Paranormalcy

Paranormalcy follows the efforts of the International Paranormal Containment Agency (IPCA), a group tasked with policing various mythological beings who live secretly among humans. The protagonist of the story is an IPCA officer named Evie, a teenage girl who possesses an ability to detect paranormals disguised as human beings. Evie's allies include a shape-shifting boy named Lend Pirello, who she meets as the story begins, and a faerie named Reth, whom she previously admired. Both young men become romantic interests of Evie's as the tale progresses, while the three of them are joined by other companions as well. At its center, Paranormalcy examines Evie's attempts to balance her IPCA duties with her growing desire to lead a normal teenage life. ==Background==

Conception While experiencing "an abundance of normal" during the early phases of motherhood, author Kiersten White developed "a fascination with all things paranormal". She eventually began to question "what you'd do with a vampire if you didn't want to kill it." This led her to envision the International Paranormal Containment Agency, along with the story's cast. Many of the story's themes were drawn from the author's own experiences as a teenager—including matters of loneliness, secrecy, and isolation. White was also inspired by the events of "a tough time" during her adult life. However, she ultimately found this to be an inappropriate foundation for the character of Evie, who she considers vulnerable but spunky. She then rewrote certain material in order to find the proper voice for her protagonist. ==Novels==

Publicity Prior to the release of Paranormalcy, White commended her publisher and agent for being "very supportive and involved," also complimenting the work of her publicist. In anticipation of the series' debut, HarperCollins produced an Internet book trailer and a video interview with the author. Additionally, numerous copies were released for early review by Book It Forward Tours. Book signings were also scheduled for White. In addition, interest in producing a film adaptation arose prior to the novel series' release. Author Sarah J. Maas gave the novel a glowing review, stating that it consistently held her attention, and calling Evie "the perfect blend of sass, smarts, and sensitivity". She also stated that, "In a desert of stalker-esque, sparkling, and all-around emo love interests, Lend is an oasis." With regard to the overall story, she concluded, "I haven't read something this delightful in a while". The Hiding Spot also praised the novel's pacing, and lauded "the variety of fantastical and interesting characters White packed into Evie's world." However, the review found the romance between Evie and Lend to be lacking, citing a minimal amount of tension as the primary reason. The Compulsive Reader stated that the story "delves both into faerie lore and Evie's own nature, which is not only fascinating, but suspenseful." In a review for Salt Lake City Weekly, Scott Renshaw commented on the young-adult paranormal genre, and remarked that "Paranormalcy refuses to wallow in the angst we might have come to expect from such tales." He also applauded the narration as "lively", and declared the story "an appealing adventure that provides a few twists on familiar premises." While reviewing Supernaturally, Renshaw described Evie as "a heroine who's troubled without being mopey and is never a passive participant in the wild events around her." ==References==