ARC Review: A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young

Title: A Need So Beautiful
Author: Suzanne Young | Author’s Blog
Available: 6/21/2011
Reading Level: Young Adult












Description from Goodreads:


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

My thoughts:


Charlotte is one of the Forgotten. She experiences an uncontrollable urge, she has aptly named the Need, that guides her towards someone in need of her help. Only catch is she seems to be losing substance with each person she helps. This is frightening her like you wouldn’t imagine. Raised in foster care with no memory of her life prior, she isn’t sure who she can turn to for help. Now she finds herself struggling between what seems to be an innate instinct, and the desire for a normal life with her best friend, foster family, and boyfriend.


A Need So Beautiful is one of those books that I found myself devouring in an afternoon. I couldn’t put this captivating story down. Packed full of so much emotion, it had me in tears on more than one occasion. Charlotte will find a way under your skin. She is such an amazing character, and it was heartbreaking to watch her struggle between what she needed to do and what she wanted to do. 


The secondary characters were also top notch. Monroe is a doctor that Charlotte worked for. The banter between the two of them added just the right amount of lightheartedness to prevent me from bawling my eyes the entire time I read. Oh, and I just might be in love with him. It isn’t often I come across an age appropriate crush while reading YA. Monroe had the sense of humor (and the accent) I just can’t resist. Kudos to Suzanne for providing a little man candy for the older YA readers ;) Then there is Charlotte’s boyfriend Harlin. He is guaranteed to make any woman (of any age) with a pulse swoon. I also really liked Charlotte’s foster family as well as her best friend. They all added something special to the storyline, and made it so easy to understand why Charlotte wasn’t in a hurry to give them up regardless of her destiny.


The ending had my jaw dropping open, me thinking oh my god that can’t be the end, and bombarding poor Suzanne Young with tweets begging her to assure me there will be a sequel. I’m usually not a fan of endings that leave so many questions, but in this case it worked perfectly. Thankfully there is a sequel in the works and I can’t wait! This isn’t like any angel book you may have read. It is refreshingly different, and I highly recommend it to those who have enjoyed the onslaught of angel-centric books, but crave a fresh take. The uniqueness this book exudes has me eager to read it again as soon as I can get a finished copy in my hands.

My Rating:

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