Crave (Crave, #1)

by Tracy Wolff

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

Crave by Tracy Wolff came on my radar when I went searching for a title from Amazon Editors' Best of the Year collection. On reading the blurb and discovering that a vampire featured in the book, I chose it to complete my Kindle challenge. Now, several of the reviews I read, persisted in speaking of its similarities to the Twilight saga. This may be a turn-off for readers who didn't like Twilight, but for me, it was no biggie. Besides, the vampire here does not sparkle. Despite it not being a unique read. Crave provided me with the fix needed to satisfy my craving for paranormal stories.

I don't often read young adult stories because of how juvenile they appear at times, however, I could not resist the whole vampire lore and found myself going down the rabbit hole for this one. Crave, the first book in the Crave series, introduces readers to Grace. Now, Grace's life has completely turned upside down with the death of her parents, who both died in a motor vehicle accident. This incident led to her relocating from San Diego to Alaska, where she would attend Katmere Academy, where her uncle is the headmaster.

Upon her arrival, Grace faces many obstacles, altitude sickness, hostility from the other students and her life in constant danger.  On her first day, while taking in her surroundings, she encounters the enigmatic Jaxon Vega. He issues a warning, advising her she needs to leave Katmere because her safety was in jeopardy. Not one to scare easily, Grace ignores his warning. He intrigued her, and soon she found herself captivated by him.

It was clear from the start that Katmere Academy was no ordinary institution. This school catered to supernatural beings. Grace recognized that there was something strange about the students, but she couldn't pinpoint what exactly was different about them. Eventually, she discovered how different they were from her. Hints were given, allowing readers to catch on way before Grace.

I liked the fact that I got to acquaint myself with the characters and Katmere Academy through Grace's eyes. I liked Grace. Her portrayal was that of a typical teen. Bold and feisty while trying to navigate her feelings for Jaxon. Jaxon was an enigma. Although his actions reeked of hostility, he doesn't hesitate to protect Grace.

The story kept me engaged, and it made 15 hours of listening seemed like far less. Crave fascinated me, from the characters to the world the author created. Not only were there vampires, there were also witches, dragons, gargoyles, and a myriad of other supernatural beings.  

Now, the most interesting thing about this series, is the reason for Grace attending Katmere Academy. The details will not be provided, however, I will say this much, murder and revenge were afoot. As for the ending, talk about surprising. I am still trying to wrap my mind around the events which occurred. Events which left me wanting to pick up the next book in the series and thus taking me further down the rabbit hole.

Tim Paige and Heather Costa were noted as being the narrators of Crave. It should be noted however that Heather narrated 95% of the story. Tim only narrated the last chapter, which readers experienced from Jaxon's POV. This is my first listen from Heather Costa and I enjoyed her narration. She did a fairly good job bringing the characters to life. I would definitely listen to her again.  Tim's narration, although brief, gave me a greater appreciation for Jaxon's tone.This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading