When I saw the cover for this book I was intrigued. It's gorgeous, the girl looks vulnerable and strong at the same time and the red-white theme is fascinating. Then I read the blurb and I was sure that this is my kind of book. And luckily I was right. I enjoyed reading Crave a lot. So much that I couldn't put it down and read until 2 am.
Though the summary already hints at the paranormal background in this story it starts like a normal high school story. There are groups, cool and not so cool, people ignore each other and so on. And then you get to know Savannah, who doe have two very good friends, but is ignored by almost everyone else. Especially the kids of the so-called Clann. When I saw the word Clann the first time, I had to think of Jean Auel's Earth's Cildren saga. Weird connection, I know, but I can't get rid of it.
The mystery about the Clann isn't resolved immediately. You know that Savannah is on their blacklist and that all kids are supposed to stay away from her even the ones which were her friends once. Their is a constant increase in tension. Weird, paranormal things are happening and Savannah is changing. In something unknown. And the old attraction between Tristan and Savannah is flaming up again. They shared their first kiss, years ago, but Tristan never forgot and though he is supposed to ignore her, he can't.
I really love this story. I like how two paranormal themes (magic and vampires) are united here in a new inventive way. The whole magic part was very fascinating and I definitely want to know more about it.
And what I also like a lot about this book are the main characters. Savannah and Tristan are amazing persons. They aren't perfect but they are very lovable. I liked Tristan's protective streaks, how he tries to be near Savannah (the whole dream part is just great! - read it and you will see! ), how he helps her and how he becomes more grown up by making his own decisions. Savannah has to face a lot of unknown fears and she is facing them quite bravely. She is very determined and caring. And the tension between her and Tristan, woohoo! It's sizzling. I was massively hooked and was reading on and on to know what will happen next.
Luckily the story ended with closure and there are only a few loose ends which led to the next installment in this series, Covet. And I will pick up the next book for sure!
ARC courtesy of NetGalley!