All the fantasy creatures are called the Shining Ones, which includes pixies, werewolves, and many other “were” creatures. Contradicting most teen fantasy books on the market, the mythical creatures in Need think vampires don’t exist.
Fantasy novels are one of the most popular teen book trends, especially since Harry Potter and Twilight took the world by storm. But with so many stories, and few recognizable creatures of myth to choose from, it’s very hard for authors to generate new ideas. While there are many teen books about pixies and werewolves on the market, few, if any, combine the two.
In Need, Carrie Jones mixes fantasy with reality. She shows readers how to deal with the death of a parent, how to adjust to a new environment, and, most prominently, how to overcome your fears. Each chapter is titled with the name of a fear that reflects the content in that chapter. For example, Nyctohylophobia: fear of dark wooded areas, or of forests at night.
Need Summary
When Zara’s stepfather dies, she feels as though life is no longer worth living. She’d never met her real father, so her stepfather was the closest thing she had. He taught her to care for others, and inspired Zara to write letters to Amnesty International. But with him gone, Zara is losing her spunk.
Moving to Maine
Her mother decides to send her to Betty, her stepfather’s mother and only grandmother she’s ever known. Betty lives in a small town in Maine where the winter weather hits full force by October. Zara can’t believe her mother would do this to her. She feels trapped and she hates the snow. And worse, a teenage boy has recently vanished, and a strange man who was stalking her back home in Charleston has shown up in Maine. Could he be connected to the recent abduction?
Adjusting to a New School
On her first day of school Zara meets Nick, a handsome, muscular guy with a hero complex; Ian, a tall perfectionist who’s not only prom king, but also the fastest runner in the school; Issie, Zara’s enthusiastic classmate; and Issie’s friend Devyn, who became wheelchair bound after a terrible accident. Zara is making friends faster than she expected.
Are Pixies Real?
When the strange man shows up on her school's grounds, Zara’s new friends catch a glimpse of him. They do some research hoping to find out about this weird stalker. Their conclusion shocks Zara to her core: her friends think he’s a pixie. But not the tiny, gentle Tinkerbell type. According to their research, real pixies aren’t all that friendly. In fact, they’re undoubtedly behind the recent abduction. A pixie’s kiss can kill, and if a pixie king can’t kiss his queen and gain power, he’ll fulfill his “need” the only other way he knows how—by consuming the blood of teenage boys. Now the pixie king is after Zara, but Betty and her new friends will do whatever they can to protect her.
(Need by Carrie Jones | Bloomsbury USA | December 2008 | ISBN: 9781599903385)
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