Need by Carrie Jones

Bloomsbury, 2010. ISBN 978408807408.
(Age 14+) If you thought that pixies were cute little things with pointed ears, then you are in for a surprise with Need. Zara has been sent to stay with her grandmother in Maine after the death of her stepfather. She is angry with her mother, who doesn't seem to care any more and depressed that she was unable to help her stepfather when he collapsed. What makes it worse is that she has seen a tall stranger who seems to be following her. Zara, with the help of some new friends, Nick, Issie and Devyn, works out that the man is a pixie and that there are other strange creatures who change shapes and prowl in the night.
Jones immediately gained my interest with her chapter headings, each one a different phobia that Zara spends some time explaining. They ranged from phobophobia, fear of phobias, to merinthopobia, fear of being bound or tied up. I enjoyed Zara's voice and the fact that she was into saving the world, writing letters for Amnesty International and starting a group at her school. This gave her a depth of character not always found in this type of story. Although there seemed to be the inevitable love triangle with Nick and Ian in the first few chapters, it soon becomes apparent that Nick is the love interest. He is strong and protective and I look forward to seeing how their romance progresses in the next book in the series, Captivate.
This book will appeal to girls who enjoy reading paranormal stories. The combination of a heroine who has pixie blood and fights evil, a gorgeous werewolf love interest and a luscious looking cover will entice teenage readers who want a quick light read.
Pat Pledger