Growing up, I was exceedingly reserved and shy (shocker, right). If you were to ask any one of my classmates from early schooling to describe me, many would probably throw around the word ‘quiet.’ They weren’t wrong.
Naturally, instead of conversing with my friends, I would turn to books. I would end up spending hours upon hours of free time devouring page after page and chapter after chapter of fiction throughout the summers of my childhood. This is where I developed my refined taste for romance – like paranormal romance, aka ‘pararomance.’
A decade or so later, I decided to re-embrace this first love and try my hand at a very different type of novel compared to my usual selection of next-reads.
Thus, I picked up the book, Crave, authored by Tracy Wolff.
Believe me, I love a good school-romance like the next girl, but I must admit that I was initially pretty skeptical of reading Crave. I couldn’t help it. The cover is intentionally a mimic of Twilight, and I wasn’t too convinced that I would enjoy yet another vampire book. It has been at least 12 years since I touched that atrocity and I don’t want to go back. Ever.
Please don’t make me.
(Yes, you guessed right; I am definitely not Edward Cullen’s biggest fan. I mean, come on. He irresponsibly and inconsiderately abandoned Bella in a freaking creepy as heck forest where supernatural beings roamed free! Plus, she was known to be clumsy and have a terrible sense of direction. How could you NOT be annoyed?! I have abandonment issues for her, as I live vicariously through all my female protagonists… what? Don’t you?).
However, as the classic phrase goes:
“Don’t judge a book by its cover.”
Frankly, I am glad I gave this book a shot because it was funny, relatable, and a real page-turner. Check, check, and check.
But wait.
Despite the positive sentiment expressed here, it is apparent that this book is not for everyone… let’s see if this novel checks the needs and wants off your list.
Tracy Wolff’s Crave is familiar but welcome. This is a tale told through the first-person lens of Grace, a seventeen-year-old girl whose world is shattered after the death of her parents. She has no choice but to move from San Diego, California, to Denali, Alaska, to live with her only remaining family, her uncle and cousin. As it just so happens, this uncle is the headmaster of Katmere Academy, the private boarding school she is required to attend. Nestled in the Alaskan wilderness, it doesn’t take long for Grace to realize that this is no place like home.
But, it doesn’t stop there. Grace is the protagonist, but one of the two main characters in the book. The other is Jaxon Vega. Immediately drawn to him but not sure why (other than his exceptional looks and body), we know all too well what happens next to a girl’s willpower.
Lost.
Drained.
Abandoned.
Non-existent.
Poof.
Through a series of exciting adventures, near-death scares, and thrilling romantic encounters, you will be sure to be on the edge of your seat wanting more. Maybe even craving it.
I found Grace, in particular, to be extremely likable and relatable. Something breaks her, but she decides to keep moving forward and make the best of it. She wears her heart on her sleeve and the times in which she is emotional makes me want to reach into the book and sincerely hug her. Someone hurts her, but she puts one foot in front of the other, never taking no for an answer (even when it would be the easier way out). There is a lot to admire about Grace, and a great deal to learn from as well.
Further, there were parts in this novel that made me downright laugh out loud and giggle to myself. Unfortunately, I have sometimes been in public when reading as of recently, so if you have seen a brunette chuckling over a book on campus, odds are that’s me!
Crave has rescued me from my reading slump with these humorous moments, and I promise you won’t be disappointed on that front.
I might have thoroughly enjoyed the act of reading Crave’s funny yet sometimes steamy banter between Grace and Jaxon, and may have eagerly consumed every page containing one of Jaxon’s smothering looks, swoonworthy romantic moments, and troublesome bad boy behaviors. However, that’s where it stops. It was almost like a dirty pleasure to read. I felt that there was no depth to it. There was a lack of raw emotional connection or meaningful content that was not just simply cliché. It felt like it had been done before. It was just shallow, superficial nothingness. There was no originality except, perhaps, for the very last portion of the book.
(Hint, hint).
I know, that sounds pretty harsh, but honesty is the best policy, right?
This leads me to my next point.
It took a full 300+ pages (more than halfway through the novel) for Grace to realize that all of her classmates at the boarding school are supernatural beings. Her family and peers lied to her for a solid 39 chapters. Thirty-nine.
(No disclaimer necessary since the book jacket reveals this to be the case from the get-go).
I recognize the significance of ‘setting the stage’ and ‘building up’ to important events, but it was outright ridiculous how long it took for poor Grace to put two and two together. As much as I love her personality, story, and character attributes, I have to say that I was dumbfounded at how slow she was to piece together the puzzle staring her right in the face. Then again, I guess I will give her an out because when have we not all been a little oblivious in life?
Certainly, Grace was pretty oblivious with how to interact with the male characters in the novel, as well. She was genuinely baffled whenever a guy would show interest in her. On numerous occasions, she would wander around the school and wonder aloud why everyone was staring at her and why the most popular boys at Katmere Academy were dropping everything to impress and protect her. This, I found pretty exasperating. I, myself, can relate to struggling to know my worth every so often, but this was page after page of the same exact narrative. I can empathize and relate, but I honestly wish there would have been a little more character growth and development in this specific department. Essentially, she dawdled around like a lost puppy.
I almost feel like Grace allowed Jaxon’s sometimes fleeting interest in her to decide her worth.
HUGE red flag.
Although, it isn’t like we haven’t all been there, where we let someone we like dictate our feelings and perceptions towards ourselves and determine how much self-love we are willing to give.
In fact, guilty as charged.
In truth, it happened to me quite recently.
But, for all the women reading this book, is that the example we really want to set? Shouldn’t the message be to love yourself no matter what others think, say or do? This is a crucial theme that needs to be discussed more and re-evaluated across the romance genre. Crave is definitely not the only book guilty of showcasing this issue poorly.
If I had to reflect, I would say that Grace questioning her self-worth over a guy infuriated me because I know what it feels like. I see myself in her and you will also. I know it sounds silly, but I desperately want Grace to love and be confident in herself. She deserves the absolute best, and trust me, you do too.
Bottomline
If you like pararomance, you are in the right place (that being an expensive, preppy boarding school in the middle of an Alaskan wonderland). If you crave a book that is less Twilight-esque, save your hard-earned money for another read. Either way you lean, Crave leaves you wanting more… whether that means taking the plunge and purchasing the next four 500+ page books in the series, or just something far less cliché.
Ask yourself, do you like the following?
- 570+ pages in length
- Relatable protagonists
- Maddening love interests
- Supernatural peers
- Boarding school setting
- Twilight intertextuality
If so, then Crave by Tracy Wolff is your next read.