Endure (Need book 4)

Endure is the final book in the YA series called Need. Zara was finally able to get Nick back from Asgard. It wasn't an easy task. Many people (including Mrs. Nix) died so that she could have her boyfriend back. Was Zara being selfish? Doubt and worry plague her thoughts until she finally realizes that no, she wasn't being selfish. She was getting Nick back to help all of the people of Bedford.

Sadly, things don't go to plan. Nick feels that he can no longer love Zara because she "doesn't have a soul anymore". Nick and Zara grow ever apart and Astley swoops in to claim her love.

While finding a way to stop the apocalypse, Zara travels to Hel, the afterlife place ruled by the Norse goddess/half zombie being whose name also happens to be Hel. There she discovers her role in the prophecy. She must free Loki, which sets off the apocalypse and then jump into the mouth to Hel he creates. Just peachy.

During her adventure, she gets turned back into a human. Only a pixie queen can turn a pixie back into a human if she kisses the pixie with intent. The council forbids Astley to turn her back into a pixie. The process might kill her.

To help fight off the apocalypse, Zara reveals the existence of pixies to some of her friends and starts training an army.

Zara finally discovers that she loves Astley in this book. She cannot bear to be with Nick anymore and Nick can't bear to see her as a pixie.

The ending seems TERRIBLE but then bam! suddenly the story takes a sharp twist. Zara ends up telling Loki how to free himself, Astley turns evil, Frank starts the apocalypse, Zara becomes a pixie again and she still ends up sacrificing herself in the end.

This book takes on a slightly Twilight feel with the whole Team Nick and Team Astley going on.

The book was a good ending to a great series with twist and turns, secrets and lies, betrayals and kindling love.

Score: 9.0/10

Entice (Need series book 3)

Entice is the third book of the Need series. In the last book, Zara agrees to let Astley transform her into a pixie and make her his queen. Not because she wants to be a pixie or a queen. She does this because it is the only way to enter Asgard and bring back Nick from Valhalla.

As a pixie, Zara discovers that not all pixies are evil and that being a pixie, especially a queen pixie has it's benefits. She has super fast reflexes, inhuman strength, and crazy fighting skills. With her new found abilities, Zara keeps the people of Bedford safe from evil pixies under Frank's (the pixie king that killed Nick) rule.

As Zara progresses towards her destination, she discovers that Nick had been keeping secrets from her. This only deepens her fear that Nick will hate the pixie Zara and will decide to stay in Valhalla.

She of course cannot accomplish such a mammoth task (getting into the land of the gods, alive) without the help of her king and his mother. When chatting with his mother, she discovers that Astley has also been keeping a dark secret from her.

With Astley hovering (hehe) around her so often, Zara finds herself torn between her king and her wolf.

Zara's willpower and emotions are tested because of the lies, deceptions, double crosses and death around every corner.

The third book of the series was very well written with a smooth and Enticing (sorry!) plot line. It is much better from the second book and even better than the first one.

Score= 9.3/10

Captivate (Need series book 2)

Captivate is the second book in the hit series called Need by Carrie Jones. When we last left Zara, she was struggling to overcome her heritage and the fact that she is a half pixie princess. To save the quaint little town of Bedford, she traps the pixie king (aka, the worst dad in history) and the rest of the pixies in a large invisible mansion in the woods. Just when she thought that life was finally calming down, she saves a pixie king who wants to overthrow her father and claims that she is destined to be his queen. As Nick and Zara grow ever closer, she discovers the catastrophic domino she has tipped and the devastating effects of saving her mother from her dad.

This new pixie king she saves gets her thinking. Are all pixies really evil? He claims that there are some on the side of good against evil. She cannot help but question her beliefs about "mythical" side of her family.

A weird girl (what is weird anymore?) named Cassidy is starting to get in between Issie and Devyn. Could something magical be brewing between Cassidy and Devyn? How far will Zara go to help her friend and knock some sense into Devyn?

Norse mythology blooms around Zara as she realizes she is in a bigger war than she could have ever imagined. A war that could change everything she has ever know forever.

Zara's story gets ever more complex and interesting. Relationships and loyalties are tested.

This is a good sequel to Need. I do however find that I suffer a case of Second-Book-Syndrome. The second book is not as good as the first one. I feel that Zara and Nick get a little too "Lovey-Dovey" compared to the first book. The transition in this relationship between the first and second book is not as smooth as the story itself. Overall, a well written sequel to a Captivating (sorry, I had to) series.

Score= 8.2/10

Need (Need series book 1)

Need is a fantasy YA novel by Carrie Jones. The book is about Zara White and the recent months after her step-father's death. She sees a man outside her kitchen window, that's when her father dies. Heart attack. The man seems to be following her no matter where she goes. Her mother sends her away from Charleston to her step-grandmother Betty's house in Bedford, Maine. The man has followed her there too. He leaves a trail of gold dust. Soon before Zara arrived in Maine, a boy went missing. A week later, another one goes missing. Weird things are happening in Bedford. This is where pixies come into place. No, not the flowery Tinkerbell kind. This kind has blue skin, pointed teeth and silver eyes. The "man" turns out to be the pixie king. Without a queen, the pixie king grows weaker and more uncontrollable. The only thing that can keep him alive is the souls of young boys. He doesn't want to take the boys but he can't stop himself. It's what he is. He needs a queen or he needs the boys.

Zara herself has other things to deal with. Being the new girl, she tries to fit in but all hopes are dashed when Megan, popular-girl-supreme, decides she hates her. On top of that, She cannot stop her heart from doing a 360 every time she sees Nick Colt ("he's a special breed" said Betty). She makes a few friends, namely: Issie (a jumping girl with endless energy) and Devyn (a genius researcher in a wheelchair).

Zara knows she is connected to the pixie king somehow and makes it her responsibility to stop him from kidnapping any other young boys. Their fates are more intertwined then she originally thought. Over the course of the book, Zara discovers her heritage is richer than she thought and her biological father can completely change the whole equation.

Pixies and werewolves come to life in this magical tale. The book is full of dark turns and light humor that keeps the readers reading. The writing was done very well and the title was very appropriate to the book. Carrie writes this book in such a way that when you think you have made an amazing discovery, you realize that's exactly what she wanted you to do and you can't even get mad because she does it with such grace. A very good book and a good start to the series.

score= 9.0/10

Nightmarys

Nightmarys is  a book by Dan Poblocki. It is a book possibly intended for a slightly young audience. It isn't a YA book. The book is about Abigail Tremens and and Timothy July. Timothy and Abigail have both been cursed and both now have to face their biggest nightmares... awake. An ancient artifact with the ability to use a person's fear against them exists, Abigail and Timothy are victims of its use. Together, they must discover this artifact, face their biggest fears and thwart a dead man's revenge.

This book is a fairly short read with only 325 pages (at least in my copy). It's a classical mystery novel with magical artifacts, old ladies, and dead men. Although it is "just another" mystery novel, it manages to keep its own unique story line with a slightly obvious ending.

The book was well thought out and made for an interesting short read. Definitely the go to book if you've just finished a series and want to take a short break before starting another.

Score=8.3/10

Fiendish

Fiendish is a YA book written by Brenna Yovanoff. It is an interesting book about a girl named Clementine DeVore, a Wicked (person with magical capabilities) from the Willows, who was buried and put to sleep in an underground cellar for 10 years. She is woken up and rescued by a boy named Fisher. She cannot remember how she ended up under a spell in a cellar for ten years. She, along with her cousin Shiny, her friend Rae and her (spoiler!) boyfriend Fisher try to discover how she ended up in a cellar and why can only a select few people even remember her. This however wont be easy because weird things start happening and the Hallow (where all this magic originates from) is growing ever more dangerous. To save herself and rediscover her past Clementine must first discover her connection with the Hallow and her role in the Reckoning.

Shiny, Rae and Fisher are also Wicked. Shiny has the gift of fire, Rae has the gift of air and Fisher has the gift of dirt.

The book has a very good plot that progresses ever so rapidly. The author has done a good job writing the book but could have done better with her writing style.

Score= 7.8 out of 10

Hero

Hero is a book by Perry Moore. It's an interesting write about a young man who discovers he has powers. Young Thom Creed is scorned because of his father's disgrace (more on that later). He holds a secret which can never come out... he likes guys. Thom Creed is homosexual. His father can never find out because of his apparent hate for homosexuals. Thom finds himself in a group of superheros-in-training against his father's wishes. Within the League Thom discovers a sinister plot that could very well destroy his planet. It's now up to Thom and his friends Scarlett (who can control fire), Typhoid Larry (who can make anyone sick), Golden Boy ( super speed) and Ruth (who can see the future) to save the world.

Thom's father used to be Major Might who allegedly was responsible for the death of hundreds. He was then kicked out of the League.

The book itself is very well written. The words and snarky remarks just roll right off the tongue. A great read for anyone.

Score= 9.2 out of 10