Review: Endure (Need #4) by Carrie Jones

 

 

Goodreads Synopsis: 

 

It’s all-out war (and no-holds-barred romance) in the climactic conclusion to Carrie Jones’s bestselling series.
Zara is at the center of an impending apocalypse. True, she’s successfully rescued Nick from Valhalla, but it simply isn’t enough. Evil pixies are ravaging Bedford, and they need much more than one great warrior; they need an army. Zara isn’t sure what her role is anymore. She’s not just fighting for her friends; she’s also a pixie queen. And to align her team of pixies with the humans she loves will be one of her greatest battles yet. Especially since she can’t even reconcile her growing feelings for her pixie king . . .

Unexpected turns, surprising revelations, and one utterly satisfying romantic finale make Endure a thrilling end to this series of bestsellers.

 

My Review:  When I received Endure I was both excited and sad.  I was excited for more Zara, Nick, Astley, and friends, but sad that this would be the final installment in the Need series.

 

We start Endure with Grandma Betty still missing, missing boys all over the news, and Nick keeping Zara at a distance because she is a pixie.  I have to say I'm pretty ticked at Nick.  In Entice (book 3) Nick was killed and taken to Valhalla.  Zara became a pixie in order to rescue Nick and bring him back.  Does he appreciate her?  Well, he certainly isn't showing it.  Over the course of the series I have waiverd back and forth between being team Nick and team Astley.  I won't say who Zara chooses in the end, but to me the selection of either boy is bittersweet as they both have their redeeming qualities.

 

In Endure Zara still doesn't have it easy.  They are on the bring of war between good pixies and bad.  Astley's mother will stop at nothing to get what she wants.  Zara, Nick, Astley and Issie go to Hell and back in order to find a way to defeat their enemies.  In the meantime, they expose the pixies to the other teens in their town and start training them to defend against other pixies. 

 

Eventually there is an epic battle, and some won't make it out alive.  Will your favorite character live to see victory?  Pick up a copy of Endure and find out.

 

Endure is well written and well paced.  I love how in each book Zara has grown and become stronger as a person.  She has embraced her difference and faced each challenge head on.  She is an overall good person that puts others before herself.  I am sad to see the end of Zara's stories. 

 

Endure was funny, even funnier than previous installments of the need series.  I was snickering throughout the book.  One example is one of the teens that learns about pixies posts a question about the best way to fight pixies on Yahoo! Answers.  The best answer chosen by voters says "Trap the little things in jars like fireflies.  Totally worked for Peter Pan and Wendy.  Also, lay off the bath salts (p. 57). 

 

I also love the Norse mythology interwoven throughout this series.  The main characters are pixies, but everything else in the story has norse elements, from the Valkyrie, Odin, Loki, Valhalla and even Hell.  I found the Norse myth about Hell to be fascinating.  I love that I learned something interesting while reading.

 

I will miss the Need series now that it's over.  If you haven't read it, I highly recommend that you do.  It's a wonderful series.  If you haven't read any of the books, the first book Need is only $3.99 for Kindle.  You won't be disappointed.