Creature Feature Review: Crave

Welcome to Vampiric Thursday, where we will be discussing all things vampire! To kick things off today, I have a review of Crave by Melissa Darnell, which just hit store shelves on Tuesday. Later today, I have another fun guest post, this time by Louise from Between the Covers. I hope you all will stop by to check it out!

Crave
by Melissa Darnell
publisher: HarlequinTeen
date of publication: October 25, 2011
format: eGalley
pages: 432
source: Netgalley
Amazon / Goodreads / B&N

From Goodreads:

Savannah Colbert has been shunned all her life by the kids of the Clann. And when she undergoes some drastic changes after a strange illness, Savannah learns secrets about the group and about herself—dangerous secrets. For the Clann are powerful magic users, and Savannah herself is half Clann and half vampire—a forbidden, unheard of combination. Falling for Clann golden boy Tristan Coleman isn't just a bad idea—it could be deadly if anyone finds out. But her attraction to Tristan—and his to her—isn't something either of them can resist for long.

What I Thought

It has been quite a while since I have read vampire novels. Crave makes just the second I have read this year. While I was wary at first, I found that there are still a few tricks up the sleeves of the authors who write using vampires as their characters. Crave was a book that I found myself pleasantly surprised by. While parts of it are what you would expect from a vampire novel, there is still enough originality and action to present, which kept me immersed in the story.

The premise of this book is a rivalry between witches and vampires, which has resulted in strict rules for both races. The idea of the dhampir is another aspect of the plot that surprised me and kept me ready to learn more. That, along with a Romeo & Juliet-like relationship between a dhampir girl and a witch boy, all came together for an intriguing read that kept me guessing all throughout the book. Though the way in which time passes in the book is a little difficult to adjust to, I was easily drawn into this world of magic, blood, and rivalries. The plot is most definitely my favorite aspect of this book.

There is a fairly standard mix of characters in this book. From the token bullies that often appear in books such as these, to the shy girl who comes into her own, everything is well-covered. I found that I enjoyed Savannah as a character. When she began to come into her abilities and learned to handle whatever the bullies would throw her way was an aspect of the story that I thoroughly enjoyed. I wasn't sure what to make of Tristan, at first. I was turned off by his need to storm in and protect Savannah behind her back. However, I did feel for him due to the pressures put upon him by his family. One thing I wish is that we had been given more of a glimpse into the lives of Savannah's parents. I would have liked to know more about the way in which they met, fell in love, and had a baby. Overall, however, the characters played their roles very well and I wasn't left feeling sorry.

I am glad that Crave was able to overcome my reticence about picking up another vampire novel after such a long moratorium. I feel that it is imaginative, interesting, and a lot of fun as a read. Though I wasn't too wild about Savannah's paramour, I enjoyed the dynamic of their relationship insofar as the difficulties they had to overcome were involved. If you're looking for a fun vampire read, this could be a good book to take for a spin.






Obligatory legal statement: This eGalley was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Netgalley. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.