CATCHALL
I loved Need. I thought it was fresh and original, not to mention fun and exciting. Then Captivate and Entice came along and were not only awful, but so awful that they actually ruined Need for me. And now Endure has come back to reclaim part of my heart. I loved it so much and it definitely now has a place in my heart.
THE HEROINE
ZARA
Zara really comes into her own in this book. She takes charge in a way that she never has in the past and it's so beautiful to see. She really takes responsibility and control and learns to make the hard decisions even when she doesn't want to. She genuinely tries to do what's right and seems to honestly do an excellent job. I love how she finally steps up and does what needs to be done.
THE LOVE INTERESTS
ASTLEY
Y'all already know that I am totally in love with the über-sexy Astley, so there's really no point in trying to hide it. I could totally go into all the ways he reminds me of my boyfriend, but you guys do not read my reviews to get the details on my love life so I will skip that haha. BUT ANYWAY. Astley is totally awesome in this book. I'm trying to figure out how to write this section without turning it into a gushfest, but so far that is proving impossible. I could literally spend this entire review talking about how sexy this darling blond pixie is. He is like...amazing. I would totally push Zara off a cliff if it meant I could have him. He's sweet but strong, dangerous but somehow still tame, and just plain fantastic. God, I'm gonna shut up before this review actually does turn into me obsessing over Astley.
NICK
It's not that I don't like Nick. Or at least, I didn't used to dislike Nick, not in Need or in Captivate. Even in Entice, he didn't really seem so bad. But in Endure, at least in the beginning, he kind of acts like a jerk and a b brat and is completely self-absorbed and prejudiced. He does get a little better, and I can understand his actions to a point, but mostly I just wanted to slap some sense into him and make him behave. There was no excuse for him to be so rude, not really.
THE BEST FRIEND
ISSIE
As...unique as I find Issie, I concede that she had some absolutely awesome lines in this one. She really reveals some amazing, deep things and does so in this really great way. I actually really liked her in this book and was very impressed by her bravery.
THE PLOT
The plot of Endure was fast-paced and fun. I almost never got a moment to breathe because I was anticipating something. The amount of tension was incredible and I was very often at the edge of my seat with wide eyes wondering how they would get out of this one and what would happen next.
The amount of action was unbelievable, but it was so great! I could barely put this book down and even risked bringing it out of my house (I have automysophobia issues that extend to things I own, books in particular) just so that I could keep reading it.
It was original, and I feel like I learned a lot about Norse mythology. I've only read like a few other books that I can think of with Norse mythology, and so I feel that this one really helped rectify that.
Some things I really didn't like. There was one thing in particular that I found unspeakably stupid and even though it was undone at the end of the book, it totally ticked me off and caused me to lower my rating more than I ordinarily would have.
I basically completely adored this plot and literally could not get enough of it. I could have read it extended for hours and I honestly adored it so much.
THE ROMANCE
Honestly, there wasn't a ton of romance in this book which was both good and bad. It was good because I loved how Carrie didn't focus and make this a love story, but really made it about the plot and what was happening. That was awesome, and I really admire that. But I still wish there had been more romance! There was some. Zara comes to her decision, which I was either happy or unhappy with. It's really heartbreaking and beautiful how she comes to her choice and I definitely found myself repressing tears. It was executed absolutely gorgeously and I loved it.
THE ENDING
Much like Destined, another four-book series that came to a stunning conclusion lately, I really feel like Endure reached the absolute best ending possible. I really loved it and felt that it was truly the best thing that could have come. I was totally and utterly satisfied and so ridiculous happy when I finished. It was the perfect ending, and I could not have loved it more.
WRAPUP
Despite its faults, Endure was awesome and I would highly recommend it. Despite the faults of Captivate and Entice, I think Endure is so very definitely worth reading. Will I read future Carrie Jones books? Probably. Despite the fact that I am still recovering from the mess that was After Obsession, I think I will. Carrie writes romance like no one else, and she has incredible twists and plots.
FINE.