Beneath the Surface

Paranormalcy (Paranormalcy trilogy #1) by Kiersten White (HarperTeen hardcover, 31 August 2010).

Even though sixteen-year-old Evie has spent most of her life living in the headquarters of the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she considers herself a normal teenager.  Sure, she neutralizes paranormal creatures around the world because she can see through their glamours, but she still loves clothes, watches the most popular teen soap Easton Heights, and her handler Raquel makes her study and do homework.

Her best friend Lish is a mermaid who also works for the IPCA, running the control center from inside a large aquarium.  As expected, Evie is often lonely, at least until a paranormal named Lend gets caught trying to break into the building. 

No one can figure out what Lend is, and Evie has never seen anything like him before.  Bust she does learn that he's about her age, and lives as a human, going to high school and other "normal" stuff. 

At the same time, there's paranormals are suddenly being murdered everywhere, and no one can figure out who.  Some of  the IPCA administrators think Lend might be involved, but Evie is certain he's not.  And she's just as certain that the creepy faerie Reth is, even though Raquel says he can be controlled. 

This story is a great combination of mystery, humor, romance, and of course the paranormal.  It's been around a few years, but it's not at all dated. 

The remaining books in the trilogy, Supernaturally (2011) and Endlessly (2012) continue the story of Evie  and the IPCA after the identity of the killer has been determined and you'll want to read them right after you finish the first.



FTC Full Disclosure:  I borrowed this book from my local library.

Just an Ordinary Girl

Austensibly Ordinary by Alyssa Goodnight (Kensington trade paperback, 29 January 2013).

Cate Kendall, a high school English teacher, lives a pretty humdrum life.  How humdrum?
The highlight of her week is usually the Scrabble game she plays with her colleague, Ethan Chavez.


Determined to get herself out of the rut, she accepts an invitation to her friend Syd's Hitchcock-themed Hallowe'en party.  She finds a femme-fatale dress at her mother's resale boutique, and decides to create a sexy alter-ego.

When an antique journal with the message

"I dedicate to You the folowing Miscellanious Morsels, convinced that if you seriously attend to them, You will derive from them very important Instructions, with regard to your Conduct in Life"

literally falls into her lap,  she decides to use it to chronicle her adventure.

Yes, this is the same journal that Nicola James stumbled upon in Goodnight's Austentatious (2012).  The journal is as cheeky and irreverent as ever, and helps Cate to proactively change her life, although she does hit a few snags along the way.

Whether or not you're a Janeite (and if you're not, you may become one) this humorous paranormal romance will lift you out of your winter blahs.  It's a wonderful way to pass a chilly afternoon.


FTC Full Disclosure: Many thanks to the publisher, who sent me an advance copy of the book for review purposes. 

Teen Tuesday

Insatiable by Meg Cabot*

Although this series was intended for adults, I think it's equally (or maybe even  more) appropriate for the young adult market.

Insatiable introduces us to Meena Harper, a young woman who writes for a popular daytime drama called Insatiable, and has the annoying ability to predict how people will die.  Meena doesn'tbelieve in vampires, and is self-righteously miffed when she's informed that the soap opera will be introducing  a story arc featuring one.

Then, she meets Lucien Antonescu, who just happens to be the son of Dracula.  He saves her from certain injury due to an attack by evil bats.  She falls head-over-heels in love with him, and they begin to develop a relationship.

Of course, at first Meena doesn't believe that Lucien is a supernatural being, but eventually she begins to realize that vampires are much more common than she could possibly imagine.  She even has neighbors who are vampires, for heaven's sake!

The story is written in a charming tongue-in-cheek style, and is obviously Ms. Cabot's response to recent proliferation of intense paranormal romantic fiction.  Cabot does have stray from the facetious tone on occasion, but  on the whole, this is an enjoyable, laugh-out-loud interpretation of the genre.

The reviewer with Meg Cabot, earlier this year.

Meg Cabot is the author of many books for adults, teens, and younger readers including the Heather Wells mysteries, the Princess Diaries series, and the Allie Finkle series.  She also wrote the Mediator and the 1-800-Where-R-You young adult series under the pseudonym Jenny Carroll.

FTC full disclosure: This was a library book.*