Need

I just want to remind people of my radio show, in which I babble like a maniac. This month's does contain complete readings of "The Story of an Hour" and "Desiree's Baby," both by Kate Chopin. You should listen to it for those.

By Carrie Jones


(Note: The cover image will take you to Amazon. Usually I don't note this, but NEED is currently 32% off, which rocks.)

After her (step)father dies, Zara becomes something of a zombie - noticible even to her seatmate on a plane. She does little but write her letters to Amnesty International, trying to save others even as she refuses to notice anything wrong with herself. Worried, her mother sends her to live with her (step)grandmother, Betty, an EMT in Maine.

She quickly becomes involved with several people at school: Nick, who has a hero complex, Ian, an overachiever, Issie, a hyper and awesome girl, and her crush Devyn. She has less positive interactions with Megan, who instantly dislikes Zara. Are all Megans in YA literature bad guys? I have to be honest, my best friend in kindergarten was named Megan. I don't like to think she might've grown up to be a villain. (Woot! New Heroes episodes tomorrow!)

Tangents aside, Zara also encounters another important person. She saw him back in Charleston and now she's seeing him in her new home. Devyn and Issie are scared of him as well. They believe he's a pixie, the king who needs to hunt and kill and leaves behind gold glitter. He's definitely a guy to be legitimately scared of. Which I love, since it contrasts the phobias Zara recites to calm herself down. The teens in NEED are put into scary situations and there's nothing irrational about their fright. People who want to torture you to death in the woods are bad news.

Luckily, the pixies have an enemy. Because Zara doesn't find the only way to stop the king's needs very palatable. Even a girl who wants to save the world still wants to save herself, even if that girl sometimes forgets. And like the best YA books, Zara is figuring out who she is. Is she a pacifist, hippie chick? Or does the anger she sometimes feels have a use? She doesn't completely answer her own questions (who does), but she does completely creep me out with her decisions. That is, of course, the perfect end to a book obsessed with fear.

NEED moves by very quickly. It's a slender volume and the scenes move along swiftly, especially when Zara's in a harrowing situation. I adored the characters, particularly Issie and Betty. Nick I took a little longer to like, since the hero complex often causes one to completely ignore what help other people can offer in a situation. But he worked well with others' plans and won me over by the end. At the end, I even felt attached to Zara's mom, who barely shows up in the story. NEED worked very well for me as a fast-paced, creepy (slightly disturbing when all is said and done) read.

NEED came out in January 2009, so you can buy and/or borrow it now! Carrie Jones is also the author of TIPS FOR HAVING A (GAY) EX-BOYFRIEND, GIRL, HERO, and LOVE (AND OTHER USES FOR DUCT TAPE), none of which have paranormal elements. (Just warning you in case you read NEED and think you'll be reading more books with pixies and shifters.) Carrie Jones can be found at her website, which contains links to her non-fiction, and her el jay. Thanks to Kristi (The Story Siren), who lent me her copy.

I'm Watching You

The contest winners are:

HOW I FOUND THE PERFECT DRESS - Bishiesruleme
THE ELITE - Marjolein
VIOLET IN PRIVATE - Mari

Thanks for participating! Please e-mail me (inbedwithbooks AT yahoo DOT com) with your shipping address within 72 hours. If you do not contact me within that time new winners will be chosen.

Please go to the archives of my radio show to listen to an interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith. It's full of all sorts of goodness, including information about the upcoming ETERNAL and BLESSED.

By Mary Burton



Lindsay O’Neil survived her father’s abuse. He killed her mother and then himself, but she managed to survive and begin a sheltered for battered women. But now someone calling himself ‘The Guardian’ is threatening that. He’s killing abusers in her name and sending her their severed hands. To complicate matters, her estranged husband Zach Kier is one of the lead detectives investigating the case.

She and Zach separated due to his alcoholism, fueled partly by his work as an undercover vice cop. Zach managed to get clean, but Lindsay is still wary of renewing their relationship. His partner Jacob Warwick believes he’ll return to drinking as well and treats him rather brusquely.

Lindsay works with the cops to catch the killer, but she also tries to continue protecting battered women – including her secret roommate Nicole Piper. Unfortunately, some of those women are suspects. Even more unfortunately, Nicole’s husband is looking for her. I liked that Lindsay both had a reasonable motive for not cooperating completely with the police and didn’t go looking for the killer on her own. She trusts them to do their job.

I likewise enjoyed Mary Burton’s portrayal of Zach. An alcoholic is easy to make unlikeable. But I know many undercover narcotics cops do have substance abuse problems, and he made the effort to change his lifestyle and get clean. Lindsay’s decision to kick him out wasn’t the best possible, but it makes sense given her background of abuse.

Some scenes in I’M WATCHING YOU are rather violent, but I don’t think Burton revels in the gore as much as some suspense writers. Children (teenagers) are hurt during the course of the novel, which I know bothers some readers. There are many references to and scenes of abuse that might not be palatable to those close to the subject. Nothing in the story bothered me, but it does tread close to issues that bother some people (often with good reason).

Burton develops an interesting serial killer who is all the more disturbing because his motives are altruistic. I’M WATCHING YOU plays well within the conventions of the genre and possesses the favorable characteristics of a non-jerk hero and a thinking heroine.

You can find more information at Mary Burton's website. I'M WATCHING YOU is available now. The follow-up, DEAD RINGER, will be available in November.

My review copy was courtesy of Pump Up Your Book Promotion.

Important Announcements and the May Contest

First, I am hosting a radio show on Passionate Voices Internet Radio. The first show is the Sunday, May 11 at 8:30 EST and lasts thirty minutes. If you can't tune in live a recording will be available on the site. I'm interviewing Cynthia Leitich Smith and hopefully Vicki Petterrson, if the time works with her schedule.

Second, I guest reviewed for Imperial Beach Teen Blog. Check out my reaction to TANTALIZE by Cynthia Leitich Smith.

Now for the May Contest!

I am giving away two ARCs. If you like Ellen Schreiber's Vampire Kisses, here's your chance to read the newest release before it hits shelves and win two collector's items. I'm offering the ARC of both the fourth and fifth books, DANCE WITH A VAMPIRE and THE COFFIN CLUB.



To win, comment on this entry or e-mail me at inbedwithbooks AT yahoo DOT com. Earn one extra entry by blogging about the contest (and giving me the link) and earn another by commenting on any of my May entries. Earn a third extra chance by listening to the radio show and leaving a relevent comment about it on this post.

Contest ends midnight (Central) on May 31st.