Need (Need #1)

Reader reviewed by EmilyRuth

If you can name your fear, then you can overcome it. At least that's what Zara tells herself. But when her dad dies, her mother sends her up to no-man's-land in Maine to recuperate with her grandmother, and a creepy guy starts stalking her... She's not sure that tactic is going to work.

School in Maine turns out to be not so bad, though, excluding the snowy drive. Issie is sweet, and then there's Nick and Ian, both equally gorgeous. 

Just as things get a little better, stalker-guy steps it up. 

Which is probably normal for a stalker... but what's with the gold dust?

I've wanted to read Need ever since I saw the reviews of the arc's. So, here's my train of thought as I read:

-Beginning. Is this a knock-off of Twilight? Beautiful girl, who doesn't think she's beautiful, moves to cold lonely city. Is sad. Finds charming boy.

-Middle. It's different enough now from Twilight that it's not annoying at all. And the humor makes  up for it all.

-Middle-end/End. *flips pages furiously to ending*

So yes, Need is a itty bit like Twilight. But it wasn't so close as to be annoying, as I said. There are stark differences and it's a different writing style that I honestly forgot I had compared it to Twilight until the end. In fact, it actually is more realistic than twilight because: Zara has a reason for being unhappy. Her dad, who was really close, died. That kind of bugged me about Bella in Twilight, she seemed too depressed for her circumstances. Also, Zara is coordinated, and a good runner. I'm glad Carrie Jones had the spunk to give her depressed protagonist a talent--it makes her more real. But enough about twilight.

Need was actually one of the funniest books I have read in a long time. The humor was sarcastic, but I actually laughed out loud. You know how normally when you read something funny you're like... 'ha-ha. That was clever'. This is more like a your-stomach-contracts-and-you-almost-can't-keep-the-laugh-from-coming-up laugh. And there were so many good lines, and Betty was so realistic. Honestly, I mean Need had a "horror" labeling sticker on the spine (library copy), but... no. It's not horror. It's fantasy, and it's really funny. But all the descriptions of the beautiful boys get almost sickening. 

(But at least we aren't hearing about their "marble chests" over and over and over.)

The plot arc was perfect. It is highly climactic, from almost 150 pages from the end. 

So, I highly reccommend Need to Twilight lovers and non-Twilight lovers. I think it's a book everyone can enjoy. 

Rating: 4 Stars
Clean?: Brief language, mention of sex

Length: 306 pages

Most Like: Twilight

Reader reviewed by sammyjones57

This will probably be the most bi-polar review I've done so far. I was very interested in this book - not just for the cover alone, but the story sounded very mysterious like and something that I would love. From the beginning it didn't grab me like I expected it too. Zara's character wasn't one that I really cared for at first. And yes, I get it, you're in Maine and it's cold. The writing structure of the book was another thing that I really didn't care for. One moment things would flow together and then everything got super choppy.

Reader reviewed by stephanie

Reader reviewed by melissa

this book was confusing ,great, and intense al at the same time. is that possible? the beginning is preety slow until we see Zara at school. with all the drama that is high school, it's crazy to see a small town in maine go through all these weird and eerie events. i loved nick and his macho hero complex as well as her crazy best friend who despite being "normal" still gave the book a little something. the only confusing part is the whole blood line father mother family story which if not read nice and slow can be a problem to understand. i enjoyed reading the book and all it's love, action and humor. it's high school but with supernatural craetures that can run super fast. now if only i could do that good during spring track...