Entice (YA)

Entice. Carrie Jones. 2010. [December 2010] Bloomsbury. 272 pages.

"Am I really not allowed to complain about being here?" I ask as we enter Bedford High School about an hour late for the winter ball.

Entice is the third novel in Carrie Jones pixie series. The first two are Need and Captivate. This series would be great for fans of Stephenie Meyer and Melissa Marr. (Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange, and Fragile Eternity immediately come to mind.) I'm sure there are other authors I could mention. (After all, were-creatures, faeries, and such are still exceedingly popular at the moment. Though pixies are not that prevalent, so Jones is unique in that.) So these books are assured an audience.

I enjoyed Entice. I did. I liked it better than Captivate. And perhaps even more than Need. Though it's been so long since reading the first novel, I can't say that with certainty. If there was a time I liked Nick, I don't remember. One thing I do know is that I like Astley. I do. He is one of the main reasons why I enjoyed Entice so much! (The mythology would be a second reason.)

Almost everything I say about Entice would spoil Need and Captivate. I could talk about the danger Zara and her friends face. I could talk about the tough decision she's been "forced" to make in the name of love. I could talk about how confusing this all is for our young heroine, Zara. I could talk about how great it is that Zara has such a supportive team of friends. She's facing a lot--but she's not alone. But. I think the less you know going into it, the better it will be.


© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Captivate (YA)

Captivate. Carrie Jones. 2010. Bloomsbury. 276 pages.  

Sometimes there are these bizarre people who actually like physical education class.

Captivate is the sequel to Need. Both Need and Captivate would be good for fans of Stephenie Meyer and Melissa Marr. (Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange, and Fragile Eternity immediately come to mind.) It's YA fantasy with plenty of thrills--a dangerous romance. Zara, our heroine, is confused about many things. Her relationship with her father? Too complicated to fathom. Part of her hates the fact that she's had to lock him up so that the slaughtering of human boys would stop in her Maine town. But part of her realizes of course that while killing is never "good" it is sometimes necessary. She's also confused about pixies in general. After meeting--after rescuing--one pixie in particular, she's beginning to think for the first time that there may be a few good pixies out there. For this mysterious pixie--we don't learn his name (Astley) for quite a while--saves Zara time and time again. He seems to make it his business to keep her safe. (Which of course is threatening Nick's role in this drama.)

But there is one thing that Zara is NOT confused about. Her love for Nick. She loves him. Oh how she loves him. She needs him. She wants him. She can't stop thinking about him. He's her everything. He'd do anything to keep her safe. And she'd do anything to keep him safe.

Captivate is dramatic. For me, the highlight of this one was the introduction of Astley. I liked the scenes between Zara and Astley best.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews