Author: Carrie Jones
Rating: 4 of 5
Bloomsbury USA | December 22, 2009 | Trade Paperback
Zara White suspects there's a freaky guy semi-stalking her. She's also obsessed with phobias. And it's true, she hasn't exactly been herself since her stepfather died. But exiling her to shivery Maine to live with her grandmother? That seems a bit extreme. The move is supposed to help her stay sane...but Zara's pretty sure her mom just can't deal with her right now.She couldn't be more wrong. Turns out the semi-stalker is not a figment of Zara's overactive imagination. In fact, he's still following her, leaving behind an eerie trail of gold dust. There's something not right - not human - in this sleepy Maine town, and all signs point to Zara.
*****
LackOfNeedPhobia - fear of Need series ending.
You might be asking yourself: "Why did she start this post with a made-up phobia?" Well, I'm paying tribute to Carrie Jones who titles each of her chapters in Need with a phobia. The reason for this is not random, not at all actually. If you got to know the main character, Zara White, you would understand. Zara's coping mechanism for her fear is to list phobias. The way she sees it, we are only afraid of that which has no name. As you might of guessed I fear this series ending, and here's why...
Zara White is being stalked. Stalked by a man who has followed her from her home in Charleston, North Carolina to her grandmother's house in Bedford, Maine. He watches her, whispers her name and leaves a trail of gold dust. The man stalking Zara does so in this terrifying manner that will make your spine tingle, but there is something more than what meets the eye. The genre of this book is truly hard to define; it has elements of both horror and fantasy. There are creatures in Maine that offer a refreshing take on the usual Young Adult cast, but the story is still eerie enough to spook you. Especially when young boys start to go missing.
Even though she can clearly see this man stalking her, Zara thinks that she might be going a little crazy. The pain of losing her stepfather is still very raw and as a result everything feels sort of surreal for her. When she starts at her new school in Maine she meets some great people that have their own theories about what is going on in the small town. Issie and Devyn - two friends Zara meets at her new school - are probably the most adorable two people to ever grace the pages of a book. Separately they are unique and kind, but together they are perfection. Along with these two friends, Zara meets the ever so charming Nick Colt.
Nick Colt is stubborn, mysterious and handsome. Oh, and he has never kissed a girl. Yes, you heard me. Never. He is a truly remarkable hero though. Always trying to save the world; just like Zara. The two of them are very similar which is probably why they have so many arguments. While Nick and Zara make a great duo, they are also part of a really great team. Zara's grandmother, Issie, Devyn, Zara and Nic,k all work together to figure out who the mystery man is and what he wants with Zara. The relationship dynamic between these five characters is quite wonderful and it gives readers a chance to understand the people that Zara surrounds herself with.
While this book is about what lies hidden in Maine, it is also about Zara's journey to find a sense of peace in her life again. The death of her stepfather created an empty shell of a girl who used to be so passionate. Zara does not even realize the state that she is until she ventures to Maine. While most people dream of escaping to big cities so that they can find themselves, Zara needs the small town of Maine to pull her out of her sorrow. Even though she is finding reasons to be happy in Maine, Zara still has her own fears. What you will find is that Need is not merely about fearing monsters around us, but rather about fearing the one within us. Zara knows this all too well.
My only quams with this book would be that the pace shifted from slow to fast quite quickly, and in turn there were storylines that I felt were never quite tied up. With this being said, I still read this book like I was in some sort of book marathon. A lot of the things that I have liked in other Young Adult fantasy novels were brought together in the pages of Need. At first you might find elements of this book to be "Twilightesk". Fear not though. Carrie Jones stomps all over any notion of this and delivers an enjoyable read with a new brand of creatures. The good thing is that once you have finished it there is no waiting for another book. The follow-up books Captivate and Entice are already out on store shelves waiting to make their way into your Needy little hands.
-Christie
Zara White is being stalked. Stalked by a man who has followed her from her home in Charleston, North Carolina to her grandmother's house in Bedford, Maine. He watches her, whispers her name and leaves a trail of gold dust. The man stalking Zara does so in this terrifying manner that will make your spine tingle, but there is something more than what meets the eye. The genre of this book is truly hard to define; it has elements of both horror and fantasy. There are creatures in Maine that offer a refreshing take on the usual Young Adult cast, but the story is still eerie enough to spook you. Especially when young boys start to go missing.
Even though she can clearly see this man stalking her, Zara thinks that she might be going a little crazy. The pain of losing her stepfather is still very raw and as a result everything feels sort of surreal for her. When she starts at her new school in Maine she meets some great people that have their own theories about what is going on in the small town. Issie and Devyn - two friends Zara meets at her new school - are probably the most adorable two people to ever grace the pages of a book. Separately they are unique and kind, but together they are perfection. Along with these two friends, Zara meets the ever so charming Nick Colt.
Nick Colt is stubborn, mysterious and handsome. Oh, and he has never kissed a girl. Yes, you heard me. Never. He is a truly remarkable hero though. Always trying to save the world; just like Zara. The two of them are very similar which is probably why they have so many arguments. While Nick and Zara make a great duo, they are also part of a really great team. Zara's grandmother, Issie, Devyn, Zara and Nic,k all work together to figure out who the mystery man is and what he wants with Zara. The relationship dynamic between these five characters is quite wonderful and it gives readers a chance to understand the people that Zara surrounds herself with.
While this book is about what lies hidden in Maine, it is also about Zara's journey to find a sense of peace in her life again. The death of her stepfather created an empty shell of a girl who used to be so passionate. Zara does not even realize the state that she is until she ventures to Maine. While most people dream of escaping to big cities so that they can find themselves, Zara needs the small town of Maine to pull her out of her sorrow. Even though she is finding reasons to be happy in Maine, Zara still has her own fears. What you will find is that Need is not merely about fearing monsters around us, but rather about fearing the one within us. Zara knows this all too well.
My only quams with this book would be that the pace shifted from slow to fast quite quickly, and in turn there were storylines that I felt were never quite tied up. With this being said, I still read this book like I was in some sort of book marathon. A lot of the things that I have liked in other Young Adult fantasy novels were brought together in the pages of Need. At first you might find elements of this book to be "Twilightesk". Fear not though. Carrie Jones stomps all over any notion of this and delivers an enjoyable read with a new brand of creatures. The good thing is that once you have finished it there is no waiting for another book. The follow-up books Captivate and Entice are already out on store shelves waiting to make their way into your Needy little hands.
-Christie
Glad you liked it! I really enjoyed this book and also Captivate. (:
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked it. I agree with the pace of this book but otherwise, it was great!
ReplyDelete