Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be... kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees.But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself. (YA)
Review:
*No spoilers for Supernaturally but some for Paranormalcy (book # 1) - you really need to read that one first.
Supernaturally is the sequel to one of my favorite books from last year, Paranormalcy.
Having left IPAC, Evie is now a normal girl in high school with a boring job while boyfriend Lend is away at college. Even though a normal life is what Evie wanted most, she's finding that "normal" isn't all it's cracked up to be. When Raquel makes a job offer that Evie can't refuse she's back in the paranormal world and back in danger. None of this sits too well with Lend which leads Evie to do a lot of lying.
I understand most of Evie's motivations for lying. She's lost a lot of people in her life and she's afraid of losing Lend next. She knows a pretty big secret about him and his future that could effect whether he will choose to stay with her for the long haul. Add in Jack, an off the wall sort that is always jumping around (literally) and popping up at the most inopportune moments with inappropriate comments around her boyfriend and well….Evie has got a lot on her plate.
The writing is still fun and in White's unique writing style complete with quirky phrases and smart dialogue.
But….I seem to be suffering from a case of sequel-itis this year because I keep finding myself let down by my favorite series when we get to book two.
Almost everyone is back in Supernaturally but there is so much going on that the appearances seem brief and don't carry a lot of weight. I do understand that there do need to be complications in developing relationships but after all the build up to Lend and Evie in Paranormalcy, there wasn't a whole lot going on with them in Supernaturally. I know Evie loves Lend and he loves her back because I'm told that, but I would rather see them together even if it's fighting. I would like to get to know Lend a little better too. He just sort of comes in at the end of things to kiss/rescue/ reprimand her then he's off again. They're cute together but I don't know….I'm not all that invested in their relationship.
Reth is back also and am I the only one who's sort of creeped out by him in relation to Evie? I kind of like him as the bad guy but when she keeps referring to him as her ex it seems off to me. I know he's described as beautiful but I always picture him much older and I keep wondering exactly what their relationship was like. Were they happy? Sad? Still, I like Reth as a character and he always manages to ratchet up the tension and keep me guessing as to his motives when it comes to Evie.
I also think it would have been fun to see a little more of Evie trying to make her way as a normal girl in high school. There are a few scenes but she still has mostly supernatural friends and she's back in the mix with IPAC so quickly that we didn't get to experience Evie as a fish out of water for very long.
There is a BIG revelation in Supernaturally that is pretty cool and I look forward to book # 3 Endlessly to see where that will go.
Rating: 3 out 4 It was nice to see everyone again and spend time with Evie but some of that spark was missing this go around for me. And OMG - that cover! Gorgeous!
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Yes, Reth is one of those rare faerie characters who actually does feel OLD. I suppose that's part of the writerly talent, to make him seem genuinely otherworldy creepy. And yet I love him--he is always at the center of the interesting action.
ReplyDeleteEvie and Lend were such a nice, beat-the-odds couple in book one. Le sigh.
UGH - I'm suffering from sequel-itis, too. My new policy is to buy as few sequels as possible. If I like a book, I can wait until the entire series is over to read more, because I'm unbelievably sick of cliffhangers and never-ending-angst and contrived relationship problems just because it's a second book, so all of that crap *MUST* be there. Please. Too much drama.
ReplyDeleteI pre-ordered this one YONKS ago, but I'm feeling somewhat apathetic about reading it, lol, so it can wait until Endlessly.
As for Reth, ewww, his *obsession* with Evie really weirded me out in Paranormalcy ... and I'm sad to hear that there isn't so much Lend this time around ... MEH.
@Bella - yup, I am so over series. There were a few I was looking forward to but as time passes I find that I don't even give a crap. I have no problem waiting the two to three years and reading them all at once.
ReplyDeleteI do think Endlessly is going to be good - there is a nice set up in this one but this just felt like filler.