Review: Need by Carrie Jones

Need (Need Pixies, Book 1)
by Carrie Jones
2009 Bloomsbury Press
Hardcover Edition: 307 Pages
ISBN-13:978-1-59990-338-5
ISBN-10:1-59990-338-5
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal

4/5 Stars

Summary (Press Release)
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 fragment of Zara's overactive imagination.  In fact, he's still following her, leaving behind an errie trail of gold dust.  There's something not right - not human - in this sleepy Maine town, and all signs point to Zara.

In this creepy, compelling breakout novel, Carrie Jones delivers romance, suspense, and a creature you never thought you'd have to fear.

My Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book and really had a difficult time putting it down.  Carrie Jones delivers a book that is filled with exciting moments, nail-biting action, and enough romance to satisfy without being superfluous.  Her style of writing is very descriptive and just brings the scenes to life; I had no trouble imagining the awful Maine winter, the cold, the ice, the snow.   While some part of the plot were predictable, there were enough surprises and twists that I found it quite enjoyable.

Zara was a delight as a heroine.  I enjoyed watching her develop and grow throughout the novel from this meek creature who abstained from violence to a wildcat towards the end who would do whatever it took to save her family and friends.  While I don't condone violence, I can certainly see how one can change their viewpoint when family and friends are manipulated and threatened.   

The other characters were interesting and really made the novel.  I like Zara's friends and how they stood up for her right away.  They had interesting personality traits and did quirky things that really endeared them to me and it's often those little things that really make a difference in a novel.  I would have liked to have known more about some events that were going on and I am hoping that more will be explained in book 2, Captivate.

Verdict
I enjoyed this novel tremendously.  There were some things that didn't ring true however, such as Zara's being sent to Maine when her mother knew about the danger awaiting her there, but it didn't really seem to matter in the end.  I really enjoyed Ms. Jones' writing style, I liked the characters, and I was fascinated by the storyline.  I am looking forward to reading Captivate, the sequel to this novel.