Review: A Want so Wicked by Suzanne Young

A Want so Wicked (A Need so Beautiful #2)

By Suzanne Young

Published: June 26, 2012

Publisher: Balzar + Bray (HarperCollins)

Hardcover, 288 pages

Elise is a normal seventeen-year-old girl until the day she wakes up in a desert park with no idea who she is.

After that episode, her life takes a bizarre turn. She's experiencing unexpected flashes of insight into people's lives—people she's never met before. Strangers frighten her with warnings about the approaching Shadows. And although Elise has never had a boyfriend, she suddenly finds herself torn between two handsome but very different young men: Abe, the charming bad boy whose effect on her both seduces and frightens her, and the mysterious Harlin, who's new to town but with whom Elise feels an urgent, elemental connection—almost as if they are soul mates.

Now Elise begins to question everything about her life. Why do these guys both want her so desperately? What are the Shadows? Why does the name Charlotte inspire a terrifying familiarity? And who is Elise, really? --Goodreads

3.5 Stars

Review

After reading A Need so Beautiful, I was really eager to see what would happen next after the whole cliffhanger that we were left on. A Want so Wicked explores the world of the Need a little more and adds a whole new dimension.

I would have loved to say that A Want so Wicked was not so obvious and easily predictable. Unfortunately, things just don't always go my way in the world of YA paranormal. Not only did I know what was going to happen as each page flipped by, I knew everything just by reading the blurb. The ridiculousness of this was totally uncalled for, but I still loved it.

My main issue with A Want so Wicked was with the predictability and whatnots, but otherwise I really enjoyed it. The plot was fast-paced, making the book not unbearably obvious, but more of a cheesy paranormal read that was adorably romantic and sweet at certain moments and heartbreakingly dark and shocking in others.

Elise, the protagonist, has a few marbles missing when it comes to her memory. It was fascinating to revisit the world of the Need with someone who wasn't necessarily as irritated with her destiny like Charlotte was in the other book. As Elise gains more knowledge on the destinies she will have to choose between, I was biting my fingernails in anticipation of the climatic battle that she will face. Of course I knew that the battle would happen, and the end result of it, but I just couldn't help but feel some empathy for Elise and want to cheer her on.

The whole love triangle mentioned in the blurb between Elise, Abe and Harlin is obviously screwed up. Elise and Abe will have some chemistry; however, Abe will have a more "I want to eat you" kind of allure that Elise finds herself attracted to. How, I am not sure on, but it was an extremely dynamic and creepy relationship between those two. Meanwhile, the Elise plus Harlin pairing was so insta-love, it was borderline disturbing. There is an explanation behind this whole mess and yes, it makes complete sense. Still, I just couldn't fall for it easily. Too much of their moments together felt choreographed and unnatural when you compare it to the chemistry between Charlotte and Harlin. I felt that the author tried to replicate the dynamic pairing of A Need so Beautiful, but didn't do a great job of it.

Overall, A Want so Wicked was a fantastic sequel for A Need so Beautiful, but fell a little too into the stereotypes of paranormal and wasn't as electrifying when it came to the romance. Otherwise, I enjoyed its fast pace and the dark world that it inhabited.

Purchase this book: Amazon/ Barnes&Nobles/ The Book Depository