Review Need

336 pages
Published 2009
Carrie Jones



"Pain shoots through my head. Fireworks. Explosions. All inside my brain. The white world goes dark and I know what's about to happen. I'm the one leaving. I am the one gone" pg 238









Synopsis


Suffering from the loss of her stepfather, Zara White, moves to Maine to live with her grandmother. While Zara begins to come out of her depression and live her life again she begins to notice that all is not right in her small town. A man keeps showing up as if he is stalking her and leaving behind a trail of gold dust. If that wasn’t bad enough two boys have disappeared from the town. As Zara realizes that there are more than humans in her new town she will have to prepare herself for a battle to save herself and her loved ones.

---------------------------------------------------------

Review

I really enjoyed this book; the writing style immediately draws the reader in. Zara and her obsession with phobias was definitely unique, each chapter starts with a new phobia and definition. I read this book awhile ago but since Entice is coming out in December I thought it would be fun to re-read the series to date.


As Zara starts her new school she begins to make new friends and meets the charming Nick. He is an alpha male who is determined to protect Zara, but unfortunately for him our heroine isn’t one to sit around waiting to be rescued. Zara is definitely proactive we begin to see her come into her own in Need. She is grieving the loss of her stepfather and the life she had. You can feel her struggle to overcome her grief throughout the book and can’t help but root for her. The romance between Nick and Zara is sweet and never seems forced. Zara’s friends and grandmother provide the comic relief adding light parts to this dark tale.


So should you read it?

YES! Ms. Jones creates a world where pixies are quite nasty and dangerous and shapeshifters serve as protectors. There are quite a few twists and turns in the story that will keep the reader guessing. Need is a juicy paranormal tale with a lot of action with the beginnings of a sweet romance. The series continues to get better as it goes on


♥ ♥ ♥ = really liked it



P.S. If you haven’t read this book Amazon has it for $4 as of today.

Review: Firelight

336 Pages
Published in 2010
By Sophie Jordan

"My flesh tightens, ripples with heat. The bridge of my nose pushes out, ridges rising My lungs start to burn and smolder, chest vibrating. My draki at last. I suppose I should take comfort in this. Joy that I can feel myself responding. That I'm not completely dead inside."(p.118)

"Horror strikes me full force. Cripples me motionless. My gaze flies, taking it all in with dizzying speed. Draki skin stares back at me...everywhere."(p.143)

SYNOPSIS:

Jacinda is a draki, a race that is descended from dragons, capable of disguising themselves as human. She has been raised in a hidden community of draki, protected by magical fog. But Jacinda is special. For generations all of the draki have manifested powers - except fire breathing.


Jacinda's power gains her an elevated status in her community, but simultaneously isolates her from her mother and twin sister, Tamra. When Jacinda and her friend, Azure are seen and almost caught by draki hunters, the community wants to prevent Jacinda from ever leaving again.


Jacinda's mom plots their escape to human society, not only to save her daughter but to also destory her draki heritage.


The longer Jacinda spends time away from her community and share in their nightly flights, the more her power fades. That is - until she meets Will.


But Will is not a typical high school boy. In fact, he in the hunter who saved her life.


Jacinda must battle against her developing feelings for Will, her desire to retain her powers, and the draki that search for her.


REVIEW:

I loved the original concept of this book. The draki are their own race within the paranormal community. They have various powers that are very intriguing and I thought it interesting that the ability to breathe fire was rare.


The characters are well developed. We get a strong sense of who Jacinda's parents, sister, and draki friends are, in addition to those she meets when in human company.


However, I think the author need to expand on the origin and history of the draki a bit more. We are just given a vague premise for their origin and their powers are not fully explored.


Personally, I also thought it was a bit depressing how Jacinda's relationship with her sister and mother have been irrevocably damaged ever since she manifested the power to breathe fire.

♥ ♥ = not too bad, not too great

Review: Paranormalcy

352 Pages
Published in 2010
By Kiersten White

"He was right. I was tired. I had been alone my whole life. The foster homes, the Center - what was the difference? Why was I resisting him? I felt his hand on mine; he was so warm. The heat started to spread up my arm, slow and insistent. Why not give him my heart, my soul? No one else wanted them." (p.57)



SYNOPSIS:


Evie is an orphan who was adopted by the IPCA (International Paranormal Containment Agency) as a child after they realized that she is able to see through glamour. Evie can spot any paranormal being easily.


She is raised with half her time dedicated to average studies (math, english, etc.), and the other half being trained to bring in paranormals. Her missions are only to use her handy taser gun, Tasey, to shock the paranormal and attach an ankle tracker, giving them a certain amount of time to report into the Agency.


In her seclusion at the Agency, it is not surprising that her "ex-boyfriend" is a sly fey named Reth and her only connection to the outside world is through a popular teen drama on TV.


When a paranormal no one has ever heard of breaks into the Agency, Evie's world begins to turn upside down. Lend is a water- like paranormal that can shift into a exact copy of most beings. He may also hold the answers to the reason behind the recent killings of paranormals.


While getting to know Lend, Evie also must confront her insecurities about her identity and where she belongs.


Meanwhile, the number of paranormals dying are going up, Reth is becoming more and more dangerous, and Evie is no longer sure she can trust the only home she's ever known - the IPCA.

REVIEW:

I was a bit disappointed with this novel. It started off really well and had a good pace, but as I continued reading it seemed to drag a bit during some sections.


The characters are well developed, even the side characters, and we can get a good picture of what they may look like. I also enjoyed the world the author created, where vampires are only as hot as their glamours and we get interaction with a mermaid, a creature we don't see often.


However, I did not like the innocence of Evie's character. For some reason, she has lived her life in the IPCA and does not know much about paranormals, other than enough to complete her missions. She does not even know the difference between a Seelie and Unseelie fey! Her knowledge seems to extend to werewolves and vampires only.


I also did not like that Evie is only 16, and that when she was 14 she was involved in an borderline friendship/intimate relationship with an ancient fey. For some reason, it comes across slimier than most teenage girl and ancient fey relationships. She also gets attached to Lend easily - even planning on going to the same college as him.


At the end, I was not sure whether this is meant to be a series. The ending is a bit open- ended, so that we are not sure whether the reader is supposed to be left thinking about what may happen, or whether there will be further development in the plot.


We also do not see Evie establishing for herself a strong sense of identity. Apart from the choice she makes in the end, it seems like she merely trades the IPCA for Lend's home, and begins to plan her entire future with him.


Overall, this was an ok read. There were some highlights, and we do encounter new creatures. However, I did not love the main character and the pace was not maintained throughout the novel.

♥ ♥ = not too bad, not too great

Review: Mistwood

320 Pages
Published in 2010
By Leah Cypess

"No, Isabel thought, closing her eyes. She didn't want to be human. She didn't want to have feelings, and fears, and choices. She wanted to know what was right and act without hesitation." (p.223)




SYNOPSIS:

This novel is a story of lore - with a twist. The perspective is told by the legend herself. 


Isabel is the current embodiment of The Shifter, a being that can shift into any animal. Unfortunately, this time around, Isabel cannot remember all of her capabilities nor her previous lives. 


Despite her insecurities, she rises to her duty of protecting a young prince, Rokan, who unlike his father is determined to rule with his heart and not cold calculations. But his emotions hinder him from recognizing the plots that threaten his life and his true enemies, and he must rely on Isabel for her ancient knowledge.


While Isabel faces developing human emotions and the struggle to find her true Shifter self, she must also deal with finding the truth about the circumstances that forced her to flee previously. She must also discern whether Rokan is really meant to be king, and therefore whether it is her duty to remain loyal to him. 


Will The Shifter regain her full powers, or will she choose to be more human? Is she allowed to love as The Shifter? And will she choose to defend Rokan with her life?

REVIEW:

I really enjoyed this book. It has action, a sense of adventure, and a sweet love story. The plot definitely arouses the reader's curiosity. We are as confused as Isabel is when it comes to her previous life and her true identity. 


Which brings me to the originality of this novel. I thought I had figured out the mystery, but at the climax realized I was wrong. Furthermore, even then there was still more surprises that the author revealed. 


However, the author does not leave us hanging at the end. She wraps up the story nicely in still continuing the story after the action subsides. 


In this way and throughout the novel, Cypess is adept at developing the characters so that we understand their fears and struggles. 


I would recommend this novel without hesitation. It is is different in that the love story is not the focus and the world we enter is enthralled by one legend.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ = awesome book- a must read!

* Thank you to our friend L.K. for lending us this book!