glitterbomb47's review against another edition
1.0
This book is awful. I recommend you immediately remove it from your to-read lists. It is clearly a Twilight wannabe, without any of the charm. The main character Zara is a blank, yet everyone loves her. Throughout the book she does colossally stupid things that people have repeatedly told her not to do because "she just can't sit and do nothing." So instead she willfully places herself in danger. Then as she's about to perish, she thinks, 'Gee I hope my equally bland love interest saves me.' Which he always does. Zara moves to Maine where she makes three great friends and one mortal enemy and two love interests on her first day. All conversations are awkward and flat. In short, there is absolutely nothing to redeem this book from its complete insipidness.
michaela95c's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this book. It was different and had a cool storyline. I looove Nick, and I'm excited to read the next to see how everything plays out!
ellenpenleysmith's review against another edition
4.0
I'll add my review later. But, I loved it.
**
Okay, so besides the Twilight similarities... I really enjoyed it. The concept of the fairies that sprinkle gold dust was different (to me, at least) and although the writing felt extremely forced at times, I could get into it. Although some things were extremely predictable it was still nice when you found out that you were correct.
I would reccommend it for people who did like Twilight and fans of the fae. Creative and enjoyable.
**
Okay, so besides the Twilight similarities... I really enjoyed it. The concept of the fairies that sprinkle gold dust was different (to me, at least) and although the writing felt extremely forced at times, I could get into it. Although some things were extremely predictable it was still nice when you found out that you were correct.
I would reccommend it for people who did like Twilight and fans of the fae. Creative and enjoyable.
kenzierenee51's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best books ever! Loved this book. Nick is da bomb diggidy if you ask me(:
dracomalfoi's review against another edition
4.0
WOW. I clearly didn't expect that.
see the creepy forest over there? try to focus on the tall, big trees. can you hear the whistling wind?
good. now run, run as fast as you can, cause it sounds a lot like you just stumped upon a tiny town in Maine, that unfortunately also have amount of crappy, scary creatures, aka Pixies.
This book had everything I love in YA fantazy; good characters, AWESOME main character, funny as well as sad parts. great plot, planned very well!
I'm really into Carry Jones's writing style, she's uniqe, and quite hilarious.
the only part that bugged me, was that everything seems to happen the minute Zara arrived, and not a few weeks later. though what she and Nick had didn't felt like insta-love, I felt as if it was a bit too fast according to the days that has passed.
overall a great, fast read!
check it out
see the creepy forest over there? try to focus on the tall, big trees. can you hear the whistling wind?
good. now run, run as fast as you can, cause it sounds a lot like you just stumped upon a tiny town in Maine, that unfortunately also have amount of crappy, scary creatures, aka Pixies.
This book had everything I love in YA fantazy; good characters, AWESOME main character, funny as well as sad parts. great plot, planned very well!
I'm really into Carry Jones's writing style, she's uniqe, and quite hilarious.
the only part that bugged me, was that everything seems to happen the minute Zara arrived, and not a few weeks later. though what she and Nick had didn't felt like insta-love, I felt as if it was a bit too fast according to the days that has passed.
overall a great, fast read!
check it out
daftplum's review
2.0
The main character is just... so shallow? in fact most of the characters are shallow.
anxietee9's review against another edition
4.0
Much better than I expected. 83%
Video review: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l70J5MIJ0A
Look for the full written review at undeadunicron.wordpress.com
Video review: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l70J5MIJ0A
Look for the full written review at undeadunicron.wordpress.com
kassie1414's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
thecozyreaderwbo's review against another edition
5.0
I bought this book on Amazon.com.
Summary
Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect lipsticks. 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.
My Grade
Plot: 5
Setting: 5
Writing: 5
Originality: 5
Characters: 5
Passion: 5
Overall: 30/30! AWESOME!
Cover/Title Bonus: 5
First Line
Phobophobia
fear of phobia
Everybody has fears, right?
Plot
You can tell from the summary that this is about a creepy pixie guy who is trailing Zara from North Carolina to Maine. She sees him just about everywhere. She is super depressed because of her stepdad’s sudden “his heart attacked him” incident. She’s moved in with her super cool Gram in a very cold town in Maine. She quickly makes friends with some outcasts, catches the eye of a few guys, and in a matter of a few weeks manages to corral her depressed mood, a few friends, and her family nice and tightly. ;)
Setting
A small, very cool town in Maine. A lot takes place at the school, her Gram’s house and the woods. Also in Nick’s MINI Cooper.
The descriptions of the setting were very good. I was tempted to throw a coat on inside out a few times!
Writing
I loved his book because I loved the plot, the characters, and the romance. The writing obviously was perfect because I didn’t find myself picking it apart. I love that each chapter is named after a phobia.
It’s written in Zara’s first person POV. I liked this because she’s very attentive.
Originality
Pixies?! It’s kind of a play on faeries. It seems they are pretty much just like faeries but just with a different term. There’s not too much folklore behind them but the characters do investigate at the library and on the net to find out more.
The story is more about the romance, the family dispute, and Zara overcoming her lose of her stepdad.
Characters
Zara is the main character. She is a member of a group that writes letters to free unjustly held prisoners. She’s very much about helping others. She’s not a fan of the cold. She’s very fond of her Gram. She speaks up to protect her friends. She’s a fast runner. I enjoyed her character a lot. She was a bit quite but spoke up when necessary.
Issie is Zara’s new found friend in her new school. She’s super hyper, loyal, and also a good friend of Devyn. She a Devyn obviously have a thing for each other but Devyn is wheelchair bound so I think that has something to do with it.
Nick Colt is one of Zara’s love interests. He’s big, strong, brown eyes, brown hair, a nice guy who drives a MINI Cooper, which is just funny. :) He helps Zara out a lot. They become very close. He has a secret that gets revealed and it’s awesome. :)
Betty is Zara’s Gram. She’s a retired old lady in her 60’s or so. She is a volunteer EMT. She lives in a cape cod in the woods. She’s pretty funny and not a very good cook. She’s a major supporter of Zara. I love that she’s so cool. She’s Zara’s “step” grandmother and I love that she takes Zara in when she needs someone to snap her out of her isolated depression.
There a few more minor characters. Every character was depicted very well.
Passion
The sparks fly between Zara and Nick. But it’s not something that happens right away. But once it does, watch out! :)
Overall
I loved this book. I loved that I didn’t really know what was going on with the plot. I loved that it wasn’t ALL about the pixie guy. I loved how it ended with everything pretty much wrapped up but with room to expand. I was left wanting more: more Zara, more Nick, more Zara and Nick. :) I’m looking forward to learning more about Nick, Devyn and Betty, as well as Issie. The pixie issue isn’t over so I’m looking forward to seeing how they do get resolved.
Cover/Title Bonus
The cover is pretty minimal. The trees explain that a lot happens in the woods in the winter, the gold dust represents the pixies and Need is explained in the book, which I love. I love it when a title makes sense. This title makes sense. It’s one of those ‘oh, right, the title’ kind of things.
Summary
Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect lipsticks. 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.
My Grade
Plot: 5
Setting: 5
Writing: 5
Originality: 5
Characters: 5
Passion: 5
Overall: 30/30! AWESOME!
Cover/Title Bonus: 5
First Line
Phobophobia
fear of phobia
Everybody has fears, right?
Plot
You can tell from the summary that this is about a creepy pixie guy who is trailing Zara from North Carolina to Maine. She sees him just about everywhere. She is super depressed because of her stepdad’s sudden “his heart attacked him” incident. She’s moved in with her super cool Gram in a very cold town in Maine. She quickly makes friends with some outcasts, catches the eye of a few guys, and in a matter of a few weeks manages to corral her depressed mood, a few friends, and her family nice and tightly. ;)
Setting
A small, very cool town in Maine. A lot takes place at the school, her Gram’s house and the woods. Also in Nick’s MINI Cooper.
The descriptions of the setting were very good. I was tempted to throw a coat on inside out a few times!
Writing
I loved his book because I loved the plot, the characters, and the romance. The writing obviously was perfect because I didn’t find myself picking it apart. I love that each chapter is named after a phobia.
It’s written in Zara’s first person POV. I liked this because she’s very attentive.
Originality
Pixies?! It’s kind of a play on faeries. It seems they are pretty much just like faeries but just with a different term. There’s not too much folklore behind them but the characters do investigate at the library and on the net to find out more.
The story is more about the romance, the family dispute, and Zara overcoming her lose of her stepdad.
Characters
Zara is the main character. She is a member of a group that writes letters to free unjustly held prisoners. She’s very much about helping others. She’s not a fan of the cold. She’s very fond of her Gram. She speaks up to protect her friends. She’s a fast runner. I enjoyed her character a lot. She was a bit quite but spoke up when necessary.
Issie is Zara’s new found friend in her new school. She’s super hyper, loyal, and also a good friend of Devyn. She a Devyn obviously have a thing for each other but Devyn is wheelchair bound so I think that has something to do with it.
Nick Colt is one of Zara’s love interests. He’s big, strong, brown eyes, brown hair, a nice guy who drives a MINI Cooper, which is just funny. :) He helps Zara out a lot. They become very close. He has a secret that gets revealed and it’s awesome. :)
Betty is Zara’s Gram. She’s a retired old lady in her 60’s or so. She is a volunteer EMT. She lives in a cape cod in the woods. She’s pretty funny and not a very good cook. She’s a major supporter of Zara. I love that she’s so cool. She’s Zara’s “step” grandmother and I love that she takes Zara in when she needs someone to snap her out of her isolated depression.
There a few more minor characters. Every character was depicted very well.
Passion
The sparks fly between Zara and Nick. But it’s not something that happens right away. But once it does, watch out! :)
Overall
I loved this book. I loved that I didn’t really know what was going on with the plot. I loved that it wasn’t ALL about the pixie guy. I loved how it ended with everything pretty much wrapped up but with room to expand. I was left wanting more: more Zara, more Nick, more Zara and Nick. :) I’m looking forward to learning more about Nick, Devyn and Betty, as well as Issie. The pixie issue isn’t over so I’m looking forward to seeing how they do get resolved.
Cover/Title Bonus
The cover is pretty minimal. The trees explain that a lot happens in the woods in the winter, the gold dust represents the pixies and Need is explained in the book, which I love. I love it when a title makes sense. This title makes sense. It’s one of those ‘oh, right, the title’ kind of things.
lorien13's review against another edition
4.0
I wasn't sure about this book when I first heard of it. I totally wasn't interested and then I bought it. And then the rest of the quartet. I'm so brilliant that way.
This story follows Zara who's obsessed with phobias and so depressed she hasn't smiled in the four months since her dad died. She's sent by her mom up north to Maine to live with her grandma. She finds friends, two hot guys who want to be her boyfriend, and a string of disappearances that mirror what happened over a decade before, where boys are taken at night into the woods and are never seen from again.
Zara finds herself in the midst of it, with someone constantly calling her name and asking her to go into the woods. Luckily her friends know a little bit more than everyone else and help Zara come up with plans to find the missing boys and keep her alive and completely human.
This book was interesting. It read a bit normal for a paranormal young adult novel, which isn't surprising as it's a debut novel and the first in a series. So regardless of it being a bit cookie-cutter in the setting, what's happening, and how the characters react. It's not a Twilight knockoff, which it easily could be. Sure, city girl moves to a small town to be with a different family member and supernatural happens, but that's just typical paranormal YA. No, seriously, it's pretty standard.
What isn't standard is what she's facing. And how she reacts. No "my boyfriend isn't human" and being just hunkdory with it. Zara flips. Zara doesn't take each change easily. Zara also doesn't take her BF's crap without complaint. And it's rather clear if he tries any of the crap Edward does she's perfect fine with taking an iron poker and whacking someone with it.
I am a bit annoyed we have the "I'm not like other girls" line. It's a stupid line and it seriously needs to stop being in books. Although with Zara heritage revealed it works better than most of the time. However I would think a girl as into causes like Amnesty International would know things like that but whatever.
I love how family is what drives this book. I love how her grandmother is so badass, her mom has been braver than Zara ever thought, how her father, both step and birth, are so important to the story. I really enjoy it. And I love how the best ideas come from Zara and not anyone else.
All in all, while it's a bit typical, I loved it, and the plot had enough twists to keep me entertained. Oh, and I stayed up all night trying to finish it. So it's quite gripping.
This story follows Zara who's obsessed with phobias and so depressed she hasn't smiled in the four months since her dad died. She's sent by her mom up north to Maine to live with her grandma. She finds friends, two hot guys who want to be her boyfriend, and a string of disappearances that mirror what happened over a decade before, where boys are taken at night into the woods and are never seen from again.
Zara finds herself in the midst of it, with someone constantly calling her name and asking her to go into the woods. Luckily her friends know a little bit more than everyone else and help Zara come up with plans to find the missing boys and keep her alive and completely human.
This book was interesting. It read a bit normal for a paranormal young adult novel, which isn't surprising as it's a debut novel and the first in a series. So regardless of it being a bit cookie-cutter in the setting, what's happening, and how the characters react. It's not a Twilight knockoff, which it easily could be. Sure, city girl moves to a small town to be with a different family member and supernatural happens, but that's just typical paranormal YA. No, seriously, it's pretty standard.
What isn't standard is what she's facing. And how she reacts. No "my boyfriend isn't human" and being just hunkdory with it. Zara flips. Zara doesn't take each change easily. Zara also doesn't take her BF's crap without complaint. And it's rather clear if he tries any of the crap Edward does she's perfect fine with taking an iron poker and whacking someone with it.
I am a bit annoyed we have the "I'm not like other girls" line. It's a stupid line and it seriously needs to stop being in books. Although with Zara heritage revealed it works better than most of the time. However I would think a girl as into causes like Amnesty International would know things like that but whatever.
I love how family is what drives this book. I love how her grandmother is so badass, her mom has been braver than Zara ever thought, how her father, both step and birth, are so important to the story. I really enjoy it. And I love how the best ideas come from Zara and not anyone else.
All in all, while it's a bit typical, I loved it, and the plot had enough twists to keep me entertained. Oh, and I stayed up all night trying to finish it. So it's quite gripping.