Paranormalcy
Encyclopedia
Paranormalcy is a series of young-adult urban fantasy
novels by American author Kiersten White, beginning with the inaugural entry of the same name. The story focuses on a girl named Evie, a member of a special international police force assigned to paranormal
cases. As the tale progresses, Evie's professional duties begin to conflict with her growing desire for a normal life.
The first novel received numerous advance reviews from young-adult authors, and debuted at #7 on the New York Times Best Seller list in the "Children's Books—Chapter Books" category. Prior to the novel's release, a film adaptation entered the early planning stages.
Evie's allies include a shape-shifting boy named Lend, 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.
The author has stated that she wrote the first Paranormalcy novel "on a whim", during which time she was attempting to have a different story published. Eventually, she and her agent decided to make Paranormalcy their priority, which led to it being acquired by HarperCollins
in 2009.
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.
As the series debuted, White commented on what readers might ultimately expect from the character, saying, "I would hope it's like having a conversation with your best friend, if your best friend were always articulate and funny."
report, the opening novel received "strong interest" at the 2010 Bologna Children's Book Fair. In addition, interest in producing a film adaptation arose prior to the novel series' release.
called the book a "fast, flirty roller coaster of a ride," going on to label it "sassy, light-hearted and downright scary." Carrie Ryan stated that White had created a "perfect blend of light and dark," and applauded the "cunning wit" in the character of Evie. Aprilynne Pike
gave particular praise to the romantic portions of the first book, while Lisa McMann
stated that "strong characters, a clever premise, and a hilarious voice all team up to make Paranormalcy the most refreshing paranormal debut of the year."
An article for School Library Journal
described the story as a cross between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Men In Black. 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 first novel received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, which noted the story's fast pace and commended the "absorbing romance" between Lend and Evie. 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."
reported that Ray Kay
, best known for directing several well known music videos, was set to direct the adaptation.
Urban fantasy
Urban fantasy is a sub-genre of fantasy defined by place; the fantastic narrative has an urban setting. Many urban fantasies are set in contemporary times and contain supernatural elements. However, the stories can take place in historical, modern, or futuristic periods...
novels by American author Kiersten White, beginning with the inaugural entry of the same name. The story focuses on a girl named Evie, a member of a special international police force assigned to paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
cases. As the tale progresses, Evie's professional duties begin to conflict with her growing desire for a normal life.
The first novel received numerous advance reviews from young-adult authors, and debuted at #7 on the New York Times Best Seller list in the "Children's Books—Chapter Books" category. Prior to the novel's release, a film adaptation entered the early planning stages.
Overview
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, 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.
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.The author has stated that she wrote the first Paranormalcy novel "on a whim", during which time she was attempting to have a different story published. Eventually, she and her agent decided to make Paranormalcy their priority, which led to it being acquired by HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
in 2009.
Story development
To facilitate her work, White researched a number of mythological creatures, and wrote while listening to an Internet radio station "tailored to the mood of the book."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.
As the series debuted, White commented on what readers might ultimately expect from the character, saying, "I would hope it's like having a conversation with your best friend, if your best friend were always articulate and funny."
Novels
| Book # | Title | US release | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paranormalcy | August 31, 2010 | |||
| Evie, a teenage girl who can detect disguised paranormal beings, works as an officer for the International Paranormal Containment Agency. She is joined in her duties by other gifted agents, including two love interests named Lend and Reth. As the story progresses, however, the team discovers a bigger threat looming, and must work to avert it. | |||||
| 2 | Supernaturally | July 26, 2011 | |||
| Evie finally has the normal life she always wanted, but finds herself growing bored. When Evie joins the IPCA again she is dragged into a couple disastrous missions, eventually ending up in a battle between the fairy courts. | |||||
| 3 | Endlessly | 2012 | |||
| The third installment. | |||||
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. Multiple Websites presented contests for signed or advance copies of the first novel. Additionally, numerous copies were released for early review by Book It Forward Tours. Book signings were also scheduled for White. According to a Publishers WeeklyPublishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
report, the opening novel received "strong interest" at the 2010 Bologna Children's Book Fair. In addition, interest in producing a film adaptation arose prior to the novel series' release.
Reception
Paranormalcy debuted at #7 on the New York Times Best Seller list in the category of children's chapter books. The first novel has received positive feedback from several young-adult fantasy authors. After reading an advance copy, Becca FitzpatrickBecca Fitzpatrick
Becca Fitzpatrick is an American author, best known for having written the New York Times bestseller, Hush, Hush....
called the book a "fast, flirty roller coaster of a ride," going on to label it "sassy, light-hearted and downright scary." Carrie Ryan stated that White had created a "perfect blend of light and dark," and applauded the "cunning wit" in the character of Evie. Aprilynne Pike
Aprilynne Pike
Aprilynne Pike is an internationally best-selling American author best known for her debut novel Wings, which was released in English on May 5, 2009. Her first novel debuted as a New York Times best-seller, and reached the #1 spot on the Children's Best Seller list, making Pike the best-selling...
gave particular praise to the romantic portions of the first book, while Lisa McMann
Lisa McMann
Lisa McMann is an American author.McMann was born in Holland, Michigan and now lives in the Phoenix, Arizona area. Her first novel, WAKE, debuted on the New York Times Best Seller list for children's chapter books...
stated that "strong characters, a clever premise, and a hilarious voice all team up to make Paranormalcy the most refreshing paranormal debut of the year."
An article for School Library Journal
School Library Journal
The School Library Journal is a monthly magazine with articles and reviews for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with a focus on technology and multimedia. Reviews are included for preschool to 4th grade,...
described the story as a cross between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Men In Black. Author Sarah J. Maas
Sarah J. Maas
Sarah J. Maas is an American fantasy author. Her debut novel, Queen of Glass: The Eye of the Chosen, was purchased in March 2010 by Bloomsbury and is slated for a late 2012 release.-Biography:...
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 first novel received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, which noted the story's fast pace and commended the "absorbing romance" between Lend and Evie. 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
Salt Lake City Weekly
Salt Lake City Weekly is a free alternative weekly tabloid-paged newspaper published in Salt Lake City, Utah. It began its life as the Private Eye. City Weekly is published and dated for every Thursday by Copperfield Publishing Inc...
, 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."
Film adaptation
On August 30, 2010, one day prior to the release of the first novel, Adler Pictures and Reverie Entertainment obtained film option rights for Paranormalcy. In August 2011, VarietyVariety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
reported that Ray Kay
Ray Kay
Ray Kay is a Norwegian director and photographer, based in Los Angeles.He is one of the most sought-after music video & commercial directors in the world now, and has directed the most watched video on YouTube, Justin Bieber's "Baby" . All in all, his videos have been viewed more than 1 billion...
, best known for directing several well known music videos, was set to direct the adaptation.