This week's book is super special because it comes from a Maine author and is set in Maine! I loved reading this book because I could totally picture the setting. If I couldn't all I needed to do was envision one of our famous Nor' Easters and I was all set.Carrie Jones's Need is about a teen girl named Zara, who moves to rural Maine after her stepfather's death just about paralyzes her. She comes to Maine from South Carolina in the middle of winter to live with her grandmother, a tough Maine woman who works as an EMT.
Zara is readily accepted at her small school, but there have been some weird events and tragedies that have shaken this small town. One boy has disappeared without a trace. A few weeks later, another teen boy is missing. And missing boys aren't the only problem. A strange man is seen standing outside of the school cafeteria, pointing straight at Zara. And there's Megan, a popular girl at school who takes an immediate hatred toward Zara and tries to make Zara's transition to Bedford High as uncomfortable as possible.
When Zara learns that she is surrounded by supernatural beings, she starts to doubt her sanity and her strength to save herself and the people she cares about. But, the role of heroine and human rights advocate is not lost on her. She tries to intervene in this unfamiliar realm, but will she find the missing boys in time to save them?
I loved this book from start to finish. I promise that I was not biased in any way because a fellow Mainer penned this book. It was arranged in an interesting way, with a "phobia" starting every chapter. It was interesting to see how the defined phobia that started each chapter would play out in the narrative. The story was pretty clever and the sequel seems to have its own unique structure. I can't wait to read it!
