Instant New York Times Bestselling Series An Amazon “Best YA Book of 2020” Glitter Magazine’s #1 Pick for “Best YA of 2020” Optioned for Film by Universal 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 … 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.
***INCLUDES 3 BONUS SCENES FROM THE HERO’S POV***
Don’t miss a single book in the series that spawned a phenomenon! The Crave series is best enjoyed in order:
Crave
Crush
Covet
Court
Charm
more
Awesome! Can’t wait to read Crush!
This book… I didn’t have much expectations when I started this and maybe that’s why I’m rating it just as ok.
Honestly, I saw vampires plus academy and jumped on board, even though after seeing the cover I was definitely worried about the similarities with Twilight and that’s the reason why my expectations where low. It is similar to Twilight in a lot of aspects: Grace moving to a different town; Jaxon worried about being a monster; their first encounter; the first time Grace’s in danger; 2 love interests from different factions/groups. But I think Crave was actually a weird mix of various best selling YA books or vampire TV shows: Twilight was all over the story; the academy description gave me vibes of Hogwarts/Vampire Academy; the way the “factions” or groups behaved gave me a very tiny vibe of Divergent (but it might just be me seeing stuff after 592 paaaaages!); also The Vampire Diaries (Jaxon and his brother’s story just felt a spin of Damon and Stefan’s relationship) and Legacies was very entwined here too.
It just felt like the author took something from several of these books/shows/movies, changed it in some way and put it in the story. I get that books and TV shows/movies can and will influence an author but there were too many elements entangled here in my opinion.
It bothered me that the academy aspect of the story wasn’t fleshed out at ALL. So much potential thrown away and the book has 592 pages… I mean… there was definitely opportunity to flesh it out!
Oh, and The Order (Jaxon’s faction or group or whatever) had so much potential too but none of them are developed… Annoying.
The insta-love/obsession came out of nowhere and they were obsessed with each other in two days… So, yeah, exasperating is an understatement.
There was diversity in the characters but most of these characters were underdeveloped. Also, the ones who were a little more developed were villains or were siding with the villain side. This rubbed me the wrong way. Some of these characters might have a bigger role in the next book, but that possibility doesn’t make this less shady.
What I liked:
• Other supernatural creatures, besides vampires, in the academy (very, very interesting and again so much potential);
• Grace’s character at least until she started obsessing about Jaxon because then she just went downhill (so this didn’t last long);
• Some characters like Grace’s uncle, Flint, Macy, Jaxon;
• The gothic castle setting;
• Hilarious scene with a book, I think you can guess which one;
• The ending was very interesting.
I don’t know if I’ll read the next book. It might depend on my mood and I might check the reviews to see if it got better and if the diverse characters are finally developed and play a role in the story. Or I’ll just forget about it entirely. It can go either way.
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for the eARC of ‘Crave’ by Tracy Woolf.
Crave is everything one could possibly want in a vampire story. I have seen people compare it to Twilight but I found it to be far better than that series and the idea behind the story unique and one that draws you in from the moment you meet Grace.
Our heroine has been forced to leave San Diego with its sunshine and sand for the cold of Denali, Alaska in the wake of her parents’ gruesome death to live with her Uncle Finn and his daughter.
Finding herself a new student of her uncle’s elite private school, Katmere Academy, our girl knows something is off, but just what it is and why she is being stared at by pretty much everyone around her is unclear. The relationship between Grace and her cousin, Macy is one that I enjoyed greatly and the gentle acknowledgement that the two haven’t seen one another in some time is evident (the choice of colouring of clothing and bedding is child-like etc) but is endearing and realistic.
Her meeting with Jaxon Vega is sudden and throws her off-kilter, he unsettles Grace and is unlike anyone she has ever known. Macy warns her not to get to know him: to stay far away from Jaxon but she can’t stop thinking about him – excuse the pun but she craves his presence in her life. No matter what happens, he is something that she cannot be without.
Crave is a new vampire novel that will re-awaken your love of all things fanged and supernatural because vampires aren’t the only thing that attend the gothic masterpiece that is Katmere Academy.
You’re going to have to read it yourself to see just who or what is intrigued with our sunshine girl, Grace.
Total teen drama lol You cant compare it to other vampire books (if you know what i mean) *cough cough* BUT it was a great read and I look forward to reading the rest of the story! There really is no building of Grace and Jaxon’s relationship it just starts getting touchy touchy the minute she gets to the school. Also Grace has this thing where is happens in almost every chapter where she has a bad feeling about something ad then she does an “Ah fukkit” and goes on into danger anyway LOL its like really!?
Also during the climax when it gets serious and intense I really dont like how the Author makes jokes or makes the environment comedic. I feel you should keep those moments serious instead of light hearted. But then again I think because this is more for teenagers that want to swoon instead of being in the action? Not sure.
Either way it was an awesome read and I look forward to the entire series! 🙂
Both of her parents are dead and her bright and sunny San Diego is far behind her. Grace is sent to live with her uncle and her cousin at the Katmere Academy deep in the remote Alaska. Little does she know, the Katmere Academy is home to the young supernatural. Witch, shapeshifter, and vampire cliches make up this reclusive boarding school and her presence is not welcome by all. But as a war looms at the edges of the relationships between the supernatural races, it becomes clear that Grace was not sent here for her safety. She was brought to be the bait. As Grace attempts to survive this academy, she finds her loyalties divided. She must decide where to place her trust…and her heart.
Fans of Twilight, Vampire Academy, and the Harry Potter series will want to take a bite out of this new series!
The storyline forms in a suspenseful manner and develops intuitively throughout the novel. Wolff’s expert writing shines through as the reader is kept wondering about what will happen next. The beginning chapters serve as a means to bond with Grace and experience first-hand the off-putting atmosphere that surrounds this academy as Grace does not comprehend the danger that she has gotten herself into. The later chapters connect the reader to the characters in a more profound way that will stick with them long after the book has ended and leave them desperately wanting to know the outcome. Additionally providing the alternative point of view at the end of the book shows just how much the readers (and the main character) missed behind the chilling earlier scenes.
“Deep down, I am not different from you. I dreamed you, I wished for your existence.” -Tracy Wolff, Crave
The characters themselves were believable and genuine. Grace was adequately “fragile” for being a human without being weak. She additionally is strong, passionate but also endearingly human in her motivations. The reader’s heart will ache with the losses that she has but celebrate with her small victories. Jaxon is the definition of a misunderstood bad boy but underneath that cold, somewhat frightening exterior is a broken, scared boy that clicks so perfectly with our kind and innocent Grace. Each character contributes something meaningful and intentional to the plot.
Let me make something clear. This book is not Twilight. The plot is completely different, the characters are completely different, the writing is completely different. This book is infinitely better. Some complaints about this book are that all of the boys fall for Grace similar to that of Twilight. The important distinction between the boys of Twilight and the boys of Crave are that the boys in Crave all want something from Grace and to use Grace for their own factions’ goals. It is not actually insta-love or insta-lust. Now that that is cleared up, I love this book with all of my being. I love the twists that Wolff brings to the supernatural world to spice up a familiar plot and make it her own. I love the humanity that is shown in these characters and the harsh realities that they face. I love that my heart was racing during parts of this book because I was feeling what the characters were feeling. I absolutely, positively cannot recommend this book enough.
Happy Reading,
~the Brown-Eyed Bookaholic
Instagram: @browneyedbookaholic
There were parts that definitely reminded me of Twilight (not a bad thing!). I liked the heroine and the hero was pretty mouth-watering. And the ending was totally unexpected. I can’t wait for the second installment.
I really enjoyed this vampire paranormal romance YA with a new twist and new characters that involve dragons, witches, wolves and of course vampires – top it off, a boarding school in a gothic atmosphere and I am here for it all. This book was quite addicting and a really fun read – hence the name Crave – because that is what I did for the last few days reading this book. I craved it so much. Grace and Jaxon had great chemistry which I really enjoyed reading about. YA fantasy is not my genre and yet I really was entertained by this book for the great cast of characters, well written YA paranormal romance that really piqued and captivated my interest. What a cliffhanger of an ending, and I am craving the next installment of this amazing read.
I absolutely loved this book and I can’t wait for the next book:))
I was sent a copy of this book from Megan Beatie Communications and Entangled Teen for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I thought that this was just going to be a vampire book but I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that it is so much more than that . The best way to describe this book is this is what happens when Twilight and Monster High have a baby. You have your instalove like Twilight but this girl has a back bone. She fights for herself and does not wait around for someone to come and save her, even though the odds are completely against her.
This book takes place in Alaska, and if there is any supernatural creatures out there that is the best place for them to hide out in plain sight. lol I said I was never going there after watching 30 days of Night back in the day and once again I am affirming that I have no plans to visit sorry.
This was such a fun and easy read that I was able to complete it in only two days. This book is over 500 pages long and I am working full time so finishing a book that size in two days is during the week is almost unheard of for me.
The ending…I did not see coming. I’m not talking about the reveal of who the evil twisted person is I actually had that one guessed, but the very end. I was shocked. And honestly that does not happen very much with YA anymore. I mean I didn’t even know that could come into play.
I can not wait for the next one to come out. Today I found out that the publication of book 2 has been moved up to September of this year. I am super excited to get my hands on book two.
If you like books that are set in a school setting or books dealing with the supernatural. Then you should give this one a shot.
I see a lot of people don’t like the book because they say it’s close to Twilight, but I think that’s one of the reasons I loved this book! Yes, it has similarities but it is so different in so many ways. This is my first five star read this year and I am so excited for the next in this series!
Crave is the first book in the Crave series by Tracy Wolff and the first book from that author that I was reading.
Grace life change when her parents died in an accident. Send to Alaska to Katmere academy where her uncle and cousin live.
But the trouble she will face is more that just the freezing temperature of that place. The students there are not human. In fact, Grace the only human at the academy. Vampires, shifters, witches and even dragon are real.
She will met Jaxon Vega, a vampire with a dark secret who haven’t felt anything in hundred of years until he saw her. Somethings drawing them to each other.
Accident keeps happening around Grace and Jaxon thinks someone at the academy is trying to kill her. Grace starts to think that she was brought to Alaska intentionally
Crave make me a lot think of Twilight. I still have love to read it and looking foward to the sequel.
Crave was a well-written, angsty, YA vampire novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. After Grace’s parents die in a car accident, she moves to a remote Alaskan boarding school to live with her uncle and her cousin. But she doesn’t know that this is not a regular school but a school for paranormal creatures. There is a turf war happening between different creatures who all seem to hate her, and she becomes a pawn in their games. With all the creatures wanting Grace dead, will she survive her first week in a new school? Of course, this is a YA paranormal romance, so Grace meets a broody, angsty boy Jaxon (a vampire obviously), who one minute treats her with disdain, and the next minute saves her from near death.
I liked almost everything about the book. I found the world-building and the paranormal lore very interesting, and I want to know more about it. I liked the characters and the angsty romance (which is the best kind IMO). The chemistry between Grace and Jaxon was scorching hot. I loved Grace’s snark and Jaxon’s broodiness. The ending was fantastic, even though it was a cliff-hanger. I cannot wait to read the second book! I am happy that we are getting more vampire books, they disappeared for a while, but they are finally back.
I was so excited for this book, vampires, dragons, witches and more all set in a gothic academy?! Heck yes. I did like the dynamics of the story as well as the new infomation about vampire and dragon lore (I really wished there was more world builing in thus aspect). It was a really exciting take on familiar beings. The beginning of the book had me hooked but it started to get slow and tedious about half way through. A lot of things happened for nothing happening, if that makes sense. I would have liked the story to be a hundred pages shorter or have the important plot action increase. I also thought the story was somewhat predictable and the ending rushed. I did very much enjoy that last chapter and that might be enough to get me to read book two. Over all a fun, easy read. Solid three stars. Oh and personally I didn’t think this was reminiscent of Twilight.
I absolutely loved this story, I am a fan of paranormal romances, I love vampires, dragons, shifters, and witches and yes I am a Twihard fan, so this book is definitely my cup of tea. That been said, I will also say it’s different in some important aspects, I love Grace, she is one to always push forward, not giving up and not giving anyone a way to overcome her. The characters are all amazing, I love that it’s told in first person present tense and all the references to popular books. Jaxon Vega is my new book boyfriend and I just can’t wait to see what the next books have to offer, it’s going to be a long year waiting for it, the cliffy will kill me slowly until then. I am thrilled to see more adult and steamy scenes in this YA books, the mystery surrounding the story will make you read from start to finish even though it’s a long book. The audiobook is perfectly narrated, I totally recommend it as well. Phenomenal 5 stars!
My Thoughts:
Crave was a book that immediately pulled me in. In a challenging time where reading, watching tv, or focusing on any other enjoyable activity feels impossible, this story was the escape that I desperately needed.
Grace has been forced to leave San Diego, after her parents were killed in a car accident. Now she’s moved to Alaska to attend Katmere Academy, where her Uncle Finn is the headmaster. Things don’t go so well when Grace arrives. While she’s impressed by the architecture of her boarding school, which resembles an elaborate gothic castle, she gets severely ill with altitude sickness, isn’t received well by most of the other students, and finds her life in danger too many times to count!
Her cousin Macy, also her new roommate, goes out of her way to try to make Grace feel welcome, but the rude, brooding, and gorgeous Jaxon Vega, comes off as cold, as he warns her that she needs to leave, because she isn’t safe at Katmere. Then there’s Flint, who is Jackson’s opposite in every way, from his warmth, to his flirty and teasing manner. He makes Macy comfortable, but doesn’t make her heart beat or her stomach flutter the way Jackson does. One thing is for certain, the students at Katmere Academy are very different from Grace…
Fans of the Twilight franchise, as well as the Lux franchise, are going to love this story. We have Grace and Jaxon, two characters full of combustible chemistry, that will leave you giddy and spellbound at their every interaction. Crave is told exclusively through Grace’s eyes, and I enjoyed her viewpoint. We see Jaxon start off as a bit cold, but he still goes out of his way to protect Grace right from the very beginning of this story, and it was an Edward and Bella type of Twilight dynamic.
Ms. Wolff did a great job of entertaining me throughout the entire story. The pacing was perfect! For being a 592 page book, this story flew by! The characters were fascinating, and I enjoyed the air of mystery that surrounded them all, as well as trying to guess at what kind of paranormal being they were. There was such a fun and eclectic variety too; with vampires, witches, and dragon and wolf shifters!
Crave was such a high energy read! Bookworms are going to love the book and movie quote references, the romance, magic, danger, and lure of a book full of exciting magical paranormal creatures. If you are looking for light, entertaining, and exciting, then look no further for the perfect reading escape!
4.5 Stars!
Crave By Tracy Wolff is book One in the Crave Series. This starts the story of Grace and Jaxon.
Grace’s world feels like it has ended when her parents die. Then she has to move to Alaska to live with her Uncle and cousins along with attending a boarding school that her Uncle is the headmaster at. Grace’s new family does care for her but it seem the school may be a issue for her with some students showing aggression towards her. But, Jaxon who is the golden student seems to that a protective stand toward her. Grace knows that something else is going on with Jaxon and the school which just goes forward to put her in more danger. I really need the next installment in this book soon!
Tracy Wolff has created a deliciously dark, satisfyingly fun, and utterly fascinating supernatural world that sucked me in from the very first page and left my heart bleeding. Crave is filled with humor, thrills, swoons, and plenty of feels and I loved it all. Oh and this book has not only vampires, witches, and werewolves, but dragons too!! So, yes cravings quite satisfied, but I am absolutely and undeniably thirsty for more!
I feel like every paranormal vampire romance book I read is a little similar to Twilight, so if you’re not into that, then you might not like Crave very much. This book is not flawless and there are definitely some things I wish happened sooner rather than later to make the story even more interesting. So yes, this book was’t perfect, but was it fun? Yasss! Did it keep me up late at night? Totally! Did it make me laugh, swoon, and feel? Absolutely! Twilight wasn’t really perfect either and I was completely addicted and would be for years. And after reading Crave, there is no doubt in my mind that I have a new obsession and a book vampire boyfriend to swoon over and over.
I love the world-building in this book and was utterly mesmerized by everything and wanted to know more. I love the details and descriptions of the breathtaking scenery, exploring the gorgeous castle, and just being immersed in this terrifying, but fascinating world. Wolff definitely adds her own creative and intriguing ideas and I really enjoyed them. The pacing is slow at times, but for the most part, the plot moves along quite smoothly. There’s humor, drama, mystery, suspense, and romance. It’s definitely quite thrilling that I was holding my breath a few times and felt my heart beating fast. This book is wicked, intense, surprising, and twisty in the best way and I loved it! Wolff definitely kept me guessing about a few things and though I had a bad feeling about one thing, I was never quite sure and I loved just never knowing how the story would go. The ending caught me off guard and now my heart is broken, but also I can’t wait to see what happens next.
I adore the characters and thought they were all interesting. Grace is definitely a strong, sassy, and likable heroine you’ll root for and Jaxon is the perfectly broody and sexy vampire you won’t be able to resist. I obviously enjoyed the romance and even though it’s totally cheesy at times, I loved the chemistry between Grace and Jaxon. I also really like Macy and enjoyed seeing her and Grace bond and get to know each other. I like that there’s playful bantering and some heartwarming moments between the characters.
With heart-pounding suspense, fascinating characters, twists and turns, and a swoony romance, Crave by Tracy Wolff had me gripping the edge of my seat and engrossed until the last page. I love world-building, the storyline, the paranormal aspects, the thrills, and the lighthearted moments sprinkled here and there. I honestly can’t recommend this book enough and I think it’s a must read for fantasy, paranormal, and romance lovers. So grab your copy of Crave and get ready to have a bloody fangtastic time!
I received an advance reader copy of this book from the author and publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review and for participating in a Blog Tour hosted by The Fantastic Flying Book Club (FFBC). I also received free hardcover copy of the book for joining the Bookstragram Tour also hosted by FFCC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
After the untimely and sudden death of her parents, San Diego, CA native Grace ends up being unceremoniously shipped to Alaska to live with her uncle Finn and cousin Macy. Uncle Finn is the headmaster at a large, gothic, school academy that is full of monsters. Not just the clique-y groups of high school students, but flat out monsters. After a horribly uncomfortable trip from CA to AK, Grace didn’t think the day could get any worse. Then, Grace comes face-to-face with the hottest guy she’s ever seen, who decides scaring her and telling her to leave the school is the best way to welcome her. Grace knows there is something weird going on at this school but can’t put her finger on what it is.
Jaxon can’t believe headmaster Finn brought his human niece to Katmere Academy. Full of shifters, vamps, and witches, the academy is absolutely no place for Grace. He tries to scare her away but when you’ve lost everything in her life like Grace has, clinging to what little bit of family she has left means more to her than the subtle warning of a hot, broody guy. Jaxon is the leader of the vampires and harbors many secrets that have molded him into the person he is today. All it takes is one human teenage girl to unravel his very existence. By the time Grace is finally privy to the goings on within the walls of Katmere it may be too late for anyone to protect her.
I’ve been a huge fan of vampire stories for a very long time (think, Bunnicula c. 1979) and it doesn’t matter what genre: adult, new adult, young adult, or children’s. Young adult, paranormal novel Crave consumed my life for two days. As a huge fan of the Twilight saga (the books more than the movies), I noticed several similarities between Crave and Twilight. However, there were enough differences to keep the story and the characters original and fresh. I’m still lost on why heroines become obsessed with heroes that are moody, rude, and treat them badly during the initial meeting(s) between them. I understand why Jaxon acted the way did but Grace did not and she still obsessed over him when he ignored her, disappeared on her, and was verbally unfriendly (I don’t want to use “verbally abusive” because Jaxon was never that way).
Despite the obsession with the rude bad boy persona, I was mesmerized by Grace, Jaxon, Macy, Flint, and Lia. Grace is a strong teenager, forced to be upon the death of her parents, but is that – just a teenager. A teenager who was just uprooted from her whole life and moved to a new school filled with strangers. While Jaxon is a broody vampire, his intentions toward Grace are honorable. Macy is a wonderful cousin that tries to help Grace acclimate and get comfortable in her new environment.
This is my first book by author Tracy Wolff and I love her writing style. The descriptive passages had me easily visualizing the scenery, making me feel like I was in the book with characters. I found the author wrote the book with depth and emotion and there were several scenes where I teared up. The revelations revealed at the end of the book are shocking and the cliffhanger has me wanting more.
I look forward to Book 2 in the series.
I am not typically a person who jumps at the opportunity to read a YA vampire book of any kind (I’m a young adult who never liked Twilight). However, after being offered the opportunity to read an up and coming twist on the subject, I couldn’t resist. It was written in first person, present tense which isn’t my favorite POV, but honestly that was easy to overlook once I got hooked on the story.
Crave is written beautifully, with lines that will leave you virtually breathing in the cold Alaskan air and wishing you were there right along with the characters. I appreciated Grace’s wit and dark sense of humor with every turn of the page.
The sexual tension between Grace and Jaxon was a little quick to be introduced (I prefer a slow burn), but the relationship between the two will certainly have you on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next… and be warned: it’s hot. I admit to referring to Jaxon as my new book boyfriend more than once. The supporting characters are developed and written in such a way I can see each of their faces painted in my head. Each chapter introduced a new adventure with Grace and her entourage as well as offering very clever and fun chapter headings (for example, “No I Really Don’t Want to Build a Snowman” or “Shining Armor is So Last Century”).
I loved the original ideas and the twists on the ordinary vampire cliché. I never thought I’d say this about a vampire romance, but Crave is absolutely worth the read.
For quite some time I have been saying that paranormal romance isn’t something I read very much of. But after reading Crave by Tracy Wolff, I think I’m going to have to change my stance on that particular issue! I mean, I loved all the Twilight books (and movies), but beyond that and maybe one other vampire series I fell into by a bit of an accident, I didn’t read much paranormal at all. But a friend of mine mentioned this book since I informed her that I had never been Team Jacob. She thought I would love Crave based on that information, so I jumped right on into this book. And despite the fact that it ends with a cliffhanger, (and I really hate those!) my friend was NOT wrong!
Grace has lost everything that matters. Her parents. Her school. Her normal. Her uncle has brought her to Katmere Academy to live and to finish high school. Just a short while after arriving, she begins to notice some very strange things. And she also notices Jaxon Vega. Tall. Dark. Very mysterious. In a place that is more that it seems, will Grace be able to survive?
NICUnurse’s Rating: This book is more than just another vampire book. Or shifter book. Just like Katmere Academy is more than your average boarding school for the elite. And just when you think you’ve figured it all out…you realize you haven’t even come close! As much as I didn’t want to be sucked in by this book, by chapter 3 there was no turning back. I devoured this sucker in 2 days! (And had it been a shorter book, I would have finished in one day!) I had never read a book by Tracy Wolff before so I wasn’t sure what I was getting into, but I’m glad I didn’t doubt my friend’s recommendation. I could describe this book in one word: addictive! But beware…there is a huge cliffhanger at the end. And now, I can’t wait for book two! So let me end this by saying, even if you’re not a paranormal romance superfan and kind of dabble in it like I used to, this is one book you are definitely going to want to dive into. And if you are a paranormal romance lover, this book will more than satisfy you.
I give Crave by Tracy Wolff 5 out of 5 stars!