Crave (Crave #1) by Tracy Wolff  ( Bookshop.org | Amazon.com )

Entangled Teen, 2020

ISBN-13: 978-1640638952

Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook

 

Grace’s parents died in a car accident, leaving her no choice but to leave her home in California and unenthusiastically move to Alaska, where her uncle, now her guardian, is headmaster at a remote, exclusive boarding school. While her uncle, and her cousin Macy, seem glad to have her there, Grace at once notices there’s something off about the school (a giant Gothic castle) and the students. Her first encounter is with the dark, Byronic, and exceedingly rude Jaxon, who is both hostile and very hot. Despite his attempt at intimidation, Grace holds her own… at least until altitude sickness does her in. Flint, another friendly student, carries Grace and her suitcase up to the room she’ll share with her cousin (Grace spends a significant part of the book either suffering from altitude sickness, recovering from a twisted ankle, and recuperating from attempts against her life. This gives her both a reason for not keeping to a school schedule while actually living in a school and for her complete obliviousness about the fact that all the students are supernatural creature) As Grace attempts to integrate into the school with Macy’s help, she finds herself thinking more about Jaxon, despite his extreme bouts of hostility and his obvious concern and attraction to Grace, both ordering her a special breakfast when she’s stuck in bed and sending her a copy of Twilight “as a warning.”

Jaxon might have a point, if Twilight took place in wintry Alaska instead of rainy Washington,  if he and Grace were anything like Edward and Bella, and if the heat between the main characters was turned way up. As dysfunctional as Grace and Jaxon are together, their chemistry is undeniable. Crave is going to get a lot of hearts beating faster (and props to Wolff  for making consent between Grace and Jaxon explicit).

A lot gets sacrificed for Jaxon and Grace to come together– not just literally, as Grace bungles her way through lethal and bloody vampire politics and tensions between vampires and dragons, but in the name of romance (like Grace dancing with Jaxon at night in the Alaskan outdoors in nothing but a dress with spaghetti straps, a scene which is gorgeous to read but romantic only in theory). Despite the problematic aspects of the relationship between the two, they have their moments, both apart and together. The drama, secrets, and twisty relationships mean that Crave is not just the story of Grace and Jaxon; they are part of a larger picture that we have yet to see pieced completely together.  Crave is a compelling, escapist read with a healthy serving of snark, that urban fantasy readers and YA vampire enthusiasts should enjoy. Recommended for ages 14+.

 

Contains: violence, gore, murder, assault, ritual sacrifice