Crave by Tracy Wolff

Crave by Tracy Wolff
Release Date - April 7, 2020

Publisher Website - Entangled Teen
Publisher Social Media - Twitter

Pages - 592 pages
My Rating - 4/5
**purchased**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

My whole world changed when I stepped inside the academy. Nothing is right about this place or the other students in it. Here I am, a mere mortal among gods…or monsters. I still can’t decide which of these warring factions I belong to, if I belong at all. I only know the one thing that unites them is their hatred of me.

Then there’s Jaxon Vega. A vampire with deadly secrets who hasn’t felt anything for a hundred years. But there’s something about him that calls to me, something broken in him that somehow fits with what’s broken in me.

Which could spell death for us all.

Because Jaxon walled himself off for a reason. And now someone wants to wake a sleeping monster, and I’m wondering if I was brought here intentionally—as the bait.

Crave was absolutely written with fans of Twilight in mind. It has obvious comparisons while still feeling like it's own thing. This book may wear its influences on its sleeves but it was very much written with this current generation in mind. It offers a fun, fast paced read that feels more like an homage than a direct copy.

If you have read Twilight your feelings towards that series may colour how you react to this one. It has enough differences to not feel like a complete retread but the similarities are there. It goes beyond the inclusion of vampires and romance. It reads in the same incredibly addictive, page turning way that Twilight did. This book packs in modern references and current slang to set it in present day. This is something that will definitely date the book as a product of this particular time. Some readers may find the use of this distracting but I found it fit the story being told.

The are major differences that make this book fully its own thing. Many of them would be too spoilery to include as examples in my review. I will mention that this takes place in a boarding school and that there are not just vampires among the student body. Grace's journey, based on everything we learn in this book, is not going to be Bella's. Her path is very dependent on who her family is and how that factors into the story. Her romance is only part of that journey. The structural dynamics of the various groups we meet and how they all coexist is also something that sets it apart. Family is a strong foundation of this story in a lot of ways and is really what makes this story feel different.

The romance is fairly typical of most books in the genre along with most of the tropes that entails. The supernatural being warns the human to stay away but they end up being unable to keep their distance being an example of one of them. There is a bit of instalove happening here but I feel it works for this style of story. The romance is also little more on the steamy side with some very obvious blood sucking as a metaphor for sex scenes being included.

This is a very plot drive book. The pacing is super fast and really what propels the story forward. The characters are not completely fleshed out but the pacing of everything else distracts you from this fact. I didn't find it a hindrance to enjoying the story but those looking for a character focused story will not find that here.

The story set up at the end of this book certainly leads into an intriguing sequel. This set up will ensure higher stakes both in terms of emotional impact and danger level. It also opens the door to widen what we know about this world and the beings that inhabit it.

If you were ever curious what Twilight set in Alaska might have looked like this book is for you. If you're nostalgic for that feeling you got reading the Twilight series this book is for you. It is a fun, breezy read that will definitely offer a distraction. If Twilight was never your thing you will probably be less enthused. I, personally, am glad that the paranormal genre is making a comeback and that this entertaining read is helping to usher it back in.