The Supernaturalist



The Supernaturalist is a 2004 Sci Fi novel by Eoin Colfer. In the future, 14-year-old Cosmo Hill escapes from the Clarissa Frayne Institute for Parentally Challenged Boys in an accident that nearly takes his life. He is saved by a group of teenagers calling themselves "The Supernaturalists" because they seek to rid the world of strange, alien-like creatures that they call "Parasites" and believe are sucking the life out of the wounded or dying. However, they soon discover a horrifying secret that turns their world upside down and gets them caught in a web far more complicated than anything they've ever imagined before.

"Mona: "When your skin heals up, Ditto says you'll be able to head-butt your way through a brick wall.""
 * Action Girl: Mona Vasquez.
 * Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: "Abracadabra Street was no great challenge for a squadron that had broken into several foreign banks, two crime lords' strongholds, and a private kindergarten."
 * Badass Longcoat: Stefan.
 * Band of Brothers
 * Big Brother Is Employing You:
 * By the Eyes of the Blind: The Parasites can be seen only by those who have suffered near-death experiences.
 * Chekhov's Gun: The metal plate in Cosmo's head.

"* Face Palm* "You had to say it, didn't you? You're jinxed now, for sure!""
 * Conveniently an Orphan
 * Corrupt Corporate Executive:
 * Cyberpunk
 * Dark Is Not Evil: Those Parasites sure are creepy, aren't they?
 * Deliberately Cute Child: Ditto.
 * Door Step Baby
 * Dystopia: According to this book, the future will behold a polluted, enviromentally destroyed planet, where sunsets are purple because of smog and technology is god.
 * Easter Egg: Does the name Stefan Bashkir tell you something? Do you remember Phonetix?
 * And Myishi was the name of a character in The Wish List.
 * Four Man Band: Stefan is The Hero, Ditto is The Lancer and The Medic, Mona is The Smart Guy, and Cosmo is The Chick.
 * Ineffectual Loner: Stefan.
 * It Can Think:
 * La Résistance
 * Line-of-Sight Name: Cosmo Hill was named for the Cosmonaut Hill, place where he was found.
 * Somewhat Lampshaded. "I once knew a man from San Fransico named Holden Gate. Guess where they found him?"
 * This is explicitly stated to be the modus opernadi for naming John Does in this society.
 * Reassigned to Antarctica: Happens literally to
 * Tall, Dark and Handsome: Stefan.
 * Magical Defibrillator: Stefan restarts Cosmo's heart by shooting him in the chest with a Shocker round "strong enough to fry a rhinoceros" (notable for being much more powerful than the weaker versions used against the Parasites).
 * To be fair, though, he had just had thousands of volts go through him and his heart was in fibrillation.
 * Mega Corp: Satellite City seems to be controlled by Myishi.
 * Name's the Same: Ditto has no relation to a certain shapeshifting purple blob.
 * Near-Death Experience: Each of the main cast has had one; it's also the only way to see parasites.
 * Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Subverted. Stephen is quite horrified to realize that, but then it turns out
 * Noodle Implements: Cosmo has a nightmare involving Ziplock, two parasites, and a hair dryer.
 * Not Growing Up Sucks: Ditto, who appears 6 when he is actually 28.
 * Older Than They Look: Ditto as stated above.
 * One of the Boys: Mona.
 * Only Known by Their Nickname: Ditto, real name Lucien Bonn.
 * Playing with Syringes: The origin of the Bartoli babies, Ditto included.
 * Privately-Owned Society
 * Sci-Fi Writers Have No Sense of Scale: The titular satellite of satellite city is described to in a geosynchronous orbit 50 kilometres above the earth. Little wonder then they are having trouble keeping it up…
 * It could be intentional, given the two apparent mistakes (gettable-to with low-orbit spaceplace, and about to fall down) cancelling each other out.
 * Supporting Protagonist: Cosmo Hill is the protagonist, the story is far more Stefan's story.
 * Taking You with Me: Attempted by.
 * What Could Possibly Go Wrong?: Spoken by Cosmo, lampshaded by Ditto:


 * Wrench Wench: Mona.