Review: Crave (The Clann #1) by Melissa Darnell

Hello all! I am back after quite a few crazy weeks. I moved out of my old apartment, into a new one (with a two week gap in between, so I had some fun staying with relatives) and had so many crazy deadlines at work. I haven't had much time to read at all! But now I'm back with a gem that I discovered a few weeks ago. I had downloaded quite a few books at once last month, being all jazzed about my new Kindle. One of those books was something I stumbled upon on Goodreads. It’s a book called Crave, and I was very intrigued by the synopsis. I decided to give it a whirl, and I am so glad I did. Crave is one of my new favorite books.

Savannah Colbert is your average teenager. She’s a freshman in high school, doesn’t have an athletic bone in her body, and is regularly picked on by a clique of students called The Clann. Savannah was once friends with the kids in The Clann, but mysteriously they stopped speaking to her after fourth grade. Unable to comprehend why they went from best friends to enemies, Savannah takes solace in her girlfriends who always stick up for her. Everything is going normal until Savannah gets mysteriously sick. She passes out and wakes up five days later to the news that she’s a half-vampire, half-witch. Savannah’s parents explain that she got sick because her body was going through “the change” – meaning her vampire abilities may start to develop. Savannah learns that her mother is a former member of The Clann, which is actually a group of witches. Her father is a vampire (or incubus, to be exact) who feeds off both blood and human energy. Both The Clann and the vampire council told Savannah’s mother and father their love was against the rules, as vampires and witches had been warring for years. Savannah’s parents ignored their warnings, and the result was half-breed Savannah. Savannah is dangerous to The Clann because their blood is particularly irresistible to vampires, and The Clann elders refused to let their children around her once they learned what she was. While Savannah knows it’s in her best interest to avoid The Clann and heed her parents’ warnings about her ever-growing vampire abilities, Savannah can’t help but feel drawn to the gorgeous future Clann leader, Tristan. What she doesn’t know is that the feeling is mutual, and that Tristan has loved Savannah from a far since fourth grade.

This book was AMAZING. I could not put it down. I mean, to the extent I was cooking dinner and reading my kindle in the kitchen. I’m sure that was a sight for my boyfriend, watching me stir noodles with one hand and read with the other. I loved how the author told the story from both Tristan and Savannah’s point of view, because it was nice to see what each of their thought processes. I was also very compelled by the connection the two of them shared. It was the perfect, not-overly-angsty high school romance to add to a really awesome plot. It was very clear from the beginning that Tristan and Savannah were not going to be able to stay away from each other. One of my favorite aspects of the book is how protective Tristan became over Savannah. Savannah develops a mesmerizing daze that makes men she looks at become completely obsessed with her – sometimes violently. Tristan sees this and makes a point to put protective charms in her bags so the boys will leave her alone. Tristan manages to be protective without being Edward Cullen-creepy, which is a fine line.

I love that Tristan and Savannah are very in tune with each other’s emotions. I think the connection between the two of them was probably the best part of the book. The back and forth of will they-won’t they was enough to get your heart racing but not enough to irritate you. Every time they got close to kissing or talking about their feelings, I couldn’t help but hold my breath. I was so invested in their relationship. I could understand Savannah’s hesitation to get close to him, knowing that she might develop bloodlust and risk harming him. Crave has a good balance of romantic turmoil that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

I think Crave is a really interesting premise. In the age of vampire and witch/warlock books, it is original enough to be interesting but definitely borrows ideas about vampires and witches without going overboard. I never felt like I was reading a Twilight or Harry Potter rip off, which was great. I was concerned initially because I saw some very mixed reviews on Goodreads, but I have to say I can’t imagine why anyone would rate this book low. I've already finished the second book, Covet, and the third book titled Consume was released on August 27 (and I'm almost done). 

9 out of 10