Customer Reviews

Crave (Harlequin Teen)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

An enticing mix of forbidden love, magic, betrayal, and heartache, this romance will leave your craving more. Melissa Darnell's beautifully told love story mixed with a rich vampire and witch mythology creates on of this year's most spellbinding paranormal romances.

Sav is a unique character I liked getting to know. She's feisty, level headed and fun. She also has an inner strength I admired about her. She's someone who at one time she had a lot of friends, and has since become some what of a loner, all because of something that happened during her childhood. One day "the clann" kids, along with her childhood crush were no longer welcome to play with Sav, let alone talk to her anymore, and she's never really understood why. "The Clann" are kids who come from a powerful line of witches, and they not only rule the school, but their parents run the town. They also have a long standing dislike for vampires.

I liked that this story is set in high school, because not only is Sav trying to blend into her surrounding, but she also has to deal with high school drama, the feelings she still has for her childhood crush and taking crap from her one time childhood friends. The entire storyline moved along quickly, but it went even faster once things change drastically for Sav, who develops some weird symptoms that in the process change her, quite a bit. Not only does she learn she has some pretty impressive powers, but she finds out her father is a powerful vampire, her mother is a witch and she's a Dhamphir. A mix of both a vampire and a witch is not only unheard of, it's dangerous, especially since she's a one of a kind. Now both the Clann and the Vampires fear her and want her dead, and her childhood crush wants back into her life.

My favorite aspect of the story is the romance. The love that the feelings Sav and Tristan have for each other started back when they were young kids who used to play together, and it's remained the same even though they've spent years not being able to talk to each other. I love that their romance started years before the story starts and it's one that only grows stronger as Sav and Tristan are now back in each other's lives. I really enjoyed watching how they rekindled their feelings, while at the same time deal with the threat that comes from their forbidden romance. My favorite part of their love story resolves around a tree and a box of valentine hearts, which I won't say any more so I don't give anything away. That whole story in itself had me sigh.

Crave is such a refreshing, intoxicating paranormal read. The mix of paranormal lore and the rich mythology Melissa created to bring her story to life made it hard for me to put this story down. The story line itself is fast paced, engaging, and includes some surprising twists that were both predictable ones I didn't see coming. It's a story with a well written forbidden love story I enjoyed getting lost in and in-depth characters I enjoyed meeting. I'm really looking forward to reading the next book in this series!

So, the deal is, basically, that Savannah and Tristan are "drawn" to each other. You know, I'm not a fan of people being mysteriously "drawn" to each other for no reason, however, Darnell makes it work in Crave. Sort of.

I think it helps that they have known each other since they were children and, thus, have a backstory built in. Also, Crave is told from both Savannah and Tristan's POV, which, when done well (as done here), helps me understand everyone's motivations (because I typically ascribe ugly ulterior motives to random "love interests" who fall in love with the heroine for no reason - I'm talking to you, Caspian of The Hollow Series)

Crave was interesting and fast-paced (have I ever mentioned I'm a big fan of a fast pace?) I loved that the FP (Female Protagonist) was a vampire and the MP (you know...) was a witch. Usually, for some reason, the vamps are male and witches female and I liked that Darnell shook it up a bit (just as I did in Drink, Slay, Love and Jane Jones: Worst Vampire Ever)

I can't wait to find out more about this world in the sure-to-follow sequels. I'm particularly interested in knowing more about Savannah's parents' love story. It sounds very Romeo and Juliet and might be an even more interesting story than Savannah's.

Overall, I would definitely recommend Crave for fans of Paranormal YA. It shakes up the vamp/witch genre and Darnell's world-building is superb. I can't wait to see what the next installment brings.

This book was very well written. I'm surprised we have not heard of Melissa Darnell earlier. The main character or heroine Savannah had a strong sense of self and personality. She was a really strong heroine who had the capability to take care of her own problems. She did not need a knight in shining armor to save herself from every situation. That's the ideal female lead.

Tristan the hero or male lead was also a strong male lead. The story went back and forth between the two characters feelings and thoughts and he was a strong male with wonderful characteristics. I loved that he wanted to take care of Savannah and he respected her at the same time. He made me smile and I really wished at times my husband was a little more like Tristan. Both characters had a strong sense of maturity.

The story was brilliantly written, the images the author put in your imagination were vivid and beautiful. I adored this story and was upset there was a cliffhanger. The ending was good but I am now waiting in the wind for more! I am surprised this book hasn't had more reads and reviews. It is absolutely fantastic.

I felt what she felt and I think a lot of people can understand the feelings that were shared in the story between Savannah and her friends, boyfriends, and her childhood memories. It brought me back to high school and elementary school. This is a great read for teens on up to young adults and even adults like myself.

There's magic, romance, lots of action, and a perfect balance of everything wrapped into a book. I had a hard time putting it down and tried to make it last as long as possible. I still finished it in 2 days. Great book, I cannot wait for the next one!!! I'd love an update as to when to expect the next one so I can put it in my wishlist!!!

Melissa Darnell has created a world full of magic and mystery that is thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end! It's a modern take on the Romeo and Juliet story but with Witches and Vampires. The characters are believable they seem like normal teenagers. At first I wasn't sure (since they start out as 14 year old) but then I remembered Patricia's son is 14 and I thought ok I can see him acting this way. The only other slight issue I had was the pacing I felt she moved too quickly through some parts of the story; one minute the kids are 14 the next 16 and driving and I was like whoa when did that happen? The answer to that? It happened when I was reading! I read about the seasons changing but as they did I didn't even realize we were that far ahead in the story!

I really liked the way the love story unfolded it wasn't insta-love these two had known each other all their lives. I also enjoyed that the story was told from both Savannah's and Tristan's perspectives. I think Tristan's were my favorites!

Savannah's friends (whom call her Sav) are all really cool especially her best friend Anne she really cares about Sav and when strange things start happening she stands by her side no matter what. That is a true friend.

I loved the idea about the possibility of a war between the Vampires and the Clann (I wonder who would win) and that Savannah will do anything she can to try and stop that from happening.

This was a really fun read! It wasn't complicated or gut wrenching which was a refreshing break. It didn't make me cry (even though there were some tense moments) it just made me smile.

Oh gosh, this book was a weird one for me. I bought it for my Kindle because it was only 4 dollars or something and I had been curious about it. The last vampire book I read completely stunk and I hoped this one would be better. Unfortunately it didn't go so well for me. Honestly, I can't believe I read as much of it as I did. I was so bored and it was so easy to set down. Some of that may be due to the fact that I'm a bit older, younger teens would probably love this book?! Anyhow, I didn't get remotely interested in the story until I was about 65% through it. It was predictable, and it just fell flat for me. As I stated, I think younger teens will like Crave, it was not for me.

**Originally published on Examiner.com**

It is a simple enough premise. Girl loves boy. Boy loves girl but is forbidden by his family to speak to her. Both boy and girl have secrets that could tear their relationship apart before it has the chance to blossom.

That is the basic storyline of Melissa Darnell's debut novel Crave. Darnell tells the story of Savannah Colbert and Tristan Coleman. Savannah was once good friends with Tristan and the rest of the members of the "Clann:" descendents of the founding members of their town. Until one day, in fourth grade, Tristan and the rest of the Clann suddenly stop speaking to her and are even hostile towards her. Fast-forward seven years later, and the Clann is still tormenting Savannah, and she has not quite gotten over her crush on Tristan.

As it turns out, Tristan Coleman is the future leader of the Clann, who happens to be a group of powerful witches. However, Tristan just wishes to be normal. He displays little interest in magic, and he, too, has not gotten over his crush on Savannah. In fact, their feelings for one another have grown stronger. To add insult to injury, a sudden illness leads Savannah to realize that maybe she is not as normal as she thought she was. Even worse, those secrets give her more of a reason to stay away from the Clann and Tristan.

Unfortunately, Crave is not without faults. There is too much telling and not enough showing, and some scenes that need not be shown at all. When Savannah learns of her secret, she readily accepts it, making the whole revelation a bit dull. Crave is a quick read, but the plot itself is weighed down by the day-to-day routines of the characters (although the plot does move along, it does not feel that way because of this). Darnell does a fantastic job of breathing to life the voices of teenagers (most teens in high school will definitely identify with the main characters). Although the plot seems slow, readers will keep reading page after page because of the chemistry of Savannah and Tristan. The fact that these two characters had a history before the novel definitely works in Crave's favor. Savannah and Tristan's relationship gradually rebuilds itself throughout the novel, which makes it realistic and endearing. Readers will care about the couple's fate. Crave ends on a cliffhanger, leaving readers in anticipation for Covet, the next installment in the series. Despite it's flaws, Crave is a novel with two engaging main characters. Darnell shows promise in her writing, and will leave readers craving for more.

Savannah Colbert is your not so average teen. She lives with her mom and her grandmother, who watch her like a hawk. Most of the kids at her school hate her for no apparent reason. In fact the 'Clann' kids go out of their way to make Savannah's life miserable. However after a mysterious virus takes hold of Savannah, things start to change for her. Not only physically but mentally as well. Unexplained things start to manifest into Savannah's life. She just wants to fit in. She wants to reconnect with her once best friend, Tristan. Tristan is sort of a celebrity in this town. He's being groomed for a prestigious position but he's drawn to Savannah. Their relationship is forbidden which makes their attraction so much harder for both of them.
Crave by Melissa Darnell is a novel that delves into the paranormal and mystical intrigues of a small town run by a mysterious Clann. Savannah and her mom have been on the wrong side of the Clann for unknown reasons. Savannah's father has not been very supportive or present in her life for years. Anger and resentment toward these people have haunted her for years. Darnell reveals a glimpse of the mysteries a little at a time. This keeps the reader interested and invested in Savannah's life. Although this is a good story it is predictable at times. The author explores Savannah's insecurities, immaturity, and vulnerability at a good pace. I did appreciate the growth of Savannah's character throughout the novel.
Overall this is a novel that is hugely entertaining. It has everything from family drama to star crossed lovers. It is endearing and funny and definitely worth it to read.

Let me premise this review by saying that it is very, very rare for me not to finish a book. And while I feel horrible for not being able to finish this book, I also know that I made the right choice (for myself) by putting it down.

The prologue was wonderful. It set everything up and definitely got me geared up to read the rest of the story.

And then...it just went nowhere for me. First of all, the the characters are freshman in HS, which is a much younger character set than I'm used to reading.

Second, when Savannah finds out she's paranormal, she's just..blah about it. She listens to them and internally freaks out (for a moment) and then makes some comment about finally feeling better and wanting to eat. And my first reaction was, "How can she be so blase' about this?" Because if it were me, and someone told me I was half demon vamp/half witch, I'd be FREAKING out (and definitely not believing them).

Pretty much where I stopped reading was about 10 pages after she went back to school (with stern warnings from her parents that if she showed any signs of wanting to chomp on anyone to go to the nurse's office and they'd pick her up). She made some comment about needing new bras because her boobs went up a cup and a half in size.

OK she's like, barely 15 years old and a freshman in HS. I do not need to read about that!

And back to the bloodlust stuff, if you are concerned your daughter may eat someone (ok more like, suck them dry) why would you send them back to high school with tons of teenagers and humans?

At this point I realized I had 300 pages left to read, and knew I couldn't read anymore.

This is a DNF (did not finish) for me.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Crave is one book I've been looking forward to reading for a while now, but have been putting off due to its length (it's a little over 400 pages). However, I recently decided to give it a shot, and I'm so glad I did, because not only was it interesting and lots of fun, but also it was a book I just flew through at rapid pace even with its slightly large page count!

Crave is told from of the view points of Savannah and Tristan. Savannah is a girl who keeps to herself, trying not to bother anyone else. However, everything changes when she learns a surprising part about her family as well as herself. Suddenly, she has the eye of everyone in town in good and bad ways. It took me a while to warm up to Savannah to tell the truth. She was just a little too Ms. Goody Two-Shoes at times. However, as the book progressed, and I really got to see into her life, I started to like her a lot more. I loved how she was dedicated to dancing, even though she couldn't dance in the team herself, and I also enjoyed how far she would go to protect her family and friends. She truly was a sweet girl, and I can't wait to see more of her in the sequels. Tristan, on the other hand, is the typical high school golden boy who can do no wrong, but who his also severely disgusted with his own life. I liked Tristan from the beginning, because not only did he take risks for the things he loved, but he also had a lot of heart to him. Together, Tristan and Savannah were quite the couple, and while there love is nothing but easy, all the drama and twists that came from it was nothing but fun as well as intense!

With Savannah and Tristan came a variety of secondary characters, ones who I loved and ones who I didn't. One of my favorites, though, would have to be Savannah's grandmother who was quiet the lady to say the least as well as Savannah's best friend Anne who was Savannah's rock in more ways than one. I also really enjoyed the addition of the Charm dance team, and I even liked seeing the Clann kids, because even though I didn't find them all that likable, the drama they caused still managed to provide lots of valuable plot development.

The basic premise of Crave is nothing new, but nonetheless, I enjoyed it quite a bit. For one, it was fun and thrilling. I also enjoyed seeing how everything worked behind the scenes at the Clann as well as what they were exactly. Another high point was Tristan and Savannah's relationship, because not only did it provide a major plot line, but I just loved the whole forbidden angle of it, even though it was just a tad bit cliche. The best part of the story, though, were the chapters leading up to the climax. They were eventful and exciting, and I have to say, I didn't see some of it coming.

In all, Crave by Melissa Darnell is a worthwhile debut, one that I highly suggest to fans of paranormal YA. However, once you're done with this one, you'll be DYING to read the next one...trust me!

Grade: B+

Omg did this book ever drag! I felt like nothing was ever going to happen and when something finally did, the book was over. For such a good title, I was sort of disappointed. I don't think I'll be reading the next one. I loved the idea of forbidden love between a witch and a vampire, but I just didn't get much out of this one.