Captivate

Captivate by Carrie Jones picks up where Need left off: Zara, her friends Issie and Dev, her werewolf boyfriend Nick, and her grandmother Betty (also a were) have captured Zara's pixie father and many of his subjects and trapped them in a house deep in the Maine woods. It's not a perfect plan for how to deal with the problem of the cruel pixies, but it's the best idea they have had to keep their town free of the menace. So it's back to school and the rather normal things of life...until more pixies begin to show up and Zara finds those she loves in dire peril. This sequel is packed with action and emotion, though it does seem like mostly a bridge to the next entry in the series. Zara's love for Nick is strong and fierce, and she's no simpering wallflower waiting to be rescued, taking charge and making hard decisions. This creates tension between Nick and Zara, which makes their relationship that much more believable. Things are complicated by the appearance of another pixie king named Astley; Zara has to determine whether or not she can trust him...which might become a life or death decision in more ways than one. I really enjoyed Captivate, and I liked how Ms. Jones allows Zara to experience the full range of emotions: love, anger, confusion, grief--they're all there in full measure. My main problem with the novel came in its ultimate ending (which is obviously a set up for the next book) since I could not see Zara pausing even a moment from the quest for which she made such a huge sacrifice. Other than that, this book...well, captivated me. I had a hard time finding a stopping point every time I picked it up, and I was drawn into the story completely. I will be waiting excitedly for the next installment to find out just where we're going and how we're going to get there.

I've read alot of sequels lately and overall, have been disappointed. Usually they have been "middle books" stuffed with things that represent the characters simply marking time until the big finish. This book is certainly different. I feel that the author took a big risk here- she took this story to new places that surprised me and did a great job on building her characters from the past book plus adding an exciting new one. I'm not going to speak to the plot because I feel that if I say anything specific it will give things away. This is simply a good story. I imagine that there will be some people who don't like it because like I said, she has taken some risks. There is less teen romance- it plays a small part with a couple of the other characters, but her main characters have matured beyond it and Zara finds herself in a position where she has to make some really painful choices. Carrie Jones is a good writer - the finish to this story is building up to be quite something.

I Need more! I was completely Captivate-d..... I devoured this novel. This is such a fun and entertaining series, I absolutely loved it. Zara, my favorite phobic is back, and even more entangled in a pixie web. I did not see the story developing this way at all. The introduction of Valhalla, took the story to a whole new level and I can not wait to see what Jones has in store for us next. The plot was an emotional roller coaster, I was up, I was down, I was thrown for a loop and it came screeching to a stop all too quickly. I mean really! How could you do this to me Carrie Jones, you KNOW what I am talking about! Loved the new character of Astley. I still don't have him figured out and I think that is exactly where Jones wants readers to be. Is he good, is he bad? Is he playing Zara for a fool, or is he really there to give a helping hand? I DON'T KNOW! And I can't stand it. Overall Captivate is a fantastic read! Intriguing characters, engrossing plot, blood thirsty pixies... can it get any better?

Originally posted on my blog:[...] If you know me, you know I love fantasy. Absolutely anything fantastical, especially urban fantasy. But, let's be honest, who isn't tired of vampires and werewolves? While there are some truly great vampire and werewolf books out there, I was so ready for something new. So, when I got Captivate, the sequel to Need, by Carrie Jones a couple of weeks ago, it soared straight to the top of my TBR pile. If you don't know, Need is the story of Zara discovering that she is half-pixie and that her boyfriend is a werewolf (yes, I said werewolf. I like this werewolf, so be quiet!). Captivate picks up right where Need left off. Like, exactly where Need left off. As in, it seems to pick up the very next day. I'm not sure if this is the case but it speaks loads that Carrie is able to make it feel like you just finished Need and immediately started Captivate. Captivate easily could have been just the continuation of the pixie war along with some couple troubles for Zara and Nick, but it was so much more than that! The new characters and lore Carrie introduces are weaved seamlessly into the already seamless piece of work that is Zara's story. I love that Zara is a character that fits perfectly into both the fantasy world and the 'real' world represented in the novel. So often I see a character that is perfectly at home among the fantastical but has trouble in school and dealing with the human aspect of their lives. Again, not the case with this book. I think the only problem that I had with Captivate is the fact that it made me show emotion. I bawled my head off while reading. The pages of my book have water damage I cried so hard. I'm not used to a book making me cry. I don't cry. Ever. I commend Carrie on making me cry; it is quite a feat. The ending is truly sad, yet at the same time full of hope. The Verdict: If I could give Captivate 6/5 stars, I would. This book is truly fantastic. Just, be prepared with a few boxes of tissues.

I was so excited to read Captivate I began reading it almost as soon as it arrived at my house. Luckily I was not disappointed. Picking up soon after Need left off I was once again sucked into Zara's world. There was a lot of action in Captivate that kept me reading and I couldn't stop until the last page. Carrie Jones has a terrific writing style and I liked how she didn't spend a lot of time reminiscing from the last book. The action began right away and there were tons of new twists in the plot. New pixies are introduced- both good and evil, and some other creatures as well. The fight scenes had me at the edge of my seat and I liked not being able to guess what was going to happen next. A lot of secrets were revealed in Captivate as well. Secrets about Nick, Devyn, and Zara's father. Although it seemed like nothing more could happen, the ending was a real cliff hanger and left me dying for the next book in the series. There was excitement on every page and some unexpected things happened that made me unable to put the book down. Another great thing about Captivate was the characters were more developed and some new likable characters were introduced. Astley was really likable and I couldn't help liking him more than Nick. Nick treated Zara like a child most of the time, he took his protection to the next level. He also couldn't go a sentence without calling her "baby". That really bugged me. I understand he felt it was his job to protect her, but I think he needed to let Zara take care of herself more. Astley was nice and honest and I think he made Zara realize how controlling Nick was. I'm hoping in the next book to find out even more about Astley. In the end, Captivate did captivate me just as the title said it would and I've added this series as one of my favorites. I've already bought a hardcover copy to add to my collection. If you haven't read Need yet, you should. This series is fantastic and I'm counting down the days until Carrie Jones releases any info about the third book in the series. Rating; Plot: 10/10 Characters: 9.5/10 Ending: 9.5/10 Enjoyment: 10/10 Cover: 10/10 -- Overall: 49/50= 98%