Need (Need #1)

Reader reviewed by Melissa C.

This book takes you deep into Pixie and Were folklore.  A mystery of young missing boys needs to be solved.

Reader reviewed by Sara

From book jacket: Pain shoots through my head. Fireworks. Explosions. All inside my brain. The world goes dark and I know whats about to happen. Zara White suspects theres a freaky guy semi-stalking her. Shes also obsessed with phobias. And its true, she hasnt 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 Zaras pretty sure her mom just cant deal with her right now.
She couldnt be more wrong. Turns out the semi-stalker is not a figment of Zaras overactive imagination. In fact, hes still following her, leaving behind an eerie trail of gold dust. Theres something not right not human in this sleepy Maine town, and all signs point to Zara.

Favorite characters, quotes/lines: Nick: he was a dynamic character, I wish we had gotten to know him better; Devyn and Issie: I wish they were have had a bigger part in the novel

When I finished this book I felt: This book was good, and Ill probably read the next one (if there is one), but it wasnt something to rave about. Zara was an airhead and not in a cute way. She kept putting herself in stupid situations; she must have taken after her mother who didnt seem that bright either. The supernatural elements of this book were good, but it didnt really seem fully developed. And, while some of the lines were funny, many of them, especially Zaras, were pretty inane.

Other books to read by this author: this is Jones first novel

I would recommend this book to: Im not really sure Young Adult/Supernatural fans but only if they have already read some better books (they should read this one if theyve already read everything else.)

Reader reviewed by Natalie

Need starts of with zara, a girl who's mother seds her to live with her grandmother. Suddenly people start disappearing, and a strange guy keeps appearing and for some reason pointing at Zara. Suddenly Zara notices the people closest to Zara are keeping some big secrets.
   this book kept you guessing whats going to happen next.the real culprates of the book are relly surprising. i loved this book.

Reader reviewed by Kristen

As I began this novel, I thought to myself - new girl in small town...
two guys vying for her attention... supernatural creatures... hrm.
Remind you of any other popular YA novel?

Although this will
appeal big time to Twilight fans, Carrie Jones has her own voice in
writing this that really made me not want to put it down for even a
minute.

Zara watches her stepfather (more like a real dad to
her) die and, to help her gain back her old spunky nature, she is sent
to live with her grandmother in Maine. With new friends and love
interests, you start to see her gaining life. Her way of coping with
grief and life is her obsession over phobias. When caught in sticky
situations, she recites them in her head to calm herself down.

The
only problem is that her father's death isn't her only problem. There's
a creepy man appearing everywhere she goes, ominously pointing at her
and leaving only a trail of dust behind him. Not only that, young men
are disappearing right and left. With the help of her friends, she
finds out the truth behind what is happening and delves deep into
finding a solution to keep her friends and family safe.

A definite must read if you like anything paranormal, young adult and semi-romantic.

Reader reviewed by Debbie

I have been on a vampire kick lately and without meaning to it looks
like I have been starting a pixie/fairy kick now with Wicked Lovely by
Melissa Marr, Need and coming up in my TBR pile is Fragile Eternity by
Melissa Marr as well.

I thought when I read the synopsis that Zara was going to be one of
those frail girls who suffered from a fear of pretty much everything
but instead she behaved more like a girl who was just a walking
encyclopedia about phobias who deals with the death of her father by
reciting lists of phobias and what they mean.   Her grandma, Betty, is
a kick ass character that helps Zara get her spunk back and of course
there has to be the handsome young man to help rescue Zara, Nick. 

While the story was interesting I cant say the book really grabbed
me and I couldnt put it down.  I would say it was a good story but not
a great story although I would not hesitate to pick up another book by
Jones.

Reprinted here with author's permission.

Reader reviewed by Kim

Need took me on a fast-paced fantasy thrill ride through a small town in Maine where a blood hungry pixie king prowls for the blood and a queen to mate. When her stepfather suddenly passes away and her mother becomes concerned for her daughters mental state of mind, Zara is sent to live with her grandmother in this frozen, remote place. This decision is the catalyst that places Zara as a target of the pixie king and her subsequent immersion in serious danger. It is easy to be won over by Zara. She is portrayed as a humorous, globally conscious teenager who has the quirky habit of collecting phobias like other people collect stamps or coins.
The isolation of her grandmothers home, which is located alongside an eerie dark wood, along with the frigid, constant blizzard-like weather added to the intensity and suspense of the novel for me. On one icy evening, Zaras car spins out of control and she is helped by the handsome, brooding Nick, who has a few secrets of his own. The sizzle between Zara and Nick was palpable. The sparkle and pop of their budding romance was a great contrast to the quiet menace of the small town landscape. I hope to see more character development of Devyn and Issie in the next novel and eagerly am awaiting the sequel.

Reader reviewed by Kelsey

Zara collects phobias like a girl collects dolls when she's a child. After her step-father dies of a heart attack, she isn't the same as she was before. So her mother sends her daughter to Maine with her Grandma. Little does she know, she's being followed by a fairy king. When in a car breakdown Nick comes to her rescue. There's somethin' fishy going on with a boy in her school, Ian, she doesn't know what's the worse part of him though! I reallllly enjoyed this book more than anything, and I can't wait for the sequel that's coming out next year!

Reader reviewed by Elise

I
have recommended this book to absolutely everyone who has asked about
it--and believe me, many people have. The cover is not exactly
unremarkable. At first, I thought I was crazy, picking up this strange
gold lip glossed, misunderstood-high-school-girl book. I have no idea
why I did. But it was easy to get into. The writing is well done, the
characters are likable, the plot is intense and twisting. I was
surprised at this book's greatness. There was, however, one small
drawback. About half way through, I stopped and really started thinking
over the plot line. (I mean really thinking,
not just pondering :-) And I realized that it was suspiciously similar
to that of Twilight. Girl moves from sunny city to cold and tiny town
where she discovers the existence of magical creatures and their role
becomes prominent in her life, not to mention the crazy beautiful,
monsterfied boy in whom she takes an active interest. Hmmm, I thought, that seems odd. But never fear, avid readers! The plot twists! This is no vampire love story. It's a...well, it is
partially a love story...but no vampires involved, I promise. :-) The
voice is so unique and the myths so well-researched that you will
hardly notice. Go at it, I say!

Reader reviewed by Jenny

Title : Need

Author : Carrie Jones

Summary : Zara White has an obsession with phobias. And as of recently she has a dead step-father, a move to Maine with her grandmother and a bizarre stalker to contend with. However the stalker is more than imaginary as she and her new friends can see as he leaves a glittering trail of gold dust. Coupled with the mysterious rivalry between her friends Nick and the popular Ian as well as thedisappearances of some locals, there is something supernatural going on.

Thoughts : I didn't have high expectations for this book. I thought it would lure me in with its super-gorgeous cover and then disappoint. However it was excellent. The phobias were well integrated into the story. They had the potential to be annoying but weren't. It had a wonderful suspenseful quality and how unpredictable it was. Especially love the ways that the faeries and weres were portrayed. Her friends Izzy and Devyn are great characters and I can't wait to hear more about them in the sequel. The only complaint I have is that it was a bit choppy in parts.

Cover : The cover is gorgeous I love the colour scheme. The lips and text are also done with a shiny quality that seams to be really popular. The tree branches in the bottom are also have an eeriebeautiful quality in some places.

Reader reviewed by Shelby

This book is about a girl named Zara who does good things she writes letters to Anmesty International which is a organization that fights for human rights. She basically wants to save the world, but can she save herself is the question? Oh and Zara is pretty much scared of everything. What's sad is that her dad died of a heart attack right in front of her so shes kind of depressed . Her mom moves her out where her nice but silly Grandma lives. I liked that Zara was scared of stuff, because that made her seem more relatable.This boy disappeared when really fairies took him and have him held captive. The fairies are also after Zara for whatever reason. Again this is another story where you guessed it the fairies are bad. The only thing I didn't like about it is that it seemed like this book need something. But overall it's a pretty good book.