Review: NEED by Joelle Charbonneau
Posted: 13 Nov 2015, 09:48
This is my first review on this site... So here we go:
As a fan of the Testing Trilogy (also by Joelle Charbonneau), I pre-ordered this book long before its release. The premise of the book is that there is a new social network called NEED that shows up in a small town in Wisconsin. Students can request anything that they "need" and receive it for the price of a seemingly insignificant task (ex: invite friends to join the site, deliver a box of cookies, etc.). But it's not long before the tasks take a dark turn and people start to die. It's up to the heroine, Kaylee, to figure out what's going on before the entire town collapses on itself.
Physical Book - 5/5
The book itself is very solid, and the pages have a nice feel to them. The dust jacket has a lot of detail, and is very modern looking.
Story Premise - 5/5
As noted above, the basis is that of a new social network that fulfills "needs" when tasks are completed. The tasks progressively get darker, and then people start to die. It's intriguing, to say the least.
Execution of the Story - 4/5
The premise of a story is one thing, but how it's carried to completion is a whole other game. Without giving away any spoilers, I think Joelle did a great job overall. I couldn't put this book down, which is a fantastic characteristic to have. However, that being said, I did find myself flipping back to previous chapters thinking "wait a minute, did he/she do that?" This is largely because of the sheer number of characters and chaos going on in the book (see below for more on characters), but I think that overall she did a good job of managing everything that was going on.
Ending - 4/5
The ending was very well thought out, and a lot of things came together for it to happen perfectly. However, there was a point where it was almost unbelievable (without giving anything away - the idea that essentially one person is running the operation without assistance). There's just no way I can believe that. There has to be something bigger at stake, which is why I felt it was possible that maybe there was a sequel in which we find out more about an organization that put this one person up to creating the site. However, the author has stated via Twitter that there is no planned sequel at this time, so I guess we're just left with a lot of questions.
Characters - 4/5
As I mentioned before, there are a LOT of characters. As reviewers on other sites have mentioned, many of them are stereotypical (the cheerleader, the gamer, the nerd, etc.). But as my husband like to say, stereotypes are stereotypical for a reason, and in this case, with a high school of 600+ people, you are bound to have all those stereotypes among the students. There are some characters that are flat, but these are the minor characters, and as an author it's really impossible to give depth to every character in a book. The leading characters are very deep and interesting, and I really felt invested in their story.
Writing Style - 4/5
Again, back to the number of characters and viewpoints. This is really the weakest aspect of the book, but I'm not sure it could have been done any other way. Perhaps it could have been executed better, maybe made the characters more individually memorable, but I honestly don't know. Other than the many viewpoints, there really isn't much else to nitpick. It is a very solidly written book.
Originality - 5/5
As far as I am aware, this is a very original concept (no post-apocalyptic struggle for survival, no crazy disease killing everyone, you know, those stories that get told over and over again in different ways).
Overall Rating - 4/5
This is a page turner - a book that you won't be able to put down. It's original, scary, and humorous at times. The big reveals will make you gasp. Yes, there are flaws, as with all books. The many points of view being the biggest issue. But despite the flaws, it's a pretty good book - one that will leave you questioning and wanting more. So let's all hope that Joelle changes her mind and writes that sequel, because quite honestly, I NEED to know what happens next
As a fan of the Testing Trilogy (also by Joelle Charbonneau), I pre-ordered this book long before its release. The premise of the book is that there is a new social network called NEED that shows up in a small town in Wisconsin. Students can request anything that they "need" and receive it for the price of a seemingly insignificant task (ex: invite friends to join the site, deliver a box of cookies, etc.). But it's not long before the tasks take a dark turn and people start to die. It's up to the heroine, Kaylee, to figure out what's going on before the entire town collapses on itself.
Physical Book - 5/5
The book itself is very solid, and the pages have a nice feel to them. The dust jacket has a lot of detail, and is very modern looking.
Story Premise - 5/5
As noted above, the basis is that of a new social network that fulfills "needs" when tasks are completed. The tasks progressively get darker, and then people start to die. It's intriguing, to say the least.
Execution of the Story - 4/5
The premise of a story is one thing, but how it's carried to completion is a whole other game. Without giving away any spoilers, I think Joelle did a great job overall. I couldn't put this book down, which is a fantastic characteristic to have. However, that being said, I did find myself flipping back to previous chapters thinking "wait a minute, did he/she do that?" This is largely because of the sheer number of characters and chaos going on in the book (see below for more on characters), but I think that overall she did a good job of managing everything that was going on.
Ending - 4/5
The ending was very well thought out, and a lot of things came together for it to happen perfectly. However, there was a point where it was almost unbelievable (without giving anything away - the idea that essentially one person is running the operation without assistance). There's just no way I can believe that. There has to be something bigger at stake, which is why I felt it was possible that maybe there was a sequel in which we find out more about an organization that put this one person up to creating the site. However, the author has stated via Twitter that there is no planned sequel at this time, so I guess we're just left with a lot of questions.
Characters - 4/5
As I mentioned before, there are a LOT of characters. As reviewers on other sites have mentioned, many of them are stereotypical (the cheerleader, the gamer, the nerd, etc.). But as my husband like to say, stereotypes are stereotypical for a reason, and in this case, with a high school of 600+ people, you are bound to have all those stereotypes among the students. There are some characters that are flat, but these are the minor characters, and as an author it's really impossible to give depth to every character in a book. The leading characters are very deep and interesting, and I really felt invested in their story.
Writing Style - 4/5
Again, back to the number of characters and viewpoints. This is really the weakest aspect of the book, but I'm not sure it could have been done any other way. Perhaps it could have been executed better, maybe made the characters more individually memorable, but I honestly don't know. Other than the many viewpoints, there really isn't much else to nitpick. It is a very solidly written book.
Originality - 5/5
As far as I am aware, this is a very original concept (no post-apocalyptic struggle for survival, no crazy disease killing everyone, you know, those stories that get told over and over again in different ways).
Overall Rating - 4/5
This is a page turner - a book that you won't be able to put down. It's original, scary, and humorous at times. The big reveals will make you gasp. Yes, there are flaws, as with all books. The many points of view being the biggest issue. But despite the flaws, it's a pretty good book - one that will leave you questioning and wanting more. So let's all hope that Joelle changes her mind and writes that sequel, because quite honestly, I NEED to know what happens next