Review: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Product Summary

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.

First Impressions

Confession time: I'd gone nearly half a decade without reading a single YA novel. All of that changed last week when I took a chance and read Kiersten White's Paranormalcy.

The protagonist, a bundle of taser-happy pink charisma, named Evie, is one IPCA's greatest assets in the bag-and-tag of troublesome supernaturals. Quite impressive, considering she's not even old enough to drink. 

Myself (along with several other reviewers) have noted a few commonalities between Evie and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I'm not sure if this was done intentionally or if it was just the inevitable result in having a strong willed female lead that also happens to be blond. Either way, kudos to Kiersten, because all things reminiscent of Buffy are superb.

Without a doubt, this is a novel that succeeds because of its characters. Evie and her shape-shifting love interest Lend are two very believable individuals--a good thing, considering they account for the bulk of the plot.

This novel is a light read, but I mean that as a compliment, not as a derogation. In fact, the reason why Paranormalcy reads so easily is on account of Kiersten White's ability to pace her novel so that the excitement never dissipates-- it only builds. This works because of her competency in writing first person narration; this enables White to capitalize on the inherent sense of immediacy and ego that comes naturally to first person point-of-view. Perfect for a teenage girl.

I have two rather small gripes with the novel. Firstly, I just didn't find Reth to be a believable character. Not only that, but I disliked how he seemed to pop in and out of scenes rather conveniently;  it felt a little lackluster, truth be told. Contrarily, Vivian held a lot of potential (and still does). Part of me believes that Reth's role could have been downplayed or removed altogether, leaving room for Vivian to take center stage as the main antagonist. 

Secondly, I think the character development of just about everyone other than Evie and Lend could have been considerably expanded. Certain individuals, (such as Evie's weapons instructor) seem to serve no other purpose other than advancing plot.On this however I am forgiving, as I suspect that some of said characters may end up with significant roles in the sequel(s).

But the above is just minor nitpicking. Regardless of all else, Paranormalcy is a page-turner that compels the audience to read on further, without resorting to trickery like cliffhangers or cheap gimmicks. 

Final Thoughts

I read Paranormalcy over the course of two days and was hooked throughout. I eagerly anticipate her sequel, Supernaturally, slated for a 2011 release.

Kiersten oozes talent-- her devoted fans and rapidly exploding success are no doubt a byproduct of her talent, dedication and charm. Somehow, even in her debut novel she has managed to craft a voice that is entirely her own.

If you haven't already, check out Kiersten's blog and be sure to follow her on Twitter. And finally, if you haven't already, buy this novel!

Sleeping is More Important than this Title

with the release of the iphone app being just ten days away, my deadlines have been a bit rougher than i expected. and i've been receiving a gentle amount of shit-talk spoken in my direction for being the guy who draws cartoons, drinks whiskey, and generally doesn't give a fuck about stability, but is still too busy to go out and do real-life things.

this job is not nearly as easy as it sounds.

i know. it surprised me, too.

but comparing the challenge of drawing for a client to the difficulties of any other job is like comparing seal's kiss from a rose to voltaire's candide.

i don't know if it was harder lifting fifty pound sacks forty hours a week as a pet shop carryout, or harder to remain funny for non-tipping tourists after a lunch-less nine hour shift as a tour guide. they're just not the same-- they were difficult and easy in their own ways.

it's difficult to have to revise my drawings over and over, but it's easy to be drawing all day. and the challenge-- the level of importance-- is amazing in both quantity as well as quality. besides, if i weren't frustrated and panicked, i would be bored.

still can't show you it.

i'm enjoying impending deadlines, potential telepathy, and the general respect i get for being the only illustrator on a team of coders and comedians. it definitely beats asking "how may i assist you?" all day while being graded on how genuine the question sounded.

but, till the release of this app, my spare time will be spent in the immediate vicinity of my wacom and my whiskey. they don't believe i can get all twenty drawings done by wednesday and i believe i can get them done by tuesday.

it's on.

anyway, i've been getting more and more comfortable with both illustrator and the wacom. i've also been keeping up with something like a tri-weekly freestyle drawing session.

we've got a game where one person yells an adjective and another yells a noun-- then draw.

the one above was a test of illustrator's watercolor tool. lightweight giraffe. i was hoping to get a sort of children's book feel. though, the vomit and the poorly drawn brown-bagged forty might've ruined that. i guess it depends on the type of parents. but it'd be a good ska album cover either way.

looking back, this one is more like howard the duck meets steven segal rather than japanese-- or beverly hills ninja plus feathers, even. but "japanese duck" is relatively hard to draw-- especially when there is a former japanese citizen standing directly behind you.

anyway, i have sixteen drawings left and a breakfast-meeting sunday morning. but after the meeting things should slide along like a greased cat.

wish me pleasant chaos!

Review: Tramps Like Us by Yayoi Ogawa

Wiki Summary

Tramps Like Us is a josei manga series by Yayoi Ogawa which was serialized between 2000 and 2005. It is about Sumire, a young professional woman who takes in a younger man as a pet, and attempts to keep her coworkers and conventionally-perfect boyfriend from finding out about it. It also deals with the romantic attraction between Sumire and her pet. It was adapted to a TV drama series that aired in Japan on TBS in 2003. The manga won the 2003 Kodansha Manga Award for shōjo.

First Impressions

A manga series about a business woman that takes in a homeless man, names him Momo after her childhood pet dog and then falls in love with him, all the while trying to maintain social mores within the context of morally-rigid Japanese culture? Awesome.

Tramps Like Us follows the life of a work oriented woman named Sumire Iwaya who is lovelorn due to her intimidating success in journalism, and her fierce temperament. In an act of serendipity, she encounters a young homeless man sleeping outside of her apartment building in a cardboard box on her walk home from work. Recently brokenhearted (her-lover-knocked-up-another-woman-brokenhearted), she allows him to live at her place on the condition that he serves as her pet. The young man readily agrees to this odd request, and suggests that she give him a name. She names him "Momo" after her beloved childhood dog.

This manga may not appeal to all readers; namely, to those stuck in a western mindset. While reading, it is important to keep in mind the varying cultural differences between Japan and the west. For instance, Sumire, like many Japanese women, does not wish to pursue a relationship with any man that cannot meet these three vital qualifications:

i)  The man must be the taller of the two
ii)  He must also be more educated than his partner
iii) The man must be the primary breadwinner

Nonetheless, as the series progresses she finds herself more and more attracted to Momo, who meets none of her conditions, and less drawn towards her new boyfriend who does meet these qualifications. This places a strain on her sanity as she wrestles with the social mores of Japan and her own feelings. In the meantime, she hides Momo from the world and guards him as her own little secret.

In future volumes I anticipate Yayoi Ogawa will explore a romantic involvement between Sumire and Momo, and focus on how they go about transforming their unusual relationship from pet and master to one of two romantically involved partners. There are fourteen volumes in this series, but please do not be dissuaded manga noobs; most manga volumes can be read in under an hour, due to the fact that they are fully illustrated and the text is usually kept to a minimum.

Sumire and her pet, Momo
The actual Japanese title--Kimi wa Petto--translates to You Are My Pet

Final Thoughts

This first volume was always perverse, full of humor (both clean and raunchy), and was (almost surprisingly) heartwarming. The bond between the ecclectic Momo and her master comes across as touching and genuine. It should also go without saying that if you have ever been intrigued by S&M relationships that this is a must read.

Tramps Like Us is classified as shōjo, which means that its target audience is women between the ages of 10 and 18. Having read the first volume however, I suspect that it may be a little more mature and racy than most ten year olds would be able to follow. Anyone over the age of sixteen will probably be fine with it and would most certainly get the intricacies and sexual innuendos that are rampant throughout.

I enjoyed this first volume immensely. It is nothing if not original, and comes highly recommended.

Magic Indeed

what? no, i did not forget to type a post. i never forget to plan my posts weeks in advance. that's just how i roll. i ...intentionally chose to skip writing today in order to aim your attention at something slightly more amazing.

i swear, this was all planned.

and without further nonsense, i bring you a snippet of actress/playwright/comic genius/super-heroin jessica fleitman and her truthful words:

So I haven't updated on here for a long while, because I get busy and I get intimidated by people who are good at blogging and update consistently. People like Steven Wishnack, who always writes something entertaining and manages to do so at least once a day. Literally, the guy seems to pull literary gold out of his butt. No wonder the guy has an entire segment dedicated to poop.

[read more]

don't even start with me, techboy.

i spent my entire day drawing teenage dragons shaving. it's a lot harder than it sounds. maybe not as hard as an actual job, but still surprisingly hard. and awkward.

this is actually probably the least censored dragon i've published yet. hang in there.

but excuses aside, the next post-- lemme tell you-- is going to be the most amazing slice of writing ever bestowed upon the internet.

or it might just be another ego-boosting shameless plug.

WHO KNOWS‽ weee oooh, cliffhanger.

LONG HAIR DANCES

ANNE HATHAWAY WITH LONG HAIR DANCES
Anne Hathaway
with long hair dance video by marduxcom as below..

It says.. Anne Hathaway dances in the movie Ella Enchanted, she still has long hair in this clip


However her hair style.. Anne Hathaway is always beautiful..

:)

LONG HAIR DANCES

ANNE HATHAWAY WITH LONG HAIR DANCES
Anne Hathaway
with long hair dance video by marduxcom as below..

It says.. Anne Hathaway dances in the movie Ella Enchanted, she still has long hair in this clip


However her hair style.. Anne Hathaway is always beautiful..

:)

As Written on Receipt Paper

a friend of mine was kind enough to present me with two pieces of candy and one handwritten note found somewhere in the greater bay area. this is quite possibly the best combination of gifts you can give me short of whiskey and a dvd.

anyway, the note is horribly depressing and i thought i would share a transcribed version with you guys.

Jesse -

My miserable self doesn't want to add misery to yours.

My miserable self is sad at how I affect you.

My miserable self is sorry but that is not enough.

I cry because of so many things I can't change.

I want to try but also I want to just die.

The will to carry on is harder to sustain than before.

Everything in sight is getting worse, and there's no end to it.

I am afraid --

I am uncertain --

I am unfamiliar with victory.

I have lost so much and am afraid of loosing you.

I'm scared that you think I am too far gone to SAVE.

My God, maybe I am.

Maybe it is too late for me.

But for you, I pray always.

If my ship goes down please promise me you'll sail on and arrive on solid ground.

You're there already my friend.

does it make me a jerk to admit i literally stopped reading to take a calming breath when i got to the part where "losing" is spelled wrong? you can't loose someone. maybe you can-- i don't know.

the poor author, but the poor reader. poor jesse. i wonder if jesse ever received the note-- was it given to him and discarded quickly after? or was it written and never delivered? that's a heavy note to give someone-- a bit unfair, if you ask me. i would never put that kind of depressing responsibility on someone else.

i think if i were able to find the author of this upset letter, i would give them the two pieces of candy i received with it. maybe that would cheer them up.

also maybe it would convince them to cling to me and my non-sinking ship.

or maybe they would turn out to be sucrose intolerant and absolutely lose their minds at such an accidental insult.

maybe i should write my own depressing letters and leave them about town for other bloggers to critique.

or maybe i should just get back to drawing these damn dragons.