Review: A Need So Beautiful By Suzanne Young

A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young
Balzar and Bray – June 2011

When my lovely blogging BFF Jen (from Makeshift Bookmark) tells me so passionately that I need to read something…I do it. Especially since she knows that I’m picky when it comes to the paranormal genre (I need unique and not regurgitated stories), I know that it must really be an excellent read for her to be telling me I must read it. She did not steer me wrong on this one, folks!

The premise seemed promising from the start  (although I think the official summary divulged way more than it needed to) – Charlotte has this “Need” that compels her to, no matter where she is and what she is doing, to go and help somebody. She never knows why she needs to be there or what is going to happen but this “Need” pulls at her against her will and she physically feels pain when she tries to resist it. Her friend thinks she’s got psychic abilities and her boyfriend thinks she’s acting shady when she just runs off in the middle of the night for a reason Charlotte has suspect answers for. When the Need starts to put her in dangerous positions and come more frequently, her relationships start taking a toll. When Charlotte finally gets the answers to what compels her to have these Needs and what she really is, she needs to choose to fight fate or accept it…either choice has a bittersweet ending.

I loved the fact that Charlotte didn’t know what she was or why she has these Needs. I really could feel her anguish and lack of control when these Needs struck. I could really feel how much she wanted to fight it so that she could be there for her friends and family but was torn by these unexplainable feelings that she’d had since she was younger. Uncovering who she was and why she had the Needs alongside of her really connected to me to Charlotte and made this story riveting and unshakeable. I waded through all the information with her as bit by bit she started to figure out who she was and felt attune to the emotions she was feeling. So by the point that she found out what her destiny was and what being a Forgotten really was, the story become heart-wrenching and compelled me to read hastily and with passion because I needed to know what happened next.

Charlotte was a wonderful character which made this book impossible to shake after putting it down. Suzanne Young was able to draw this deep connection between the reader and Charlotte that makes it an emotional and memorable read. I cared about Charlotte and I couldn’t imagine the reality of being a Forgotten. How could you even choose between something that would hurt you tremendously but be for the greater good or choose what you know and what your heart wants but might be bad for the world. It’s a weighty decision to be on the shoulder’s of a young girl. How Charlotte begins to try and reconcile all this only draws you closer to her as she grapples between what is right. She begins all the more human in my opinion because I honestly couldn’t imagine choosing.

Bottom-line: This book was wonderfully written – from the relationships, to her emotions and to the heart pounding ending. The story flowed very well for me and I found myself racing through it and sitting in shock as it ended. I had some tears in these eyes of mine. What I loved most about this was that it was so very unique from all the other paranormal books I’ve read. If you tend to shy away from the  typical heavy paranormal offerings but still want something a a little other-worldly…I’d say this is an excellent pick for you. The emotional response you will have to this book is something that, for me, has been unmatched in most paranormal books. It’s got a strong plot with a unique and refreshing twist on paranormal but only treads lightly in that realm. I think the next book will probably be a bit more heavy on the paranormal realm and I am surely excited for that as A Need So Beautiful was STELLAR and she’s got me hooked. I need to find out what happens to my girl Charlotte!

*Review On A Post-It will come later…I’m at work and don’t have the image I use for it*