Review: The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer

 Title: The Supernaturalist
Author: Eoin Colfer
Publisher: Miramax
Date: April 4th 2005
Pages: 272
Genre: Paranormal Dystopian
Series: Stand Alone
Source: Paperback

Goodreads Summary:

In the future, in a place called Satelite City, fourteen-year-old Cosmo Hill enters the world, unwanted by his parents. He's sent to the Clarissa Frayne Institute for Parentally Challenged Boys, Freight class. At Clarissa Frayne, the boys are put to work by the state, testing highly dangerous products. At the end of most days, they are covered with burns, bruises, and sores. Cosmo realizes that if he doesn't escape, he will die at this so-called orphanage. When the moment finally comes, Cosmo seizes his chance and breaks out with the help of the Supernaturalists, a motley crew of kids who all have the same special ability as Cosmo-they can see supernatural Parasites, creatures that feed on the life force of humans. The Supernaturalists patrol the city at night, hunting the Parasites in hopes of saving what's left of humanity in Satellite City. Or so they think. The Supernaturalist soon find themselves caught in a web far more complicated than they'd imagined, when they discover a horrifying secret that will force them to question everything they believe in. Eoin Colfer has created an eerie and captivating world-part Blade Runner, part futuristic Dickens-replete with non-stop action

Review:
This story takes place in the future where the world is cold, high tech, and unsafe outside from crime and pollution. Our main character, Cosmo, lives in an orphanage where the children are mistreated and used for testing. On one of the test outings, Cosmo escapes then almost killed by supernatural parasites.

He is saved and taken by a group who call themselves supernaturalist. The supernaturalists are interested in Cosmo because he is one of the few that can see these parasites and their mission is to rid them of the world. As the story continues, Cosmo and the other supernaturalist come to realize that nothing is as what it seems.

This story had an interesting premise for me and held real promise. I did enjoy the story however I feel it was lacking. The beginning was slow getting to the story. I wondered where it was going. Once the story picked up it was pretty good. The characters were a little flat to me, which surprised me since the characters scream out to me in Artemis fowl. I also felt the ending was left open, no real conclusion. I did enjoy the book as an easy quick read, so I gave it 3 hearts.

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