Books I Love – Need & Captivate by Carrie Jones

This week it’s a two-fer! I’ll only post the summary for the first one though, so as not to give away any spoilers.

Zara collects phobias the way other girls collect Facebook friends. Little wonder, since life’s been pretty rough so far. Her father left, her stepfather just died, and her mother’s pretty much checked out. Now Zara’s living with her grandmother in sleepy, cold Maine so that she stays “safe.” Zara doesn’t think she’s in danger; she thinks her mother can’t deal.

Wrong. Turns out that guy she sees everywhere, the one leaving trails of gold glitter, isn’t a figment of her imagination. He’s a pixie—and not the cute, lovable kind with wings. He’s the kind who has dreadful, uncontrollable needs. And he’s trailing Zara.

These books are great. I love Jones’ attention to detail when it comes to setting. I went to college in Maine, and as I was reading I kept thinking, “This sounds exactly like Bar Harbor!” I flipped to the acknowledgements page and sure enough, Jones thanks Bar Harbor and the Mount Desert Police Department. I think it’s awesome that she’s captured life in a small Maine town so well. I know Stephen King is the master of making Maine super creepy, but Carrie Jones gives him a run for his money.

These books are also very well paced. Once you pick them up, it’s hard to put them down. The creatures are remarkable and described just enough to be creepy. You may think, “Pixies…seriously?” But these pixies are more like psycho monsters than cute little mischief makers. Captivate ends with a cliffhanger, so I can’t wait to read the third book, Entice.

What did you all think of these?