"SUPERNATURALLY," by Kiersten White, Harper Teen, $17.99, 342 pages (ages 12 and up)
After escaping with Lend, her shapeshifter boyfriend, Evie finally has all the things she fantasized about while bagging and tagging paranormals for the International Paranormal Containment Agency. Just like a regular teenage girl, she goes to school, works at the local diner and looks forward to the weekends when Lend comes home from college. But, somehow, it is not all she hoped it would be. Something is missing.
Then Raquel, her supervisor from IPCA, shows up and asks for her help. Torn between maintaining her normal life and wanting to help, Evie agrees, contrary to Lend's wishes. Soon she discovers that things in the paranormal world are changing. On top of dealing with unexpected and dangerous encounters with rarely seen paranormals, she must also balance the craziness of IPCA's newest teenage recruit: the enigmatic, adorable but unpredictable Jack. If that were not enough mayhem, Reth, the faerie ex-boyfriend, shows up hinting that a battle is brewing in the faerie world — a battle for Evie's soul.
Fans of Kiersten White's first novel, "Paranormalcy" a New York Times best-seller, will be thrilled with the second book in the series. In a genre dominated by dark, overly serious stories, White's books are the much-needed breath of fresh air and well-executed comic relief. While the tone is light and the characters highly entertaining, the narrative still achieves a satisfying level of depth and emotion. Evie is a stellar main character with a humorous, down-to-earth voice that immediately endears her to readers. White does something many trilogy authors fail to do: Her second book is better than her first.
This delightful series is perfect for younger teens and also teens looking for clean content (note: there are several mild references to making-out and kissing). However, White’s characters are strong enough and her story clever enough to entertain adult readers. But be prepared — reading this highly recommended book will make you want to wear pink and decorate your cell phone with something sparkly.
IF YOU GO ...
What: Kiersten White book signing
When: Tuesday, Aug. 2, 6 p.m.
Where: Provo City Library, 550 N. University Ave., Provo
Web: www.provolibrary.com
Note: Tickets required and are free; available through the library.
Also ...
What: Kiersten White book signing
When: Saturday, Aug. 6, 2 p.m.
Where: The King's English, 1511 S. 1500 East, Salt Lake City
Web: kingsenglish.com
Teri Harman writes and reads from home amid the chaos of three young children. Her weekly column, Book Matters, is published every Wednesday on ksl.com. She blogs at book-matters.com.