Need

Need (Need #1)

Author: Carrie Jones
Review By: Courtney
Published By: Bloomsbury USA
Date: December 23rd 2008
Genre: YA / Paranormal Fantasy
Pages: 306 pages

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.

Okay if that cover didn't do anything for you then I have a simple question...What's wrong with you?? :) This book drew me in with this cover. Of course I don't always judge books by their cover but this one I sure did and man is it amazing. I realize that this book doesn't get the best of reviews, why I have no idea. It is very well written and the characters have a personality. Zara is this quirky, awkward girl who is obsessed with reciting phobias. She is kinda in a sort of depression but she pushes through it. Now she ends up having to move to Maine to stay with her grandmother, because her mother thinks shes deeply depressed because her stepfather died right in front of her. As shes traveling there's someone strange fallowing her, but she thinks that its just her mind playing tricks on her....Is she right??


What makes the book so much greater is that not only is Zara's back story good but all the character's have depth to them. Nick is this amazing guy who's like the jock, what I really loved was that he was kinda a jerk to her at first, it wasn't love at first sight and they just grew on each other and it didn't seem to fast. But he has a secret about himself. It seems this whole town is a big pot of stirring secrets. Zara even has a secret of her own, only she doesn't know it yet. So this story is about her pretty much figuring out who she can trust and who she can't and of course the secrets to the occupants of this town. She starts to notice some weird things like the gold dust that gets left behind when something happens to her, like shes being followed by something. Of course you should know that their are more than one paranormal force at work in this town like Fairy's (pixies), not the tinker bell fairies but these blue, tall fanged scary fairies. And shape-shifters, witches and plenty more.

It turns out that there's this really super scary guy (pixie) that is following her and that he wants her, I bet your thinking why? Well I can't tell (Seems there's always something I can't tell you all :) The character's in this story are really well described and while you read they all have a place in your head of what they sound like, Issie and Devyn are geeks just like her and I love them, they take her in as their friends in the beginning and show her the town, while Zara's grandmother Betty is amazingly awesome for a grandmother. Then there's Ian, in the beginning I liked him but I also thought man what a suck up and then I hated him. Megan is the popular mean girl (every book has one) of course you end up hating her :)


I would say that this book would appeal to anyone who enjoys the House of Night series by P.C.Cast and her daughter. A lot of people compare it to Twilight and I just say WHAT??? I am gonna say this now and get it over with, I hate Twilight!!!! It was among the first YA books I read (my bestie said I HAD to read it) and frankly one of the worst, yet I still go see the movies *confused*. I really began to hate the books when I started to read more YA and saw that the book was all hype, I know sad. So I say more of House of Night mixed with some Vampire Diaries.


I give this book 5 out of 5 stars, because it is a refreshing read and a nice short read, and I just really enjoyed this book and I know I'll enjoy the rest :) So in order for you to know the secrets going on in this town and with Zara you need to go out and grab this from the library or order off of Amazon has a e-book. I will eventually buy this as a book because I love this series so much that I need to have the real book :) I just hope you all enjoy it as much as I have. 

~Good Readings~