The Rundown
Six paranormal tales set in Kensington Market—Toronto’s most vibrant and diverse neighborhood. In Tenants of 7C Clare locates a hive of paranormals living in apartment 7C upstairs from the Heaven and Earth Bakery. Her job—to organize real vampire hunts called Urban Adventures. Feigning a prospective occupant, Clare lures Nick Pereira, a werewolf, to be a part of the hunt. What she doesn’t expect is for the hunt to go bad. Returning from night deliveries, Nick is followed home by “some kind of pigeon-shaped things that spit venom” in The Siege of 7C. It strikes Nick for the first time that he has friends. Indeed, Tacky (a satyr), Yiannis (a Japanese demon), and Nick are, as the title states, Birds of a Feather.
In 7C Goes Down Nick meets Brianna amid a fairy fight. Nick’s world makes sense again in The Future when he realizes that Tacky may be “only one person instead of six,” but he was clearly going to make up for it “by being more of an incomprehensible jerk than any of Nick’s brothers.” A 7C Christmas story, The Present presents an awkward holiday scene as Nick attempts to explain the tradition of a Christmas tree to Tacky. What Nick doesn’t know is that Tacky understands a whole lot more about the holiday than Nick thinks.
Degan produces an unusual collection of paranormal stories in the first book of her Heaven and Earth series. Keeping Nick front and center, Degan introduces a flurry of interesting characters that—including Nick—function more like a group of teens with low self-esteem, rather than powerful narcissistic immortals. Attacks of one form or other periodically rise to the surface. Yet in the midst of these expected paranormal moments, Nick cares more about having friends than killing enemies. Tacky and Yiannis have their own quirks, too. Nonetheless, the trio realizes they have things in common, such as TV shows and video games.
Besides relational situations, Degan offers a nice narrative touch by weaving in the nuances of Toronto’s Kensington Market. On a slightly different note, while these abovementioned elements are amusing, Degan’s plots have weak spots. For examples, readers may be a bit confused that Clare’s true identity is never revealed, as well as wonder whatever becomes of Nick’s friendship with Brianna. It is highly possible that she will address these issues in the next installment of the series. But until then paranormal fans may be left with too many unanswered questions.
The Recommendation
The Tenants of 7C is a unique paranormal plot that includes a cast of human-like mythical creatures. While Degan’s often-humorous scenes are rather refreshing, aficionados of this genre may find themselves frustrated with her weak character development.
The Rating
4 Stars (out of 5): Recommended. For the right audience, this book is a great read. It can hold its own against any traditionally published novel in its genre.
The Pros & Cons
Pros: Believable, HumorCons: Character Developement
