"Endure" by Carrie Jones~ Perfect Cross over Fiction and a Giveaway!

Pixie's aren't really devoid of souls, are they?  They know what love is and how personal sacrifice is a manifestation of it...particularly Zara.  So why is Nick so sure she's lost hers?  In this final episode to Carrie Jones's "Need" series, you'll find the answer, but you'll find much more.  Ms Jones has matured in her writing, and though her protagonists are still on the edge of their twenties, they are wiser and stronger characters who have much to say about war, true love, friendship and family.  Even her antagonists are fabulous creations! This is a perfect cross over novel.  I found it a surprisingly delicious novel proving once again that  fear can destroy your peace, and love never dies; it's the only thing worth living for.

Particulars:

Published by:  Bloomsbury/Walker

Pages:  260

Author's website: http://carriejonesbooks.com

Please see Carrie's Trailers on the sidebar!!

Overview of "Endure":

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.  (Goodreads)

Something Great About Author Carrie Jones!

Carrie Jones likes Skinny Cow fudgsicles and potatoes. She does not know how to spell fudgsicles. This has not prevented her from writing books. She lives in Bar Harbor, Maine, but she grew up in Bedford, NH where she once had a séance with cool uber-comedian Sarah Silverman. Her house was terribly haunted. Pencils would randomly catch fire. Never a good thing.

The Meyers brothers are from Bedford, too, so you’d think it would make Carrie funnier, coming from Bedford N.H. Obviously, something didn’t work.
Carrie has two overly friendly dogs and two fat cats. All like fudgicles. Only the cats like potatoes. This may be a reason for the kitties weight problems (Shh… don’t tell). Carrie has always liked cowboy hats but has never owned one. This is a very wrong thing. She graduated from Vermont College’s MFA program for writing. And was awarded the distinguished alum award. See photo for proof:
Yes, she is holding the amazing award on her head in a totally respectful manner. Yes, she does seem to have 82 chins in that picture. In real life, she only has one chin. Her chins were overachieving there.
She has edited newspapers and poetry journals and has recently won awards from the Maine Press Association and also been awarded the Martin Dibner Fellowship as well as a Maine Literary Award.
Her first book, TIPS ON HAVING A GAY (ex) BOYFRIEND (Flux) arrived May 1, 2007.
Her second novel, LOVE (AND OTHER USES FOR DUCT TAPE), appeared March 1, 2008.


Now that Carrie has been writing more she has published a book about Bullying and others including the Need series.  Here's more about her currently:

She the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Need series, as well as After Obsession with Steven E. Wedel. She is a part-time police dispatcher in Maine because she likes cop stories. Really. She blogs about her dogs, cops, and a bit about writing too at: Carrie Jones Books

(There is no Facebook page, do not click here)

Pictures of the other books in the "Need" series:

We really don't need a "Cover Rating" do we?  Aren't these gorgeous and artistic?  I love the pixie dust!!

The Dame's Review :

Filled with wry humor, witticisms, and profound truths, "Endure" offers up a tale of enduring quality that showcases Carrie Jones at her very best.  With an ease of narration and a writer's voice that speaks so gently through her characters, Ms Jones causes us to hang on her every word.  I found myself wanting to write down almost every sentence, there was so much to remember forever in this book.  

 It's the mark of the finest of writing when an author can give you a story with characters who are alive, endearing and profound; while at the same time she can do it sparingly, never wasting a precious word.  This is the quality of Carrie Jones's writing.  The most mundane of sentences works to counterbalance her other lines so that the work in whole is an artist's rendering like few I've experienced recently.  This book should be read by connoisseurs of the written word in YA fiction for that reason only!

I must confess to not having read Carrie's other books.  I listened to "Need" on audio tape a few years ago, and don't remember much about it, frankly, after reading tons of books, and listening to a library of them later.  But I don't think one needs to read the others to get a full sense of the background to understand "Endure." All the highlights and characters of the past are referenced, so the reader is brought up-to-date.

All in all "Endure" is a stand alone novel.

That's not to say I won't be interested in buying the other books for my collection and reading them, however.

As to character, I may already have covered that, but I must say that I'm just in love with Astley.  What a prince!  I would be his subject any day!  No wonder Zara doesn't mind... 

Zara is a wonderful role model for young adults.  She's strong both physically and psychologically.  She values family and friend relationships, and she knows how to communicate to work out her problems.  Great things for kids to know!

I particularly loved her take on overly protective parents in light of her being left without parents... very funny.

I think my adult readers will love this little book.  I did.  As Carrie said "..love is always imperfect no matter how difficult the world is around us and whether it's coming to an end or not." 

In these days, when there's war and rumor of Apocalypse; when children are being warned of Dec. 2012, and nuclear destruction. When dytopian novels are all the rage and demons run rampant in their fiction.  When we experience economic hardships, political up-risings throughout the world, and natural disasters. 

 Carrie Jones gives us light and hope.  Refreshing. 

For that reason, too, this is a wonderful book to read.  I would  highly recommend it as a gift for a young adult in your life.  People are always asking me for recommendations- - here's one!

5 perfectly sparkling stars!

Deborah/The Bookish Dame

Giveaway!!!!   Ends May 31st

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