paranormalcy

The power of a voice is uncanny. A good voice, maybe I should say. I bought and read Kiersten White’s debut novel Paranormalcy on the strength of her blog. If you haven’t been yet, go visit NOW. Kiersten has one of the funniest, kindest, and most endearing “voices” that I have ever read (fiction, non-fiction, you name it). The only writer I have loved more upon first acquaintance in the past few years? Sherman Alexie, author of National Book Award-winning The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.

So: she’s laugh-out-loud hilarious, and I pre-ordered her debut novel last summer. What then?

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 paranormals’ glamours.

But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

Best word to describe Paranormalcy? CUTE. Undeniably cute. Also: entertaining, funny-as-heck, and promising. Look, I’m not going to say it’s life-changing (unless you are in dire need of laughter). It probably won’t bend the way you look at reality or affect the way you think. But given that, it’s a good time and guilt-free in every way that a chocolate sundae can’t be (look Ma, no calories!). And Kiersten’s voice, which I fell in love with months ago, is there in bits and pieces through her lovable and fallible character Evie.

Evie is the star…err…main character of Paranormalcy, and she’s wonderful in part because she is SO NORMAL. And I mean that in a ‘acts her age and makes mistakes’ kind of way. Although her situation sits squarely in fantasy territory, she’s got a good head on her shoulders and seems completely authentic, all the way down to boys, pink and answering back to authority. She’s a genuine character, and a fun one to be around, even (or especially) when she’s getting into scrapes of her own making.

Also: though I thought I could never again contemplate anything NEAR to a young adult love triangle, I somehow find myself interested in the whole Lend/Reth thing. In Lend, Kiersten has crafted a rare creature – a “real”-seeming boy. Not only is he teenage awkward, he’s sweet, and his family is as normal as you can expect from a YA paranormal romance. Oh, and did I mention that he’s hot? At least, Evie thinks so.

Paranormalcy is full of adventure, mayhem, pink, and fun. If I had to equate it to a specific experience, I'd say that it's like a summer fair with rides and cotton candy. It’s not perfect or profound, but it’s happy-making. It may not be for you. But if it sounds at all like it might be, I urge you to pick it up.

Recommended for: fans of young adult paranormal and fantasy, anyone in the mood for some good, clean fun and adventure, and light entertainment that will have you laughing (and sighing) along with Evie, Lend, and a whole cast of engaging and strange characters.

a day late and a dollar short

As far as I can tell, this BBAW thing is a big love-fest. And I like it! But I’ve fallen slightly behind on the daily topics, and WOEFULLY behind on reading everyone else’s wonderful posts. Forgive? Sweet.

So the ‘Thursday’ challenge was to write about a book that you discovered through another book blog. Great reading experiences preferred. Also, perhaps a little something about the blog that facilitated said discovery. My pick: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

First of all, may I say that the best/worst thing about book blogging is that my To Be Read pile has grown to previously unknown, gigantic, and in-danger-of-flooding-my-entire-house-like proportions. Mostly I’m impressed and pleased by the recommendations I get from this crowd, but I’ve been disappointed a time or two as well. This time, I was really glad I finally gave this 2007 National Book Award winner a try.

The Absolutely True Diary is an instant classic. It’s funny, it’s clever, it’s culturally informative, it’s really horrific and sad (in parts), and most importantly, seriously well-written. The story follows Junior, aka Arnold Spirit, through his freshman year of high school, when he decides to pursue education off the reservation. I don’t think I can give a description that would do the story justice and not give anything away, so there’ll be a canned summary at the end. Suffice it to say, this story is beautiful. A total must-read.

Alexie always gets me. I felt emotionally unraveled while I read this book. I think it’s a combination of identifying with regional identity and the way his characters reach through the pages and grab your heart and just don’t let go. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest. I also went to a tiny high school, like Arnold did. We played a Bureau of Indian Affairs school in sports. All of that offers a connection, but even if I was living in a different land and had no idea who the Spokane indigenous people were, I could find a connection, and love this book for its heart.

That’s the beauty of it…because I did find this book through someone in a different land. I first saw it mentioned on the 10 Best Books for YA list compiled by the American Library Association, but the only reason I actually read it was on Steph Bowe’s (of Hey! Teenager of the Year) recommendation. Steph is an Australian aspiring author, and her blog is genius. I faithfully check her updates and always learn something. Add to that that I only heard of Sherman Alexie to begin with on Leila’s blog (of the awesome Bookshelves of Doom), and you’ve got book blogging makes my life amazing.

Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.

Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he thought he was destined to live.

And on a fun note, I may get to hear Mr. Alexie speak in early October - he's giving a talk as part of a Seattle Town Hall Event schedule!