I'm back
again with day nine of the month long Buccaneer
Blogfest hosted by Sharon
Bayliss and Courtney
Young.
Before
I get started, first I'd like to thank everyone who commented on
Wednesday's post. The continued support and
words of encouragement are greatly appreciated.
Reading:
July 27 - Recommend or review
a book of choice. Tell the interwebz why you love it!
I've been waiting for this, because I've
so excited to talk about Kiersten
White's Paranormalcy
series,
the third instalment of which was released on July 24th in the US and will be out on August 2nd in the UK.
Before
I read the Paranormalcy
series
I, wrongly, assumed that all paranormal romances were like Twilight,
and lacked compelling characters or substance. Kiersten White
proved
me wrong. The Paranormalcy
series
is what paranormal romances should be like.
Evie,
the protagonist, is compelling. She's independent, while still
vulnerable. Sassy, while still caring, and full of life. Her teen
voice, which could have become annoying, is actually hilarious and
one of the aspects that really drew me in to the series. I love how
she says "bleep" instead of swearing.
The
boys … oh the boys are something else. While there is a triangle,
of sorts, it isn't contrived. Evie isn't flip-flopping between the
two in an annoying manner. Her love interest, Lend, is an
exceptional typical guy. I won't reveal what his deal is, but he
manages to couple the paranormal with the normal. He goes to
college, he has lab work to do, they talk about prom. While her ex,
Reth, is the bad boy you love to hate, and you know if you just
scratch the surface there's a lot of depth and mystery there.
Coupling
the normal with paranormal is actually a huge part of the series,
and while Evie slays vamps, she still has to go to class and do her
homework. Along with the fantastical elements, there's something
really releatable about a story of a girl who just wants to fit in,
find her place in the world and have a normal life. I think we've
all been in that position.
The
"monsters" are thrilling, and it's clear Kiersten White
knows her stuff. My particular favourites are the vampires, who
aren't glamorous, dazzling creatures of the night, but in fact
walking corpses under their Glamours.
Each
book is full of twists and turns, and the endings were never
obvious, while still been successfully set up for. They left you
guessing what happened next, and wanting more, while still offering
a sense of completion.
All
these reasons, a many more – fantastic supporting characters, a
fully realized thought out world (including the concept of the
International Paranormal Containment Agency) – are why the
Paranormalcy
series
is one of my favourite young adult urban fantasy series.
