Review: Captivate by Carrie Jones

Title: Captivate
Author: Carrie Jones
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pub. Date: 1/5/10
Genre: YA
Main Themes: Pixies, Shapeshifters, Love, Friendship, Family, Phobias
Pages: 336
Plot (from back of arc):
"Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his pixies gets weaker. So when a new, younger pixie king shows up, war is imminent. The new king, Astley, claims he's not evil, that his pixies can coexist peacefully with humans and weres. Zara's boyfriend, Nick, isn't buying it; no pixie could possibly be a good guy. But Zara is half pixie herself, ans he is just starting to think Astley could be right when he lets her in on a another secret: he believes Zara's relationship with Nick is about to come to an end - and that she is fated to be his queen..."

CAPTIVATE was a strong second novel and had me laughing aloud at parts. Fans of NEED are sure to fall hard for CAPTIVATE as well.

One of my favorite characteristics of Jones' books is the dialogue and humor. There is something so real and comforting about the characters' interaction, whether they are concerned about another or joking around. The language used in the book reminds me of playing around with my siblings and the types of things we would say to one another.

I really enjoyed Jones' use of pixie tips as chapter names. They were fun and a nice change from the phobias in the last novel. In ways, it also set the theme of the novel. In the first book, Zara was mostly just afraid and trying to figure out what was happening. In the second book, she knows what she's dealing with and now the focus is learning about pixies and pixie lore.

However, I'm still not a huge fan of Zara. I love all her friends and family (especially Issie!), but I just don't love Zara. I think it may be her tendency to try to be a hero, which usually fails and just causes a lot of trouble that really gets to me. I don't like that. I would prefer that, at least most of the time, she think her actions through a bit more. That said, Zara has many, many fans, which leads me to believe that my dislike of her character is purely just a preference.

Overall, I liked CAPTIVATE. It isn't really the supernatural elements that pull me Carrie Jones' books though, it is the characters and the humor. While I like this particular series, I'm really excited to see what Jones will write next as well.

Ratings (out of 10):
Plot: 9
Characters: 8
Writing: 10
Romance: 9
Originality: 10
Total: 46/50 (A-)

If you loved NEED, you must read CAPTIVATE. Carrie Jones has written a funny and action packed sequel that is definitely worth checking out!