice-looking man and a withered corpse, both there in the same place, the same body. I screamed bloody murder. Lucky for me, APCA (the American Paranormal Containment Agency) had been tracking him and stepped in before he could do anything. When I started babbling about what he looked like, they took me in.
Turns out my ability to see through paranormals’ glamours to what they are underneath is unique. As in, no other human on Earth can do what I do. That’s where things got really complicated. When other countries got wind of what the APCA had, they freaked out. The UK especially—you wouldn’t believe the level of paranormal activity they deal with there. They hammered out a new treaty, forming IPCA (the International Paranormal Containment Agency), the key items in the treaty being international paranormal control cooperation and, oh yeah, yours truly.
So I had to admit Raquel was probably right. My life of containment sometimes sucked, but at least I had a home. One where I was wanted.
I shrugged, pretending I didn’t care about school anyway. Yeah, cool, whatever. I’ll talk to you later.
I felt her eyes on me as I walked out. It’s not that I’m not grateful to IPCA. I am. They’re the only family I have, and things are better here than they had been in the foster system. But I’ve been working full-time since I was eight, and sometimes I get tired. Sometimes I get bored. And sometimes all I want, more than anything else in the world, is to go on a freaking date.
I went back to my unit. I had a pretty nice setup. A small kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and the main room with my awesome TV. The white walls in my bedroom had long since been covered. One was dedicated to posters of bands and movies I liked. Another was draped with an awesome hot pink and black leopard-spotted curtain. A third wall was my canvas. I wouldn’t call myself an artist, but I had fun painting whatever came to mind—sometimes nothing more than just splashes of color—and changing it when I got bored. The paint was probably two inches thicker now than when I moved in.
I pulled on my favorite pair of pajamas and undid my thick braid. Somehow microwaving dinner and watching a movie won out over doing homework. I must have drifted off to sleep at some point, or maybe I was half asleep, I don’t know. But I’m sure I was dreaming, because I kept hearing a strange voice, almost singing. Eyes like streams of melting snow, cold with the things she does not know.
Over and over again, that line, in the most haunting way. It was as if the voice was pulling me, calling to me. I wanted to answer. Just as I was ready to call out, another alarm jarred me awake.
I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and reached over to check my vid screen for an announcement of what was going on. I pulled the screen up, but all it showed was a flashing red WARNING. Lots of help there. I pulled on my robe, grabbed Tasey, and poked my head outside. I knew alarm procedure called for me to stay in, but I wanted to figure out what was going on, and now.
I ran down the empty hallways; strobe lights were going off to warn any paranormals that couldn’t hear the alarm, although you could feel the dang thing it was so loud. Reaching Raquel’s door, I palmed it. That’s the nice thing about being me—all access, all the time. I ducked inside; she was at her desk, calmly rifling through some folders.
Raquel,
I panted. What’s up?
Oh, don’t worry about it.
She looked up at me and smiled. Or rather, the thing wearing Raquel’s face looked up at me and smiled. Raquel’s face shimmered over—What? I couldn’t describe it. It was somehow featureless, with eyes the color of water. If it hadn’t been wearing Raquel’s face, it would be like it wasn’t there at all.
I forced a smile to mask my terror. Woke me up from the freakiest dream.
I’m sorry. I’ve got some work to do. Why don’t you scoot along?
It went back to the files.
Sure, as long as you don’t need me.
Turning toward the door, I casually walked closer to the desk. Oh, Raquel?
Hmm?
I flicked Tasey onto her highest level. You dropped this.
The thing wearing Raquel’s face looked up as I lunged forward and jabbed it in the chest with the Taser. Its water eyes opened briefly in shock before it collapsed to the ground.
Horrified, I made my way around the desk. I had heard of things that could eat a person alive and wear her skin. The idea gave even me nightmares sometimes, and my life was populated by nightmares. Please, not Raquel,
I whispered, trying not to throw up. Raquel melted away, leaving the strangest thing I had ever seen. Which, given my job, is saying a lot.
NOT-ME AND I
My eyes couldn’t seem to focus on the creature. They kept slipping down its sides, unable to find anything to hold on to. It wasn’t invisible, exactly, but it was as close as a physical being can be. Imagine trying to walk up an eighty-degree incline covered in six inches of ice. That’s what trying to look at this guy was like.
I was pretty sure it was a guy, at least. He kinda wasn’t wearing any clothes, and I was grateful that he’d collapsed in such a way as to cover himself. I was at a loss for what to do next when the door slid open and the real Raquel rushed in, followed by two security guards.
He didn’t eat you!
I threw my arms around her, on the verge of tears.
The guards rushed by us, and Raquel patted me stiffly on the back. No, she didn’t eat me. She just punched me very hard in the face.
It’s a guy,
I said.
"What is it?" she asked. We walked over to look at him. The guards stared down, perplexed. One scratched