A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young
We all want to be remembered. Charlotte's destiny is to be Forgotten...
Charlotte’s best friend thinks Charlotte might be psychic. Her boyfriend thinks she’s cheating on him. But Charlotte knows what’s really wrong: She is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth, who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger.
But Charlotte never wanted this responsibility. What she wants is to help her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend's arms forever. But as the Need grows stronger, it begins to take a dangerous toll on Charlotte. And who she was, is, and will become--her mark on this earth, her very existence--is in jeopardy of disappearing completely.
Charlotte will be forced to choose: Should she embrace her fate as a Forgotten, a fate that promises to rip her from the lives of those she loves forever? Or is she willing to fight against her destiny--no matter how dark the consequences.
Review:
What a beautiful and heartbreaking new novel by Suzanne Young. I loved her previous series (The Naughty List) and was dying to devour this one. Luckily, it proved to be just as amazing and well written as I had hoped.
The concept of A Need So Beautiful was so original and different from anything I've read before. This was not an angel book per se, but in a way it was. Charlotte Cassidy is a Forgotten. She feels the pull of the Need to help certain people and can do nothing about it. Unfortunately, as Charlotte helps more and more strangers, she is slowly being forgotten by those she cares about. If Charlotte does choose to fight against her destiny, the consequences are dark and frightening. She is a beacon of hope and light in the world and the people she helps have their lives forever changed for the better.
Charlotte was such a great main character. My heart went out to her when she realized what was happening to her and how there was no way to stop it. I cried several times while reading A Need So Beautiful because it was just so... emotional. Charlotte was struggling to save people and at the same time those she loved were forgetting about her. She was making a difference, but she had to sacrifice part of herself to help those who truly needed it.
Suzanne Young has a way with words that just draws me into the story and won't release me until the very last word. A Need So Beautiful is a book I will be recommending to everyone and anyone because it is so unique and poignant.
Not only was the premise amazing, but the characters were as well. In addition to Charlotte there were several other main characters that made a difference in the story and stood out a lot. From Harlin to Sarah and Mercy to Monroe, every character played an important role in the story. Harlin was... wow. He was such a fantastic guy and his feelings for Charlotte were obvious from the start. Another thing that was unique about this novel was that Harlin and Charlotte were already together before the story opens. It made their relationship that much more believable and realistic.
A Need So Beautiful sucked me in and I can't put into words how heartbreaking and intense this novel is. It's unique, well written, and the ending had me gripping the pages, tears running down my face. Come June 21st, this is one title you need to run out and buy. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!
Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
June 21, 2011/Balzer + Bray/272 Pages/Young Adult/Book One
Source: Publisher (ARC)
