After witnessing her father die suddenly, Zara is stricken with grief. Struggling with a crushing depression she is sent to live with her grandmother. If coping with the loss of her father isn't enough she must now face living in a new place, going to a new school and meeting new people. But that's not all, Zara's life may be in danger. A mysterious man has been stalking her leaving a trail of gold dust. When a boy from school goes missing Zara learns that the quiet Maine town is not as it appears.
Need by Carrie Jones is a young adult novel. The main character is relatable to today's young readers. Zara has an obsession with phobias and frequently tells the reader names and meanings such as didaskaleinophobia the fear of going to school. At the beginning of the book she appears to be dark and moody. But soon we find that she is an anti-war activist who is involved with Amnesty International and is greatly concerned for the well-being of others.
This was the first teen book I have read since Twilight so I guess my expectations were too high. The plot was simple, the characters were two-dimensional, the love interest was lame, and Zara was obnoxious and pretentious. This book is better left to the teens, it doesn't translate well for adults as Twilight had. I give this book a Thumbs Down.
is based on the mysterious disappearance of Harriet Vanger. In the 1960's young Harriet vanished without a trace from her family's island during a horrible fire that blocked the only bridge to the mainland. Harriet's disappearance still haunts her now elderly uncle, Henrik Vanger. Over the last 40 years, Henrik has used all of his power and wealth to try to find any clue of what happened that tragic day. If Henrik is certain of one thing, it is that Harriet was murdered. As one last attempt to solve the case, Henrik has hired Blomkvist, a journalist whom is under investigation himself, to end the case once and for all. Blomkvist reluctantly sets out to unravel the mystery with the help of 
