Need

Joelle Charbonneau’s NEED is a shocking, chilling, disturbing and thought-provoking read that asks what you’d be willing to do and how far you’d be willing to go to get what you think you need. Its answer is perturbing and unsettling and yet utterly fascinating. It’s a story that takes a look at the darker side of human nature and posits that greed, envy, and fear are often stronger motivators than heroism, bravery or selflessness. It’s disconcerting. It’s sinister. It’s scarily realistic.What do you NEED?It sounds easy enough. Sign up. Tell it what you need. Invite a few friends. Receive your prize. It’s a gimmick, a marketing ploy. Who doesn’t want free stuff? It’s not asking for much.Ask for something else you need. Because, hey, why not. Sure you might not really need it, but you want it. You’ve already invited your friends, so that’s out. Deliver a package? No problem. Does it really matter what’s inside?Need something else? Sure you do. And so what if you’re not thrilled with what you’re supposed to do to get it. Nothing bad can happen. No one will get hurt. And if for some reason they do, they probably deserve it. Right?Told from multiple points of view, with only the main character Kaylee’s voice in the first person, the requests of each character are revealed along with their level of willingness to do what is asked for their requests to be fulfilled. Each starts off with the promise of receiving something great in exchange for doing very little. But every new request demands more reciprocity until they’re forced to ask the question: is it worth it?Joelle Charbonneau did a masterful job of intertwining and layering each character’s story. There were no extraneous characters - everyone had a part to play. The plot was complex, but not complicated. The story was at times harsh, violent, upsetting, but not unnecessarily so.The author created an unlikely hero in Kaylee, a girl so desperate to help her brother that she’d do anything to save him, and surrounded her with a variety of characters who ran the gamut from selfish, to vengeful, to envious, to guilt-ridden, to lovesick, to conniving, to opportunistic, to frantic, to innocent, to murderous. She gave them all a level playing field and let their choices dictate the outcome.NEED is a story that will make you think, make you question your own limits, make you reevaluate your wants versus needs. It reveals how the desire for something can bring out the worst in people. It shows that everything has a price and that there are always consequences for one’s actions. It’s grim. It’s disheartening. It’s compelling, it’s surprising, it’s startling. And it is certain to prompt discussion both during and after the read.

What do you NEED?One day a simple social networking site, much like Twitter or Facebook, pops online asking that very question. One student asks for something he "needs" and gets it, without thought or question as to why this expensive thing is free. So he tells someone and they tell someone...and you know.Well, Jack's brother, Nate, overhears and hacks his brother's account and sends himself an invitation to the site. He goes into the site and asks for an A on a future test. To fulfill his "need" he has to invite four friends to the site. He immediately thinks of his best friend, Kaylee.The [MC] Kaylee, is told by Nate to accept his request. She does, and the site asks, "What do you NEED?" And Kaylee inputs the one thing she's been searching for this past year--a kidney for her brother. It's hers, but all she has to do is invite five people to the site.But once everyone in Nottawa High School in Wisconsin is invited, what does one do to get their "NEED" fulfilled?And that's where it all goes berserk!The things required were outrageous, but then what do you expect to do when you're getting a laptop for free or cell phone...or concert tickets...*Needful Things*...The site preys on the greed teens have in this town in wintry Wisconsin. And because the "need" is so prevalent, they're asked to do some OUTRAGEOUSLY INSANE tasks...*Pretty Little Liars*...before their "NEEDS" are met.You should know that this switches out of the first person POV of Kaylee Dunham to third person POV of the various students of Nottawa HS. In the recent past, I've complained about that very thing...it was uncomfortable in a RomCom. But with NEED, it was done very well, and it kept the story going. Much more pleasant to read...though I still have the issue of the first to third change. (personal taste is all)DEFINITELY GIVE THIS ONE A READ!The events pique one's interests, the twists keep one on their toes...and don't expect to guess what's coming because you might be wrong. I will say a lot of the answers for the BIG FINISH came a little too soon for me, hence the one star deduction. But, I'm sitting at the end of this trying to determine if it's truly the end or what? It seems like there's room for more, though not with Nottawa.Wow!

My daughter loved this book! She said it had all the great elements of a story, and she will definitely read it again!

I really wanted to like this book. I thought the concept was great, and even though the multiple third person POVs was confusing, I decided not to worry about keeping track of every character (which I paid for later). However, I found myself skimming a lot, as we spent so much time in the main character's mind (well, all of their minds, really). Move along, please. Also the "lessons learned" about social media just didn't sound like a conclusion coming from a teenager. It was preachy. Finally, I didn't buy a major plot point at the end (won't spoil it), but I had to shake my head at how unrealistic it was. So although intriguing and well-written, it was not a favorite for me.

Interesting book on the dangers of social media. When I bought it, I thought it would talk about facebook and twitter and who knows what, and be some boring dude lecturing about it, but someone dared me to read it so I did. I was blown away! The author made a fake social media site and showed through different people's perspectives on the dangers of it and how it affected people. It was super cool. A bonus is that at one point in the book, there's actually a drop of violence, so it's not just boring everyday stuff. I totally recommend it. Perfect for teens like me ;)

This is a modern, up to date version of a Stephen King novel. Great writing, and a storyline that keeps your interest, but would have loved some additional character development and a few more ends tied up a bit stronger.