Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Book review: Need by Carrie Jones

Book details(Hardcover):
• Reading level: Young adult
• Genre: Paranormal fantasy
• Pages: 320 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books (December 23, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599903385
• ISBN-13: 978-1599903385




Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect lipsticks. Little wonder, since life’s been pretty rough so far. Her father left, her stepfather just died, and her mother’s pretty much checked out. Now Zara’s living with her grandmother in sleepy, cold Maine so that she stays “safe.” Zara doesn’t think she’s in danger; she thinks her mother can’t deal.
Wrong. Turns out that guy she sees everywhere, the one leaving trails of gold glitter, isn’t a figment of her imagination. He’s a pixie—and not the cute, lovable kind with wings. He’s the kind who has dreadful, uncontrollable needs. And he’s trailing Zara.



First line:

Everybody has fears, right?

We meet Zara when her mother has shipped her off to live with her grandmother, Betty, in Maine. Zara's mother hopes that a change of scenery will help Zara out of the depression she has suffered since her beloved stepfather died. What good can cold and snowy Main possibly do to a depressed girl? Can Zara find the will to live and somehow get through the overwhelming grief?

Weird things is going on in Maine. Zara's granmother forbids here to go out at night because a boy went missing right before Zara showed up in Maine. It's not easy being the new kid in school, especially not when you're starting mid term. Still Zara makes a few new friends on her first day, a happy hyper girl named Issie, the schools overachiever Ian, Devyn who sits in a weelchair after an accident and badboy(at least according to Ian)Nick. Of course Zara also makes one real enemy on the first day of school without quite understanding why.

A little question to my readers: Can someone please explain me the difference between faeries and pixies?

My opinion:
I started Need on Sunday and finished it today. Need is a good book and when I closed it I was kind of desperate to find out if there was a sequel to it. Luckily the author, Carrie Jones, has thought of people like me who is in danger of loosing sleep over pondering if Need is going to have a sequel. The sequel should be out in January 2010. Whoo hoo, I'm looking forward to reading it!

Jones has created a great personagallery in this book. Most of all Zara is a great main character. I absolutly no problems believing in her reactions and the grief she has locked up inside her after her stepfathers death. It is heartbreaking. Grandmother, Betty, is a kickass old lady with great humor. One can't help but love her.

There is, of course, a lovetriangle in this book. I wasn't very surprised over the outcome of the triangle but some of the characters quite took me by surprise. I like surprises.



I automatically compared this book to Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series, because of the faerie/pixie theme in both books. Need was a book much more to my liking than the Wicked Lovely books.

Need is a quick and entertaining read, the plot had an even flow and there were no dry spots(which I complained a bit about when I read the first three Wicked Lovely books).

My rating of this book:
4 out of 5 stars.

If you have reviewed this book let me know and I'll post a link to your review below.
Want another opinion on this book? Check out these reviews below:


For more information about the author and her books visit:

8 comments:

  1. I'll have to keep a look out for this book. Thanks for the review! :)

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  2. I enjoyed this book as well! I didn't know there'd be a sequel! And to answer your question, it all depends on whose mythology you're looking at dear. I've always thought of "faerie" as an overall description - like we're humans... but there's different types. But again, depends on the mythology and/or the world an author develops.

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  3. How lucky that there is a sequel and that it is coming out so soon. I haven't read Wicked Lovely yet but I have heard that it's good. I'll have to be on the lookout for this one as well.

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  4. i'm currently reading it. I like it.
    I'm so happy there's going 2 B a sequel. YAY!!!

    with the pixies and Fairies, i really don't know. N Melissa Marr's books the fairies were all dark and creepy, i just imagined Carrie Jone's pixies like Melissa Marr's fairies.if that makes any sense.

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  5. Then perhaps I would enjoy this one more, cos it does sound cool. But explain the difference between a pixie and a fairie...I will pass on that. Perhaps she just choose the other one so it would be different

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  6. I gave it a 4 out of 5 too! Here is my review:
    http://barneysbookblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-need.html

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  7. I like the sound of this one, adding it to my wishlist. Awesome book trailer too!

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  8. Jess: I hope you don't mind me adding a link to your review? :)

    Teddyree: Yes, the book trailer is good. I hope you enjoy Need when you purchase it. I know it can take some time to get the books that's on a wishlist - I have about 190 books on my Amazon wishlist LOL(don't know if everyone is as bad as me though).

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Thank you for sharing your thoughts =)