ARC Review: Need by Joelle Charbonneau

Title: Need (???)
Author: Joelle Charbonneau
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Contempoary
Source: Edelweiss 
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: November 3rd 2015
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Summary: 
Teenagers at Wisconsin's Nottawa High School are drawn deeper into a social networking site that promises to grant their every need . . . regardless of the consequences. Soon the site turns sinister, with simple pranks escalating to malicious crimes. The body count rises. In this chilling YA thriller, the author of the best-selling Testing trilogy examines not only the dark side of social media, but the dark side of human nature.

Review: 


So, I liked Need. It is one of those books that I don't have much to say about. But I will try. Long story short, NEED is a social experiment of the students of Nottawa high school. It starts off as an invite only site, but eventually as the site gains popularity NEED asks them to do something more. Now, people who want their "needs" granted have to complete an assignment on the behalf of NEED. Soon, people are dying, being frames, and no one but the high school students know about the site that is under it all. 

Need changed POVs way too many times for my liking. Every time I thought that Joelle was done adding POVs another one was added. After the fourth person I was getting confused with who was who. Kaylee (Our MC) is told in first person point of view, and the rest in third person. She was the only character, besides Nate that I was able to get a clear view on. Kaylee, is a social out cast. A few months earlier her brother was told he needed a kidney transplant, and in desperation she begged people to be tested. Do to her actions in trying to find her brother a kidney, Kaylee isn't believed by her mother or the police when she founds a connection between Amanda's death and NEED. 

This book is incredibly hard to talk about with out spoiling the whole thing. So I am apologizing now for such a short review. Need reminded me a lot of The Monkey's Paw. It was a required reading for my 10th grade English class and it taught the lesson that there is a price for everything you ask for. Which I think is what Need got at. None of the things that people were asking for where actually needs. They were wants. Kaylee asked for a kidney for her brother. That was an actual need and there for she wasn't asked to do anything vs. the people who only wanted something who had to complete an incriminating action. 

Overall I liked Need. I had a few issues with it (spoiler things) that caused my rating to be on the low side. But the ending was left open so I am really curious to see if there will be a book two in the future. 

Rating:


1 comment

  1. Hmmm, I got it as a read it now from NG and I'm quite curious about it. Thank you for being so conscious about trying to not spoil the book Amber!

    ReplyDelete

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