Review: A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL

Stars: 4.5/5

Format: Hardback Library Book

Read: August 10, 2011

Very beautiful and poignant, A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL is unlike any angel story I've read. The protagonist is flawed, but in a relatable sort of way and even though she does good things, by no means does that mean she's some saint that doesn't curse or have pre-marital sex, etc. But that doesn't detract. It doesn't attract either, because it made me comfortable being in her story. Like I could be her friend. Usually a protagonist either makes me hate them or love them, but never just accept them without being infatuated, if that makes any sense.

Young does a fantastic job with the mythology and the way Charlotte's "Need" works. I was fascinated. I've always loved the shows like Touched by an Angel were you get to learn about who the person was before they so desperately needed help, and that's exactly what you get in this book.

More satisfying than I imagined it would be, I was taken through Charlotte's world, her life, and the fact that everyone may slowly forget her. With an ending that promises another book (which is already listed on goodreads), I was very happy with the book. I even shed a few tears, but not enough to send me into a full blown cry fest.

Pick it up. It really is beautiful, even if Charlotte hates that word. It'll give you hope without forcing religion on you.

Review: HEREAFTER

Stars: 5/5

Format: Hardback from the library

Read: August 6, 2011

This was one of the sweetest books I've read. A match between a dead girl and a live boy that doesn't involve zombies. HEREAFTER starts the ball rolling right away and it continues, going through the "waking up" of Amelia, the meeting of Eli, and the first sparks between her and Joshua. This entire book happens within only a few days, perhaps the max of a week and a half. It's not clear because time up until that point hadn't been clear to Amelia.

The love story between a ghost and a boy sounds lame and has lots of obvious problems. Touching, kissing, hanging out. But Hudson addressed all of these with a unique and refreshing take, with the bonus of the boy being a decent, good, normal boy with no ego problems or dark sides and the girl being an ordinary girl with a big personality that isn't flamboyant but more real.

I wasn't a huge fan of how Amelia died and the villain Eli because I really didn't feel them like I felt Amelia and Joshua. Perhaps she did the Amelia Joshua relationship so well that everything in comparison was just mediocre. But whatever the reason, I am in love with this book. It doesn't give you really any answers, but it doesn't claim to have any to begin with.

The cover makes this book look spooky, but it was never scary to me at all, not even when Eli came in. I could read it at night without worrying about freaking myself out. Do pick up this book, it's worth it and I will be getting my own copy.