Review Detail

I was excited to be able to get a copy of CRAVE at ALA Anaheim this summer. The forbidden love premise is right up my alley.

First off, the beginning hooked me right in.

...I edged closer to my unconscious boyfriend cuffed to a chair nearby. My judges gathered in a tight half circle a few fee away. Probably so they could see me better as I failed their test..

What test? Savannah is a half vampire/half witch. She is shunned by her fourth grade best friends after a mock wedding. She doesn't know the reason for this only that other kids consider her a freak and are told to avoid her at any cost. Savannah does know that her mother was kicked out of the ruling family, the Clann, after her own rebellion which resulted in Savannah's birth.

Later in high school Savannah tries to avoid the continuous taunts against her. That all changes when she starts to 'change' and catches the eye of Tristan, the boy she loved since fourth grade.

I loved the premise of this paranormal. Savannah's struggles to make sense of what is happening to her and why everyone shuns her are very real. Also real is the confusion she feels when her mother and father tell her not to be around any of the Clann especially when she knows they had their own 'Romeo and Juliet' story. Seriously, who wouldn't want to rebel against that?

Also I loved seeing some of the 'changes' which included the eye gaze in which she's able to make any guy her slave just by looking into his eyes. You don't know if in fact Tristan is under her power until later on in the story. And even then it's up in the air.

I did feel though that the story slowed in the middle. The day to day events of high school slowed down the pacing. I wanted to see more of Savannah and Tristan together. When they were around each other, sparks ignited.

Also I felt that the mother kind of just left the story during a crucial time. The relationship between Savannah and her mother added to the story. Having the mother just 'disappear' didn't feel right. Leaving a message on the answering machine didn't do it for me. I wanted to see both of them together, going over Savannah's choices, whether good or bad.

The final climax reveled much of the inner core of Savannah. Will she embrace the part of her that she fears or succumb to a fate worse than her own parents?

Well-written with an unique twist on the whole Romeo and Juliet premise. This kept me reading until late at night. I had to know what happened with Savannah and her choice.

I'm curious what happens in the second book and will check it out. For those who love a forbidden love story, give this story a try. I know I'm glad I did.