Endure

Okay, so I kind of had to be on Team Astley because it just made sense, but after wanting to punch Nick for most of the book, I was definitely there. I also note that while Zara tends to find Nick's macho bit kind of cute, it isn't, and Astley's genuine respect for Zara as a person is much more appealing. I definitely liked how this turned out all around, although I would have liked a tiny bit more clarity on the post script.

**Likely contains spoilers for Need, Captivate, and Entice Books 1-3 of Need Pixies series **


Picking up just a few days after the end of Entice, Endure is the last book in Carrie Jones' Need Pixie series. The evil pixies that started their all-out attack on Bedford in Entice have not given up. If anything, they've increased their efforts, causing more trouble for Zara.

Not only dose she have to deal with evil pixie kidnapping and torturing teens, Nick is also back from the dead - but without any memory of what happened to him in Valhalla or Zara's rescue of him - and not sure at all how he feels about Zara being pixie. Zara's grandmother is also missing, reeling from their last battle with the pixies and Ms Nix's death.

There's no time for Zara to stop and deal, though, to be properly upset. To be victorious over the evil pixies - and possibly even stop the apocalypse - Zara and her friends are going to need more than they've ever needed before: they're going to need an army.

And Zara's going to have to come to terms with being a pixie queen . . and just how she feels about her king.


Endure starts so close to the end of Entice that it can be hard at first to remember just exactly where the story is - who's doing what, what's just happened, etc - but by the end of the first chapter a lot of refresher notes have been included. Readers might not remember the whole tale, but definitely enough to get back into the story.

How I felt about Endure is interesting . . . While I never quite clicked with it the way I did with the other books in the series - something kept me from fully engaging with the story, there was a bit of disconnect there for me - I also can't fault the way things wrapped up.

I think most of the time I was waiting for something bigger, some more action (either from the characters in their relationships or interactions with each other) or the typical 'action' action.

I do really appreciate how there was an overall arc from the first book to the last. The story that started with the pixies in the first book got bigger and bigger and was eventually concluded in Endure, the final book. It was also great to see the how the characters grew. Zara especially changed enormously, the obvious being that she was the peace loving, protest-y girl from new to Maine who is now a pixie, but at her core she is still the same person. Yet, we also got to see her struggle with that. That was really fantastic.

So, while I didn't quite click with the book and it's storyline, I did love the characters and their growth. I also appreciated the little things we were reminded of that showed us just how much that had grown (and to tell you now would ruin you discovering them in the end). It makes me want to go back and reread the series all together (and I almost never reread books)!

Also, I still say Issie needs her own book. I adore that girl. (I don't think it's just for her Buffy and Doctor Who-love, either. [Also, kind of loving that Need Pixies has the Norse Gods and now Joss Whedon's Avengers does, too.])


Rating: 7/10



thank you to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for my egalley for review

Endure. is. FANTASTIC! This is by far the best book of the series. Jones' writing has grown right along with her characters. Everything is done perfectly. I could not put this book down! It's intense, emotional, suspenseful, and action-packed. Endure is a thrill-ride that you cannot miss. Zara grows so much as a character in this novel. She really becomes comfortable with her pixie half, and I was glad that she did. Also, she's sad about Nick's rejection, that was touched on in the last novel, but she's not completely shattered. She knows that's not the most important thing in the world. That is an extremely refreshing outlook from a YA heroine. It made me like Zara and this series that much more. Astley was wonderful, and I loved him a billion times more in this book than I did in the last one. He is just terrific. Nick got on my nerves again. When he was told how bratty he was, I wholeheartedly agreed. The character development and growth throughout this series has been amazing. I've really enjoyed getting to know these characters and all of their quirks.The plot is intense, and the pacing is perfect. There is a lot of action, and the romance gets complicated, builds, and changes throughout the course of the novel. I read this book all in one sitting because I had to know whether or not Zara and company were able to save the world. Were they able to, you ask? Well you'll have to pick up the book and find out. In an effort not to spoil anything, I'm going to keep this part of my review kind of vague. There are new creatures introduced, as well as new dimensions/worlds/whatever you want to call them. Things get a whole lot more complicated. People die. There is a lot going on. Things get ugly. You'll be gripping your book/e-reader so hard by the end of this novel that you'll have lost feeling in your hands. It'll all be worth it, though.Overall, I'd recommend this book and this series to anyone. Jones offers a unique twist on pixies and incorporates a lot of Norse mythology, which I like. All of the books are super quick reads, and they just get better as the series progresses. Endure is one of the best books I've read so far this year. Well done, Carrie, well done.

Alright, so this book picks up where the last book left off. If you have not read this series, you should. It's a great book about Pixies and a war that is raging for centuries.What I enjoyed most about this book are the characters. Since the first book, all of the characters have grown tremendously. Both good and bad. The main character Zara is stronger then ever. She is fighting for her loved ones despite what she has gone through. I like that she did change for the but hate to see her hurt. Through the book she face some tough choices and either way someone in the end will not be happy.The love interest has definitely has it ups and downs. One minute she likes one guy and the next she off to save the other. Both love interest are good for her, but both guys made some serious mistakes that make me shake my head. At this point in the series I'm not sure who she will choose.The part of the book that really ravished my heart was the loss of the friendship and trust. Zara has gone through hell and back for her friends and for them to act out on her! To treat her horribly! Umm...NO! At some points of the story I really wanted to slap people.Overall Endure is a book that you have to well... endure. There is betrayal, flip-flopping love interest, and of course the war that is ready to blow at any moments notice. Endure is fantastic book that keeps you on your toes. Brilliant and captivating, Endure is a great read!

This book was absolutely amazing. The plot is extemely intruiging and I was never bored when reading this book! I loved the twists and turns that the book took me through, and how it seemed to be filled with tension. I couldn't put the book down! It was great to see how the characters grew in this book as well. Issie and Cassidy are extremely loveable and Issie's "Buffy" references were just so cute (I am a huge Buffy fan as well)! Cassidy, a pretty new character, really grew on me. She was just so sweet yet determined like Issie. I also grew more fond of Zara as well. She became stronger and more kick-ass which I liked, but she still had moments of vulnerability that everyone has. I love how Zara deals with issues she is confronted with fearlessly, yet she remains kind and just. She is a great role model. On to the guys now. We saw less of Devyn this book which was a little dissapointing, but the increased amount of Astley completely made up for it. I absolutely LOVE ASTLEY! He is just so sweet and nice and amazing, and it was great to see his relationship with Zara grow in this book. And then there was Nick. He really really bothered me in this book. He was such, as Astley would say, a "bigot". Still, I won't spoil the ending and say who Zara chooses. All I can say is that she made the right choice.

Filled with wry humor, witticisms, and profound truths, "Endure" offers up a tale of enduring quality that showcases Carrie Jones at her very best. With an ease of narration and a writer's voice that speaks so gently through her characters, Ms Jones causes us to hang on her every word. I found myself wanting to write down almost every sentence, there was so much to remember forever in this book. It's the mark of the finest of writing when an author can give you a story with characters who are alive, endearing and profound; while at the same time she can do it sparingly, never wasting a precious word. This is the quality of Carrie Jones's writing. The most mundane of sentences works to counterbalance her other lines so that the work in whole is an artist's rendering like few I've experienced recently. This book should be read by connoisseurs of the written word in YA fiction for that reason only!I must confess to not having read Carrie's other books. I listened to "Need" on audio tape a few years ago, and don't remember much about it, frankly, after reading tons of books, and listening to a library of them later. But I don't think one needs to read the others to get a full sense of the background to understand "Endure." All the highlights and characters of the past are referenced, so the reader is brought up-to-date.All in all "Endure" is a stand alone novel.That's not to say I won't be interested in buying the other books for my collection and reading them, however.As to character, I may already have covered that, but I must say that I'm just in love with Astley. What a prince! I would be his subject any day! No wonder Zara doesn't mind... Zara is a wonderful role model for young adults. She's strong both physically and psychologically. She values family and friend relationships, and she knows how to communicate to work out her problems. Great things for kids to know!I particularly loved her take on overly protective parents in light of her being left without parents... very funny.I think my adult readers will love this little book. I did. As Carrie said "..love is always imperfect no matter how difficult the world is around us and whether it's coming to an end or not." In these days, when there's war and rumor of Apocalypse; when children are being warned of Dec. 2012, and nuclear destruction. When dytopian novels are all the rage and demons run rampant in their fiction. When we experience economic hardships, political up-risings throughout the world, and natural disasters. Carrie Jones gives us light and hope. Refreshing. For that reason, too, this is a wonderful book to read. I would highly recommend it as a gift for a young adult in your life. People are always asking me for recommendations- - here's one!5 perfectly sparkling stars!