Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie’s always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, 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 still. Normal.
Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.
I absolutely love this book. I have now read it twice. Once when it first came out and again recently for a book group.
I love that the paranormal creatures stayed as close to historically accurate as possible. Evie had the ability to see past the glamour that most paranormal creatures had to hide themselves. She could see the rotting corpse underneath the beautiful glamour faces on the Vampires. She could see the discolored skin of elves/nymphs. This ability helped her with her job in the IPCA. She could go into a crowd of people and know faster then anyone who was really human and who was pretending to be. Once the target was spotted she would "bag/tag" them. All paranormals went into a large database for tracking and or sterilization. This had been her life and was all she new but she longed for a "normal" teenage life. She wanted to go to high school and have a locker and meet guys.
Lend has lived in a paranormal existence his whole life. His father used to work for IPCA but now lived his life trying to help paranormals living around humans. He was apprehended by Evie at the IPCA headquarters and Evie was the only one that could see him as he really was, he has the ability to shape shift his body to be anyone he wanted. While he is locked up Evie visits him constantly and they soon develop affection for each other.
Meanwhile there is something out there killing paranormals. Something is going on with the Fae and especially one fairy's fascination with Evie. Everything starts going downhill very quickly and it looks like the only one that will be able to save the world is Evie.
I loved the relationship's Evie has with everyone. Her best friend Lish is a mermaid that has a computer translator that won't swear and they talk about everything. Her supervisor Raquel is also her mother figure and communicates with a series of well learned sighs, but she really does love Evie and you can feel it. Reth, the ex-boyfriend fairy is confusing to me. I can't decide whether I want him to be a good guy or the bad guy but I love the parts of the story that he makes appearances in.
This is a great/ Clean Young Adult paranormal that is a fun read for adults and most likely I will be re-reading it again in the near future.
In my book group we had the opportunity to speak with Kiersten about this book and I took some notes on what was asked and the answers that she would give us, these are not word for word just my notes on the discussion ....
Note: If you haven't read this book go and finish it before reading further... there are MAJOR SPOILERS for the ending.
***** SPOILER ALERT******
Q. Why did you kill of Lish? We are so upset...
A. I was really upset with it too. Everytime I was editing the chapter it made me sick. I didn't kill her, Vivian killed her. I didn't want to kill her, I loved her. From a storytelling point of view it had to happen for Evie to move on. Lish was limited to a tank and wasn't logical toward the end.
Q. In the story Vivian and Evie need to steel soals to fill themselves. But evie hasn't ever stollen any soals.... why not?. Is it lend? Is she finding herlself?
A. I can't tell you... those are some really good thoughts.... you should read the other books. I love your theories and that you are talking about it.
Q. How much do the creatures come from your mind or mythology?
A. Evie and Lend are the only creatures that I created. Everything else was pulled from mythology or regional mythology
Q. I love lend and the idea of the shapshifter... I love to hear about how you molded him
A. He felt like no one ever really saw
him or knew him... He can look like anyone but worries that if they knew what he looks like they wouldn't like him. He has a foot in both worlds to be a bridge character to help Evie into the real world.
Q. When you are lookking at the finished book, what are the changes like from the rough draft to final copy? what do they (publisher) ask you to do....
A. I write complete first drafts so not alot actually changes. I go through the dialog to make sure they keep their voice. If the chapter isn't moving anything forward then it shouldn't be there. I send it to my editor and she finds what is good and requests was to make the story stronger.
Q. How long did it take you to write this story?
A. 3 weeks... personal edit a couple months...
Q. we teach the kids to write what you read... who ispires you?
A. I read a lot of middle grade for younger readers. It is playful... it doesn't take its self too seriously Unfortunate Events, Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place. I like to pull the middle grade to YA. I have a hard time enjoying YA because I have a hard time turning off my internal editor. Likes sort of magic found in real life like in Book Thief, If I Stay, Anna and the French Kiss., and The Daughter of Smoke and Bone.. phenominal writing. Dream dark- author can write third person with more voice then most people in first person.
Q. with the paranormal being stuck between heaven and hell where to their souls go when released?
A. Their souls aren't supossed to be released... I see them going to the same place that a human's soul will go. There is more information in the third book.
Q. What's the deal with a movie
A. A movie option has been sold. Ray Kay is the director that has been attached music video director. worked with Lady Gaga, Britney Spears and Justin Bieber. This would be his first feature film to direct. The screen writer has been attached and should have a screenplay shortly. When you sell a movie option you have to be ok with someone taking your creation and making it totally different. Should hear in the next few weeks.
Q. Do you outline or just sit down and type?
A. If i know everything that is going to happen in the book I will get bored and stop writing. Part of the fun for me is the discovery... all of my funniest lines and best scenes ALWAYS happen in the first draft.
Q. Was social networking thing something you were doing already or did your editor encourage you to do it?
A. I have always been doing it. I have been blogging to entertain myself. I do it for myself and I think that is why it works. It is great that it has helped me in my career.
Q. How did you deal with the no's before your yes'?
A.I gained ten pounds... not really proud of it. You have to right just for the sake of writing. There are rejections in writing and through all stages of writing. If you do want to be a writer surround yourself with other positive people that like to write... we are crazy and sit home at night listening to imaginary voices and writing down the things they say... and then you fall in love with the imagionary people in your head and when other people don't want to read that they imagionary people have to say we take it hard.
The path to publishing is filled with rejection.
Eat a lot of chocolate.
Q. We liked your made up swear words... Bleep..... your sense of humor comes out in Evie.
A.Humor is an interesting thing.... it was very important for me to write a book that is accesible and I don't swear in real life and I had characters that wanted to swear and I would fight with them... then enter Lish and wanting to swear and it worked and made everyone happy.
Q.What about the 4 book deal with harper?
A. It is 2 books a year publishing schedule in 2013 and 2014
Mindgames Series. It draws from a world I set up in a previously unpublished work. I wrote it in 9 days this June. Mindgames dark thriller paranormal.. mind readers and enpaths and corporations are using these women in espianage against their will. Dual points of view with current events and past events.
Egyption mythology. Modern day daughter of egyption gods. All about family dynamics murder, infidelity of these gods. Daughter has had it and has to deal with where she stand with mythology drama. Every teenager goes through the moment when they realize that their parents aren't perfect... her mother is the godess of motherhood.
2014 book no clue what it is yet.
Q. How is book three comping along?
A. Endlessly (book 3) is in copy edit now.
We had such a good time talking to Kiersten and she has such a great personality. You can really see why her characters are so endearing to us when you talk to her. I can't wait to read her upcoming books!!!
Drink Deep By: Chloe Neill (Chicagoland #5)
Cinder and Ella By: Melissa Lemon
Tiger's Voyage By: Colleen Houck (Book #3)
Dengeki Daisy Volume #7 By: Kyousuke Motomi
