ARC Review: Crave

Title: Crave
Author: Melissa Darnell
Release Date: October 18th
Genre: YA, Paranormal Fantasy



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. --Goodreads

Thank you NetGalley and HarlequinTeen for the chance to read Crave. This does not affect or influence my opinion in any way. My reviews are always honest.

I had high hopes for Crave but they fell flat. In the beginning I was drawn into a most fascinating story, and the setting pleased me most particularly because it’s right around my own area of Texas (I knew the places!), but as it progressed, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed. The characters lacked depth and the timeline was too speedy. I did not enjoy that it dragged on through the course of two and a half years of her life, in which myself as the reader still hardly felt as if I knew much of anything about her or the events. I would have much rather the events take place over the course of several months while getting a more in-depth view of character(s). The emotion didn’t feel real and that completely disconnected me throughout most of the reading.


Odd coincidence I’m sure- but I disliked the name the author chose for Descendants, The Clann, being from Texas… and the setting in the book being a small East Texas town. As if southern people don’t get stereotyped enough, right? I’m sure it was completely unintentional but nonetheless very strange and made me frown a bit when thinking of it (which I tried not to in that way at all).


There were constant shifts in character POV. Part of the story was told in Savannah’s view, and part told in Tristan’s. That wasn’t a big problem actually. I’m putting this out there, though, because some readers DO have aggravations when authors do this. I’m not one of them. Ms. Darnell did do a very nice job in transitioning nicely between the two character POV during the story and it wasn’t confusing in the slightest.


I am not saying that I didn’t completely enjoy Crave. It was an engaging and easy read as it was. I had some serious annoyances, however, that make me wonder if I would bother continuing on with a sequel if there was to be one. It does have potential and I like the premise put into the storyline. While it is (yet another) forbidden romance in YA, I like the whole vampire-witches hybrid idea that has been put out there with this. Maybe I will read the sequel out of curiosity, but I won’t be in a huge rush to run out and get it or anything.


3 stars!