Crave (Crave, #1)

Jul 31, 2011 Maja rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, glistening-fangs, readalong, cliffhanger-ending, huge-disappointment, incredibly-stupid-choices, moments-of-great-frustration, paranormal-romance, superbitch, totally-saw-that-coming, wake-me-up-next-year, what-does-she-see-in-him, horrible-whiner, reviewed-in-2011

1.5 stars!

This is another fine example of why you should never judge a book by its covers. The cover is beautiful and that’s what got me into trouble… again!

Of all the terrible and frustrating characters on this planet, Shay McGuire is by far the worst. Sick Girl, as she likes to call herself, is incredibly selfish, self-centered, out of control and plain stupid. I’m not sure if the authors intended for her to be that way, but somehow I doubt it.

Ok, here’s the story: Shay was born with a rare...more

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Oct 25, 2010 Arlene rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Arlene by: Goodreads Give-away Winner!!

Shelves: goodreads-giveaways, read-2010, ya-paranormal, young-adult

I always find it difficult to give a less than favorable rating when I’ve received a book as a give-away, arc tour, or gift; and, I put a lot of thought into what I have to say about it before I post it for viewing because first and foremost I don’t want to sound ungrateful and secondly, I can only imagine how much work and heart authors put into their writing. So that being said, I’d like to first thank the author for taking the time to send me this book.

Now on to my review about Crave. I’m cha...more I always find it difficult to give a less than favorable rating when I’ve received a book as a give-away, arc tour, or gift; and, I put a lot of thought into what I have to say about it before I post it for viewing because first and foremost I don’t want to sound ungrateful and secondly, I can only imagine how much work and heart authors put into their writing. So that being said, I’d like to first thank the author for taking the time to send me this book.

Now on to my review about Crave. I’m chalking up my feelings towards this books down to timing. I think it just wasn’t the right time for me to come across this story and enjoy it for what it was worth. I had a hard time connecting or feeling compassion for the main character Shay and I don’t know if she was intentionally written that way, but I’m leaning towards no. There were transitions between her transfusions and dreams that were much too abrupt and I’d find myself going back a few paragraphs to try and find what I might have missed in the flow of events.

It was tough to read about this “sick girl” and all of her ailments but I found it even harder to witness how she seemed to take her family and friends for granted with careless thoughts, actions and words. It’s purely my interpretations, but that’s how I felt. I struggled to understand her reasoning behind some of her decisions and I’d find myself just shaking my head in frustration towards her attitude and actions.

Lastly, there seemed to be some plot holes in the story and I’ll leave it to the fact that I don’t have a medical degree, but I still seem to find it odd that someone that suffers from a “mysterious blood disorder” could be subjected to multiple transfusions in a week without really knowing what was wrong with her. There was more, but that’s it for now.

So, at the end of the day, I couldn’t finish this story and I decided to save it for a later time when my sensitivity detectors are a little less heightened and raw. This is probably one of my least meaningful reviews toward a book I’ve encountered because I truly feel that my attitude toward the book is purely bad timing on my part. I will be sending this to one of my VBF’s to hopefully enjoy it more than I did because I don’t want this book to go to waste and I’ll try and make it a point of revisiting it at a later date.

Thank you to Goodreads and more importantly Laura Burns for sending me this book. I truly appreciated your thoughtfulness in taking the time to share your story and I'm sorry it didn't work for me at this time.(less)

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Jan 03, 2012 Michelle. Tsunami. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: loved, want-to-own, read-it-more-than-twice, gotta-love-those-guys

OMG! I am so high on this book! Like seriously! It was so amazing! Probably because the whole theme of it was like, so this generation. And the cover is sooooooo awesome(not only because the guy on it reminds me of Jesse McCartney)! It's all blackblackblack and then RED! And the guy is kinda hot but the face hair is kinda a turn-off. And the tattoo makes him hot again! And the fact that he is on the cover of a book is awesome! And I am making no sense, which proves how high and stupid I am right...more OMG! I am so high on this book! Like seriously! It was so amazing! Probably because the whole theme of it was like, so this generation. And the cover is sooooooo awesome(not only because the guy on it reminds me of Jesse McCartney)! It's all blackblackblack and then RED! And the guy is kinda hot but the face hair is kinda a turn-off. And the tattoo makes him hot again! And the fact that he is on the cover of a book is awesome! And I am making no sense, which proves how high and stupid I am right now. The book was so descriptive and nice and beautiful and m-a-g-i-c-a-l... And usually I get kinda annoyed by books that are written by two people for some reason but this book was soo AMAZING! And I beg on my knees to the people who wrote this to continue and make it into a series since the ending was such a cliff-hanger! It was such a cliff-hanger in which it pissed me off but then I was like. sigh... I hope these people make another book that follows up because if they don't, I will smack them silly. OK... Moving on to the actually book! Woosh.......

So here's the story: A girl named Shay is really ill of some unknown disease and she is pretty much dieing and her mother and step-father(who is her doctor) are doing whatever they can to make her better. Her best friend is Olivia but Shay thinks that Olivia is just friends with her just because she is sick. One day, her step-father comes up with a new treatment that can make her better. And it does, but only for a while and then she is back to normal. The treatment is having someone elses blood put inside of her veins. One of the side effects is that she has visions about a guy named Gabriel(this only happens when the blood is getting put inside, and only then). So yeah. The blurb really got me curious so I read it and I was so happy with the results since it was so amazing!!!! Most of the books I choose to read are amazing...Anyways...The plot was so good and shocking! I had no idea where the story was headed and was sitting on the edge of my seat while I was reading it! Literally! Moving on! Woosh.......

Shay. I felt bad for her in the beginning being "The Sick Girl" and all. How eveyone treats her like she is the weirdest/specialist/precious thing in thewhole entire world. Her character developes throughout the book in a way that you think wouldn't really happen in real life(even though the book is fiction). But people, I'm jealous of her since she has...(If you wanna know why, read the book)! She is such a well thought out character and her reactions to her visions are really priceless. Her involvement in the book was really, how do I say it, weird in a good way. Her character changes, personality wise and mentally wise. Did that last bit even make sense? I can't really imagine anyone else playing her in the book. Except maybe me of course because, ya know, what she has that I want...Moving on! Woosh.....

Gabriel. Mmm-mmm-mmm. I want me a slice of that. And the fact that I am in the early teens and he is in late-teens is kinda wrong on so many levels; but if you're a girl, and you read this book, it's hard not to like Gabriel. He is such a deep chracter that was "raised" which such different opinions from other people(if that made sense)... I'm not saying that he had such a nice life though... I'm not really gonna say anything about his inolvement in this book because, it might ruin the book for a couple of people out there so. Gabriel is funny, understanding, has a little of an anger problem and doesn't easily trust people. But, he is just so, whats the word? Scrumdidlyfulicious. Hottastic. Outofthisworldawesome! Mmmm, he is so tasty... I can see him now. Moving on! Woosh...

As for Shay's step-dad. Martin. Let me tell you all about him. He got married to Shay's mom a while back. He is a famous doctor that has been on Oprah and is very sucessful. He is Shay's doctor and he is trying to find the cure for her illness everyday, of every minute, of every waking second. Instead of being a big-shot doctor like he was before, he is helping Shay, but when he finds the cure, he plans to become a big-shot doctor again. He is serious most of the time but loves too tell puns that no one but himself laughs at. He loves Shay and her family very much. Doesn't he seem like such a nice guy? Well,hahah, the funny thing is, right when he was introduced in the book, I HATED HIS GUTS!!!!!!!!!! I still do, and always will. :D Moving on! Woosh....

This part will be for all the things that happened that I want to talk about but don't want to tell anybody about because it might ruin the book for them. Remember in the beginning, and the look on her face! And then we she saw him, and she was like huh and it was like duhduhduh dahh, duhduhduh dahhhhh. And then all the blah blah and then the faewwwband then they were off. And then in that room,and it was like awww/omg/dammit/yay/shoot/hmh/grumblegrumble. But then SURPRISE! And then "lets ditch" and all that. And then when it was like sparks and then a disappontment... and then saddd.... and then woah,slow down there. and then all gasp,gaSP, GASP! and then oh, yeah. And then you felt kinda uncomfortable but it was so nice. You are all happy and merry and happy and all that. And then you were all like, OH SHIT! Oh my effing god! And then you were like NOOOOO! And you feel like falling to the ground and crying your guts out! And then you just sigh and breathe and then smile yet frown and you wonder about things and then you do whatever you need to do after. Moving on! Woosh......

So that's my weird yet [awesome?] review on the book Crave. And I know the ratings for this book aren't all that great, I LOVED it. So for all you people who didn't like it, guess what? I LOVED IT, so nah nah nahboboo! ♥ Maybe people didn't like it because there are better books out there, or they didn't like the theme of it, or other reasons, all that matters is what you think. And I think I is in love. With cheese. Anyways, this book was awesome! And I recommend it to everyone! Including your mom. My mom. Everyone's mom! But if they can't read English, I am sorry that they have to miss out on the awesomefantabulousness of this so called book, Crave. Woosh. :(
I still think they should read it though. :DDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
WOOOOOOOSHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. For all you people out there who read Crave but didn't like Gabriel, SHAME ON YOU! But, if your a guy, I understand if you may be jealous of his smexiness... But if you are a guy who is into guys, and you don't like him, now, I have nothing to say to you...(less)

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Dec 11, 2012 Tamis rated it 4 of 5 stars

Realmente tengo mucho que decir de este libro... la parte 1 realmente me saco canas verdes, entiendo que la chicas esta enferma y quiere vivir pero honestamente lo que daba a entender es que queria morir no vivir y casi yo misma la golpeo.

Ahora la parte 2 mejoro bastante! Gabriel me encanto ademas la relacion que va teniendo con Shay me encanta como va evolucionando a pesar de que el romance fue un poco rapido me gusto.

Sufri con ese final... pienso que Gabriel le va a ser mas fiel a su Familia q...more

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Jul 08, 2011 Ashley S. rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone

Recommended to Ashley by: my friend

Ok, I just finished reading it. And I think my heart and mind are just happy and confused and sad...I want more and more...What is GOING TO HAPPEN????????????I stayed up until 11 something last night wanting more, wanting to know what would happen. I hate that it ended at such a cliff--hanger. I hope there is more, GOSH this is heartbreaking. Shay is a completely wonderful person, but I can't help but wonder why she acted immature sometimes. And the choices she made when she got the transfusion...more Ok, I just finished reading it. And I think my heart and mind are just happy and confused and sad...I want more and more...What is GOING TO HAPPEN????????????I stayed up until 11 something last night wanting more, wanting to know what would happen. I hate that it ended at such a cliff--hanger. I hope there is more, GOSH this is heartbreaking. Shay is a completely wonderful person, but I can't help but wonder why she acted immature sometimes. And the choices she made when she got the transfusion? Okay I understand the running and the swimming choices because I would do the same, but the party kiss and the beer??????? Okay I think I would want to expirence a party too, so I kinda get that one.But other than that, I found that she annoyed me sometimes. I felt sorry for her at first but then I kept wondering why was she pitying herself....after all she kept wanting everyone to treat her like a normal person. And then it was back to her acting immature. Other than those moments I loved Shay--how she wants to experience things like Gabriel does, and how she has such a tender and caring heart... Yet I kept wondering how she wanted to experience things like Gabriel when she couldn't....it seemed like shallow versions of what Gabriel had gone through.
And I can never forget GABRIEl!!! I mean who could or would???????????I love how he's all about his family and how he has a hunger to feel and experience everything deeply (although he tries to hide that part of himself). I think any girl would be drawn to him, because he's funny and warm and loving (when you read between the lines). He's different and so... what's the word I'm looking for....HE's just...well he makes you want to shout at the top of you lungs, laugh and cry at the same time and he just leaves you full of energy and life. It's like you engulfed the sun and you want to smile from inside out--from finger tips to toes. I don't know, he's wow!!!
The visions are so touching (well some of them) and when Gabriel was saying good bye to the sun...a deep sadness took over me, I felt his pain like it was my own, because I can't imagine what it would be light to live without the sun, and I know it would be too painful for me...so imagine what it must have been like for him. ****I KNOW AND I'M SORRY THAT I'M GIVING AWAY WAY TOO MUCH, BUT I CAN'T HELP IT... WHEN YOU HAVE JUST READ A BOOK LIKE THAT, YOU NEED TO SHARE IT WITH SOMEONE, SO IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT READING THE BOOK OR IF YOU ARE...I'M SOOO SORRY IF I'M RUINING IT FOR YOU. SORRY ONCE AGAIN. Thank you sooooooooooo muchhhh Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz, for this book and I hope there are many more to come...because I can't wait, my dreams will be haunted until there is another book, so please make more.........lots and lots and lots MORE. :) :)
***Ashley***
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Jun 18, 2011 Missie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: vampires, ya

http://www.theunreadreader.com/2010/0...

Evilest cliffhanger ever!

I'm so disappointed! If I had known this book would end in such an unfinished way I would have definitely held off on reading it. Nothing blows more than a book that can not stand on its own, even if the book is part of a series, and this book is a perfect example.

Yes, I did enjoy the story. In fact, it really intrigued me. Shay, the Sick Girl, struggles through her journey to evaluate what she thinks is important and what she want...more http://www.theunreadreader.com/2010/0...

Evilest cliffhanger ever!

I'm so disappointed! If I had known this book would end in such an unfinished way I would have definitely held off on reading it. Nothing blows more than a book that can not stand on its own, even if the book is part of a series, and this book is a perfect example.

Yes, I did enjoy the story. In fact, it really intrigued me. Shay, the Sick Girl, struggles through her journey to evaluate what she thinks is important and what she wants to get out of life since her time is limited. Her rare blood disorder prevents her from living life to the fullest. What others normally take for granted, like running and swimming, Shay longs to do, but her body is too weak, and she must refrain from over extending herself.

In order to stay alive, Shay's body requires blood transfusions, and her step-father, Martin, is the doctor that monitors her health. Under Martin's careful supervision, Shay begins to receive a new type of blood, which makes her feel stronger and better than she has ever felt before. Suddenly, she is able to run and swim and hang out with her friends, just like any normal teen would.

But the new blood also bring about visions of a past life; a life that Shay knows is not hers, a life that is full of thrills and mystery and love, and soon Shay finds herself craving more blood transfusions so she can retreat into this past life and experience it through her visions. Because in her visions she becomes Gabriel, a beautiful vampire that has captivated all her senses.

Soon, Shay discovers that Gabriel is real. After she helps him escape, she resolves to watch over him while he recovers from his weakened condition. It is then that Shay learns the truth about her own past and about who her father really was, leading her to also find out what she really is.

Although it was intended, some parts of the story were very choppy, especially when Shay had her visions in which she was Gabriel. I really liked getting snippets of Gabriel's earlier life, but the telling of his past never quite transitioned well. Every time Shay had some of Gabriel's blood, she had a vision, and while describing what she was experiencing she would go back and forth too much with the whole 'she/he' thing. It was a bit confusing and deviated from the story.

I really liked the brand of vampire created for this story. From Gabriel's perceptive, it seemed like they were more traditional than other vampires I've been reading about recently. Valuable and cautious of humans, yet very caring within their own family unit. And while I think Shay might have suffered a bit from Stockholm Syndrome, it was sweet to see Shay and Gabriel finally give in to their feelings for one another.

I just couldn't believe the ending! So much was left unanswered and the story finished so abruptly. I checked out the authors' website in hopes of finding out more about the Crave series and when the next book is expected to be released, but I wasn't able to find out anything. Now I'm a very sad panda. :((less)

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Apr 28, 2011 Rachel (The Rest Is Still Unwritten) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I picked it up, planning to read a few chapters and before I knew it, it’d devoured the entire thing. I finished it in less than one day. I thought the storyline was fun and interesting. Some parts were slow, but the others, the fast paced exciting moments kept me well entertained and interested. I liked the idea that Gabriel took her hostage after she rescued him, and yet he treated her well, and then fell for her over that timeframe--maybe I’m a strange one, but...more I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I picked it up, planning to read a few chapters and before I knew it, it’d devoured the entire thing. I finished it in less than one day. I thought the storyline was fun and interesting. Some parts were slow, but the others, the fast paced exciting moments kept me well entertained and interested. I liked the idea that Gabriel took her hostage after she rescued him, and yet he treated her well, and then fell for her over that timeframe--maybe I’m a strange one, but there’s something so romantic about that to me.

I really liked Shay. I thought she was sweet and brave and I loved the inner strength she held. Considering everything she’d been through in her life and all the sickness she’d faced, it’s a miracle that all that hasn’t destroyed her. I can understand why she acted out like she did after getting the transfusions—I can’t possibly understand what it would be like to be constantly sick like that and never treated normal; never living a normal life. Still, I liked the person she was and I thought it was nice of her to stick around and help Gabriel when he wasn’t able to take care of himself.
Hmmm, what can I say about Gabriel? Well, he was sexy and awesome and kind and fierce and well, a very true vampire. I admit that I couldn’t help but see similarities between the vampires in this book and with the ones in Twilight. I really hate to compare books, but they were similar there was no denying that, and yet I still liked Gabriel...no....I loved Gabriel. He is the type of male character I enjoy and I thought the way he reacted to being held prisoner was realistic and normal. Really, who wouldn’t want revenge? I thought it was very sweet that he ended up falling for Shay and that she meant more to him than his revenge against Martin.

I actually liked the end of this book. It was a great little twist to have Shay end up being Sam’s daughter and I do wonder what this means for her now. Will she have to continue feeding off Gabriel’s blood forever, or will she become a vampire herself? It would certainly be a solution to her sickness.
The fact that Gabriel’s family reacted the way they did to her was horrible, although not all too surprising considering how they feel about humans. The very ending left me hungry for more. What a way to end it--lord, I hate cliff-hangers sometimes and I can’t wait for the next book.
Bring it on!
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Feb 18, 2013 B.C. Doyle rated it 4 of 5 stars

First of all, I really liked the cover of this book. I'm not one to assume is good or not based on the cover, but it was the first thing that I noticed. :)

Secondly, I liked this. A lot. I didn't really like it when Shay had her dreams about Gabe whenever she got her blood transfusions, because I just didn't feel a connection whenever Shay was living as Gabe. It kind of confused me, I'm not going to lie.

But I really did love the idea of this book. The fact that Shay was/is dying kind of made me c...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Jessie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Well, this book looked good but I mean, don't judge a book by its cover is right.. this book started good and then it turned into a twilight-status book , by that I mean that its bad.
I thought the story line was good, a sick girl with a unique blood disease getting blood transfusions, (its supposed to be a vampire book , I don't really like this kind of book I just grabbed what looked interesting off the shelf, it turned from a good book to bad because it started talking about love and whatever...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Taylor C rated it 5 of 5 stars

crave !!! Wow ! Just amazing !at the begging i looked at it and said to myself "uhhhh great another boring book thats gonna cause me a big headache to read". Boy was I wrong! I read this chapter book in two days! I felt the pain that Shay felt , you see she has a blood disorder and it is killing her as fast as cancer would ! She feels out of the crowd and reffers to herself as the "Sick Girl". I can understand how she feels not being able to do everything thst regular people like you and I that...more

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Sep 11, 2011 Tammi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shay McGuire has been sick her whole life. Her day-to-day routine involves frequent checks to make sure she is feeling okay and not going to have an episode. She was born with a rare blood disorder that nobody can figure out. She’s been to numerous doctors. Her last doctor, Dr. Martin Kuffner, became her step-father. She has to get blood transfusions frequently. Her best friend, Olivia Willett, knows Shay and the signs that she is starting to feel sick again. When Shay passed out at school, head...more

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Aug 18, 2011 Mitchii rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, 2011-reads, young-adult

I was swayed by the promise of the summary that there’ll be loss, fangs, blood, and lust. Well, there were that, but it wasn’t exactly what I anticipated. I was intrigued by premise of the story. But it’s another case of the-summary-is-better-than-actual-story. I think the story was better in my head than it really was. Which is a shame considering I was looking forward to it, and I did squish it to my reading schedule only to get disappointed in the end. Well, life is that.

I really hate the mai...more I was swayed by the promise of the summary that there’ll be loss, fangs, blood, and lust. Well, there were that, but it wasn’t exactly what I anticipated. I was intrigued by premise of the story. But it’s another case of the-summary-is-better-than-actual-story. I think the story was better in my head than it really was. Which is a shame considering I was looking forward to it, and I did squish it to my reading schedule only to get disappointed in the end. Well, life is that.

I really hate the main character, Shay (this is the second Shay that I hate). I did feel sympathetic to her, being ill and all that. So once she was starting to get better (thanks to the male lead guy, Gabriel’s blood, who is btw a vampire) she wanted to do things she'd been dying (no pun intended) to do. But I don’t know, for the love of me, why she decided to act like a brat. Oh yes, because it is how teenagers are. *cringe* No Shay, just no. In a shrink’s perspective, people who survive a terminal illness rather spent their time in more productive things, because most people think they had given second chance, second life. Why ruin it, huh? That’s my question. I was really annoyed, infuriated when the moment she feels better she drank a beer, make out with her bestfriend’s boyfriend (even though she is open quote “bestfriend,” who she said hardly knew her) and swam a river (at night!!). I really don’t get it. I don’t think because she has been bed ridden almost all of her life does not give her the license to act such… I don’t even know what term to use. Sigh. I really don’t like her, as much I wanted to see positive things about her, I just couldn’t see it. Maybe being a rebel (or a brat) made her feel alive. But this in my personal opinion is something I completely disapproved.

I was really glad when the part two came and it switches to Gabriel’s POV. I don’t like Gabriel as much as I hoped for. But he is definitely better than the female lead. But like Shay, I don’t understand him at all. So he wanted revenge because he was kidnapped and treated like cow (blood producing creature). I do get that, but he was very inconsistent. From trusting Shay, to tying her and made her his hostage, then back to being “friends” again (that’s a subjective term). I did try to understand the move of the story rationally. But I can’t. I can’t help furrowing my brows a lot because I don’t like how the story is going.

I’m just speaking about the main characters; don’t get me start with the romance part. It was a complete, utter mess. Maybe they’re perfect for each other. But saving each other, spending some time in a motel and peeking on the guy’s past doesn’t ring romance bells to me. I mean, that’s too fast, and too shallow. It’s not even a week from what I can tell and they already slept together. And worst they think they were in love. Whoa, stop right there. Because I cannot take this “love” they speak of, anymore. (I mean if Gabriel didn’t find out that she was half vampire he would have probably ignore whatever “feelings” he has for her.)

As for the vampire lore used in the book, I guess it embraced the clichéd ones. At least for me, sparkling vampires though not everyone’s favorite is more unique. Vampires here are immortal too, living in caves (caves, people, caves!) and can be burned (killed) by sunlight. Now that’s too passé.

Because I’m crazy too, I might read the second book, because I’m curious how it’ll play out, plus I just too damn stubborn for my own good. *shots herself*(less)

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Jul 19, 2011 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, fantasy, ya-fiction

This might be more like a 3-and-a-half star book, but given how driven I was to finish it NOW, I figured it deserved the bump up.

The human, high school elements are very clichéd. That's really my major complaint with the book. But I found the vampire "worldbuilding" to be well-developed, though not all of my questions are answered. (There's even a slight Twilight reference/joke, when Shay thinks to herself, "wait, can he read my mind? Didn't I read that somewhere?") There were some plot twists t...more

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Jun 08, 2011 Lisa Richards rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: all YA readers

I actually rated this a 4 1/2 * but since Goodreads only uses whole stars, I'll go five as it's not quite a 4 * book.
After a slow start, this book takes off at a speed that will not allow you to put it down. The only thing that annoyed me was I went into it thinking it was a stand alone. About 3/4 of the way through it - way before I got to the cliff hanger of all cliff hangers- I knew it could not possibly be wrapped up in one book. Thank goodness I only have to wait till the end of September...more

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Jan 12, 2011 Ellz Readz rated it 4 of 5 stars

My thoughts...One word for you: CLIFFHANGER. Not your average run of the mill cliffhanger either, I am talking DROPOFF. Good thing the next book comes out in September of 2011!

Crave is an original story with an unexpected twist. The story is told from two points-of-view. First we meet Shay, a young girl with a disableling blood disorder. She spends most of her days in bed, or receiving blood transfusions to stay alive. After getting a new blood treatment, she begins having visions of a boy named...more

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Dec 03, 2010 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

1) I liked that the main character had a major illness--I was right there with her. 2) then, she became dependent on some man to survive and I started to lose interest. Seriously? In an age when we are telling young women to be strong, independent, whatever they want to be in life, Shay has spent her whole life (or at least the life of the book) going from being dependent on Martin to being dependent on Gabriel. Oh, and anyone else see the symbolism in Gabriel's name? Hmmmm....yah.....I mean, so...more

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Nov 07, 2010 Gladys Gonzales Atwell added it

"Shay was always the sick girl! Her mother did everything humanly possible to keep her alive. She held down 3 different jobs at one point to try to pay the minimums of her Doctor fees, until her mother, Emma, met Martin. He was one of her Doctors. He was the only one that believed that her blood disorder was uniquely special and rare; and that he would stop at NOTHING to cure her. Her stepfather left his lucrative career and focused on curing her.

She was sick girl, special girl, the girl that ev...more "Shay was always the sick girl! Her mother did everything humanly possible to keep her alive. She held down 3 different jobs at one point to try to pay the minimums of her Doctor fees, until her mother, Emma, met Martin. He was one of her Doctors. He was the only one that believed that her blood disorder was uniquely special and rare; and that he would stop at NOTHING to cure her. Her stepfather left his lucrative career and focused on curing her.

She was sick girl, special girl, the girl that everyone had labeled FRAGILE. Until one day Martin, her stepfather, changed her treatment. It was like MAGIC. She began to hallucinate during her treatments, feel alive for days after, but her treatments didn't last long. She needed them a lot, but each time compels her to do something dangerous and different from her sick girl ways. Her careful ways. In her "hallucinations" she sees visions of a young teen-aged vampire named GABRIEL. Of course he was beautiful and of course she wanted to know more and more about him. It wasn't until later, she finds that GABRIEL is real and that they both have to fight for his and her existence.

True to form, the writers Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz, teamed up to write a haunting first installment to the Crave (I don't know if that is what they will call it) series. It wasn't hard to believe that they were the writers for Roswell and Buffy as well. My heart and soul were into this book since I first opened it. Its twist and turns maneuvered the characters, Shay and Gabriel, in a exhilarating ride of love and hate and back to love all over again.

Yes it's a love story, yes it's about vampires and yes there is a reason why their love is tainted. BUT it's worth the ride, and worth every tired half open eyed moment I spent reading this book. The best thing about the book is the unique way the authors developed their character. It wasn't simply laid out like most authors do, through the eyes of the main character's own words. Shay's illness was explained in detail by her treatments and by how she interacted with people around her; and how her friends reacted to how she acted after her "new" treatments. Gabriel's life was interpreted by her hallucinations. By the time Gabriel even entered the picture, I knew him.

By the time I finished the book, I felt complete. I knew that they cared and loved each other; I knew that they both sacrificed something for each other and I knew they had a long journey ahead of them. I also knew that there will be a sequel. I just hope I don't have to wait too long.

This book is AWESOME!"(less)

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Oct 16, 2010 Kristi-The Book Faery rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: written-reviews

Crave intertwines the reality of a girl who has lived in the shadows of her illness with the fantasy that a `promising' new treatment provides for her.

Shay, 17, is sick; tired of being labeled as the `sick girl' and wanting to experience life but accepting that the normal high school experiences are beyond her physical limitations. Her best friend, Olivia and her Mother are always hovering, telling her what she can't do-- reminding her more like. Everyone treats her like a porcelain doll, she's...more

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Oct 07, 2010 Kristin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal, vampires, cliffhanger, ebook, kindle, adventure, romance, legends, family

ARRGHHH. Why do authors leave an ending so open and unfinished? I definitely want to find out what happens even though the ending and all endings left undone frustrate the hell out of me.

Shay has had a lifetime illness that affects her so much she is known as The sick girl by everyone (students, doctors, teachers, administrators). She is constantly having blood transfusions to keep her alive. Her doting, loving and sometimes overbearing, mom is married to Shay's stepdad, a famous lukemia doctor...more

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Sep 21, 2010 Brandi Kosiner rated it 4 of 5 stars

Crave is very fast paced, and gives us a new twist on vampires, and it throws in another element that I like to read about- a girl with an illness. I felt like I could connect okay with Shay the main character, it didn't get too emotionally involved in the first part of the book, where it focused on her illness and her limitations. When she starts receiving the blood transfusions and feeling better she does some crazy stuff, and while I understand where she is coming from, she is being a bit se...more Crave is very fast paced, and gives us a new twist on vampires, and it throws in another element that I like to read about- a girl with an illness. I felt like I could connect okay with Shay the main character, it didn't get too emotionally involved in the first part of the book, where it focused on her illness and her limitations. When she starts receiving the blood transfusions and feeling better she does some crazy stuff, and while I understand where she is coming from, she is being a bit selfish toward her mother, and her friend Olivia. Both of which have a great presence in this book.
Shay's mother is written as how I see a mother should be- making her children a priority, loving and sacrificing for them, wanting the best for them. This is a new trend that I am seeing a bit more and liking in the YA genre, rather than the absent parents. Olivia, her friend, knows her and balances (well in my opinion, but not so well in Shay's opinion at times during the book) treating her as a normal girl, and being concerned and alert enough to her condition and the signs of weakness. This really touches my heart because you have to be pretty mature to maintain a friendship like this.
The book starts picking up and adding the element of mystery when Shay gets the "tweeked new and improved" blood transfusions. She starts seeing visions, experiencing the life of a vampire named Gabriel. She sees snippets of his past while she is receiving blood.
In the second part of the book we get to actually meet Gabriel. She rescues him, and this becomes a theme of rescuing each other for the rest of the book, and it is downright sexy to read. Gabriel's character is a unique mix of traditional vampire and Burns and Metz' own ideas. They explore what it means to really live, experience, and feel.
The reasons that I could not give full 5 stars is there is a few of the more explicit curse words (at least in ARC) that really don't seem to be necessary. And the ending!! Oh my goodness, can you say CLIFF HANGER???? I wish that there was some bit of closure, but it is almost like there is about 50 pages missing and I need a bit more resolution until my next feeding (ie the next book).
However, that said, I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend this to YA, paranormal romance fans. They have a good something going with this first book, and I am craving more!!(less)

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Sep 15, 2010 Sarah BT rated it 4 of 5 stars

OK, for full disclosure and fair warning and all, I am a HUGE Melinda Metz fangirl. I read her series Roswell High in high school and was obsessed and I loved Fingerprints when I was in college. So when I received an ARC of Crave I did the biggest happy dance possible. But I was also nervous about reading this one. I knew Melinda and Laura had written together on the TV version of Roswell, which I also loved, but what if I didn't end up liking this one? What if my fond memories of those previou...more OK, for full disclosure and fair warning and all, I am a HUGE Melinda Metz fangirl. I read her series Roswell High in high school and was obsessed and I loved Fingerprints when I was in college. So when I received an ARC of Crave I did the biggest happy dance possible. But I was also nervous about reading this one. I knew Melinda and Laura had written together on the TV version of Roswell, which I also loved, but what if I didn't end up liking this one? What if my fond memories of those previous series were set too high for me to enjoy Crave?

I didn't have to worry-Crave won me over and transported me back to sixteen. (And I mean that in a good way!) My teen self took over and I was fangirling all over again. Vampires and paranormal stories are showing up everywhere so I really liked that Crave had a fresh take to it. Shay needs Gabriel's blood to live and I really liked the dynamic that created between the characters. It does take awhile for the story to really get going-you know as the reader that Gabriel is going to come into play more, but it takes a good amount of the book to get there as the author's are setting up Shay's life and backstory. I would have liked a little less about her school life, but that might be due to the fact that the back of the book gave away too much of the plot so I knew what was coming.

I loved the flashbacks to Gabriel's vampire life and family and liked how we got to know him before we met him. It did take awhile for Gabriel to actually come into the story but the flashbacks helped develop his character and I really liked reading about him. I also loved his family and the vampire backstory and how his family was created. I have conflicting feelings about his father figure, Ernst, and I'm interested to find out more about him. I want to know more about Gabriel's vampire family!

Shay on the other hand would alternately drive me crazy and make me like her. I understood her motivations, she'd never been able to do anything and always had to be the 'sick girl' but man she mad some stupid decisions! I think part of my frustration with Shay was my adult self yelling at her for not being smart. But I understood why she did what she did and I felt it made her realistic. She wanted to live her life fully because she'd never had the opportunity to before. Even though there were times I wanted to yell at her, Shay also had moments where she really shined and I really did like reading about her. She's sensitive and thoughtful but also flawed and frustrating and that's what makes her a great character to read about.

The romance has a great push and pull to it-they want to be together but they don't and that makes for a great romance. Plus it has enough love/hate dynamics and build up that it makes the romance aspect pretty hot.

The whole story kind of read like something that could easily be turned into a TV show or movie, and I think that comes from the author's TV writing background. The ending felt fast and rushed and ends on a terrible cliffhanger, so I'm needing the next book ASAP! But even though there's more story to tell, I liked what I read in Crave that I wasn't terribly frustrated about the setting up for a sequel. Crave is an addicting read with great characters and fresh approach to the vampire genre that is sure to win readers over. I can't wait to read more-I'm so glad these writers are back!
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Jul 24, 2010 Stories & Sweeties {Becky} rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a fresh and very original spin on the YA vampire genre that has saturated the market. It was very fast-paced, and in the beginning had a touch of that "what it means to be alive" storyline to it that I tend to enjoy in any book.

Seventeen-year-old Shay has pretty much accepted that fact that her life is near an end. Having lived her whole life with a rare, seemingly untreatable blood disorder, she has given in to being "the Sick Girl". She is used to being treated like fragile glass by...more This was a fresh and very original spin on the YA vampire genre that has saturated the market. It was very fast-paced, and in the beginning had a touch of that "what it means to be alive" storyline to it that I tend to enjoy in any book.

Seventeen-year-old Shay has pretty much accepted that fact that her life is near an end. Having lived her whole life with a rare, seemingly untreatable blood disorder, she has given in to being "the Sick Girl". She is used to being treated like fragile glass by her friends and teachers and extremely protected by her mother. Then her stepfather/doctor starts giving her a new treatment that not only gives her more energy and strength than she has ever had, but also gives her strange visions during the transfusions where she seems to be experiencing the life of vampire. She chalks the visions up to a side-effect, but begins to crave the transfusions more and more often, as the strength each one gives her is short-lived. While she has the strength, though, she finally get to live like a normal teenager, and it's quite interesting to see the things she chooses to do with that opportunity. Though some of the decisions are bad, the choices she makes give her character flaws and realism.

The real action of the book begins when she finds out exactly where this mysteriously addictive blood is coming from! She finds the vampire, Gabriel, that she has been envisioning during her transfusions chained up in her stepfather's office! She helps him escape and the adventure begins and doesn't stop until the end of the book.

I loved how the vampires were given very human traits, they were almost imagined as regular humans with different eating habits. They are scientist, and consider their group to be family. They are shown to have some compassion, never actually killing the humans they feed off of, and only take very young orphans who will remember no other life to raise into "the family" and even then they to choose whether to become vampires or not when they are old enough. They made them out to be very human and not monsters, which worked perfectly for the plotline, or else why would you care that one of them were chained up and being forced to give his blood?

The plot twists and turns throughout and the romance is heart-pounding!
The ending is the only negative I saw in this book. Although I know this story has more to come and would not have a resolution in this book, the ending was still a very abrupt and somewhat painful cliffhanger. I quite literally thought I might have been missing a few pages, I was so sure that it couldn't have ended so mid-action. But regardless, it will be a long wait for the next installment, and I will definitely be excited to read it!(less)

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Jun 08, 2011 Lintonia Davis rated it 5 of 5 stars

I thought this book was absolutely wonderful. I literally read it all in a day and at the end of that day at three a.m. as a read that last page realizing that the adventure had come to cliff-hanger end and I literally threw the book across the room. (I'm not one prone to violence toward books, but I was sooooo mad that there wasn't more!) You who are reading this, possibly debating whether or not you should read this book are now probably asking yourself why would I want to read it if in the en...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Soo rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

Crave is about a girl who has lived her whole life with rigid rules to keep her safe. Shay's life has been bound by rules due to a mysterious blood disorder. The rules kept her alive but also imprisoned in a life with little hope and a tinge of despair. Things started to change when Shay's put on a new treatment. She feels more alive and takes on risks that causes friction with all her loved ones. Then, Shay finds out why the treatments make her feel so strong and her world falls apart.

I (view ...more

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Jul 21, 2011 Book Twirps rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shay just wants a normal life. She doesn’t ask for much, really. She wants to be able to run, swim and jump. She wants to not have her mother, or best friend Olivia tracking her every move, measuring her heart rate, making sure she doesn’t collapse. She wants to go to parties and kiss a boy. She wants to not be known as “the sick girl”.

Shay has an undiagnosed blood disease that requires her to have frequent transfusions to keep her alive. When her stepfather (a world-famous leukemia doctor) give...more Shay just wants a normal life. She doesn’t ask for much, really. She wants to be able to run, swim and jump. She wants to not have her mother, or best friend Olivia tracking her every move, measuring her heart rate, making sure she doesn’t collapse. She wants to go to parties and kiss a boy. She wants to not be known as “the sick girl”.

Shay has an undiagnosed blood disease that requires her to have frequent transfusions to keep her alive. When her stepfather (a world-famous leukemia doctor) gives her some new and “enhanced” blood, Shay feels like a totally new person. She has more energy then she’s ever had. With her new-found energy comes a new-found rebellion. Soon, Shay is sneaking out to parties and doing things she never thought possible. The effects of the blood wear of quickly, though and Shay finds herself having more frequent transfusions. What she doesn’t know is if the effects are really wearing off quickly, or if she is addicted to the blood.Even more curious are the visions she has of the boy named Gabriel whenever she is having a transfusion. She is drawn to him, and feels they are somehow connected.

When she discovers a man chained up in her stepfather’s lab, she soon discovers that the visions were real events, and that Gabriel doesn’t just exist in her head – he’s right in front of her. It was his blood that was keeping her alive. What she doesn’t understand is why, and if she sets him free, will she die?

I bought this book because I received the second in the series for review and figured I should probably read the first installment so my review would be fair. I was a little wary since I’m on vampire overload and really didn’t want to read yet another paranormal, girl meets vamp, girl loves vamp, vamp is conflicted over girl book. The premise seemed interesting enough and I hoped it would be enough to breathe some new life into this worn out set-up. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite there for me. The story was just okay. Outside of the “sick girl needs blood” premise, there wasn’t really anything new or surprising. The reviews I’d read mentioned a cliffhanger that would have you begging for the next installment immediately, but it didn’t have the same impact on me.

The characters were all kind of inconsistent and uninteresting. I didn’t really care about any of them. I felt the writing was just okay, and a little repetitive. I felt like I was reading the same thing numerous times, just worded differently. (For instance we go through a scene with Shay and then we go through it again when she writes it in her journal.)

This book isn’t horrible, and if you haven’t burned yourself out on vampires, I would recommend it. If, however, you’re like me and yearn for something fresh - a vampire tale that will make you want to like vampires again – you may want to skip this one.
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Jul 13, 2010 Fiendishly Bookish rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: y-a-paranormal, vamp-a-licious

Shay isn’t an ordinary girl and her illness, a rare blood disorder, has largely identified who she is and what her capabilities have been. She is the “Sick Girl”, the one who gets a free pass in school. The one everyone feels sorry for. The one with a ticking clock, living on borrowed time.

That is until Shay’s stepfather tries something new. The blood her doctor stepfather has transfused her with is richer and more life sustaining than ever before and she is finally able to live a normal life-ev...more Shay isn’t an ordinary girl and her illness, a rare blood disorder, has largely identified who she is and what her capabilities have been. She is the “Sick Girl”, the one who gets a free pass in school. The one everyone feels sorry for. The one with a ticking clock, living on borrowed time.

That is until Shay’s stepfather tries something new. The blood her doctor stepfather has transfused her with is richer and more life sustaining than ever before and she is finally able to live a normal life-even if it is in short bursts. Shay revels in her newfound energy.

But what about the visions she continues to get while she is being transfused? These visions haunt her about Gabriel. Who is he? Is he a vampire? Do such things even exist? With each consecutive treatment, Shay peers into his past-of he and his family being hunted like prey and forced to hide. Shay is drawn to this enigmatic creature. She is drawn to his tortured soul. Is he a figment of her imagination?

With each red drop Shay is beginning to crave the blood even more. Where is the blood coming from? What is her stepfather putting in it? With each new transfusion she ends up needing more and more until she is completely dependant on it. This insatiable craving will lead her to hunt down its source and when she finds it, nothing will ever be the same again.

Crave doesn’t gain its momentum until midway through the book-the first part devoted to Shay’s school life and the effect of her new treatments. But there is a gaping shallowness to it, a slightly anemic “vampire-lite” feel to it. It lacks in an essential vitalness, and emotional depth that does not come later.

When Crave finally picks up, it is because its inevitable action has finally occurred. Rescuing Gabriel from his forced captivity as her blood source, Shay has broken away from her family, and is on the run. But is she Gabriel’s prisoner or his ally? This allegiance switches back and forth, as Shay and Gabriel come to feel something for one another. And a more desperate truth emerges-without Gabriel’s blood, Shay will die.

Crave is very likeable because of its slightly different take on the YA vampire genre. It strongly reminds one of The Society of S. Mid-way to the ending, where it was chock-full of action, and teeming with emotional conflict between Shay and Gabriel and there is definitely the promise of more. Crave will leave you on a cliff-hanger, desperate for an outcome that you will have to patiently wait for.

A Fiendishly Bookish Review (and one grumpy cat)
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Nov 06, 2010 Victoria rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really liked this book. When I started out reading I wasn't so sure. But the bratty teenager was really captured as well as the "sick girl" vibe that I think would have been present.
Shay is the "sick girl" who has some blood disease that cannot be diagnosed. She is dying. Her mother has married the only doctor who has shown any progress with Shay. Shay hates being treated "special" and feels that everyone does this to her. Her best friend Olivia is the worst offender in Shay's eyes.
Shay begin...more

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Oct 18, 2011 Ashlyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: supernatural, series, read-in-2011, young-adult

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Oct 26, 2012 Giulia~Bubbles rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: YA fans, vampire fans, fantasy fans

Shelves: ya, vampire-fun

Originally reviewed at www.devastatingreads.blogspot.com
So I picked up Crave this summer and it's my Random Read for the month. Crave is about a girl who is dying of a rare blood disorder. Shay, our heroine, begins to receive transfusions that make her stronger than she's ever felt in her life. She loves the feeling. She also loves seeing visions of Gabriel.

So this book is set up in two parts: the first part is called Dreams, and though it all we get to know Shay and what her life has been like...more Originally reviewed at www.devastatingreads.blogspot.com
So I picked up Crave this summer and it's my Random Read for the month. Crave is about a girl who is dying of a rare blood disorder. Shay, our heroine, begins to receive transfusions that make her stronger than she's ever felt in her life. She loves the feeling. She also loves seeing visions of Gabriel.

So this book is set up in two parts: the first part is called Dreams, and though it all we get to know Shay and what her life has been like. It's been pretty crappy. She's always been sick, and she hates that everyone treats her differently because of it. She never goes to gym class, she's never dated, her best friend is a mother hen and Shay has always felt weak and looked after by everyone, treated kindly by everyone because of her rare blood disorder. In Dreams, we find out all of this about her, but we also see Shay getting stronger because of the new blood transfusions, and we start to see that she wants to live so desperately. She wants to act like any normal teenager and do stupid things, and just have fun with her friends.

In Dreams, we also get to learn about Gabriel. Gabriel is the boy Shay dreams about whenever she's receiving a transfusion. We see him at various stages in life, first as a young man about to become a vampire, and then as a small child, later as a someone Shay doesn't quite recognize because he seems so unlike himself. But what we do learn about Gabriel is that he values the experience of life. He's the sort of person that drinks in every experience, every moment and really lives. And Shay loves that about him because she's never lived that way, and she enjoys being in Gabriel's body and feeling how much he loves to live.

The second part of the book, called Reality is where things get a little more interesting. We find out Gabriel is real, but we find out some really horrible things about Shay's family. We also find out why Shay is sick, and why Gabriel's blood makes her feel so much better. But this part of the book, while great, made me uncomfortable. We get to really meet Gabriel, but he's not like the Gabriel in Shay's dreams. He's angry, rightfully so, but it seems so out of character, so different that I almost didn't quite know what to make of him. And although he finally becomes the Gabriel from Shay's dreams, a thoughtful, kind man, it happens so near the end that I almost missed how great he is. I almost didn't notice that the writing style wasbeginning to do a lot of showing versus telling, which is a style I enjoy a lot more.

So, book one was great! It ended on a cliffhanger which made me want to scream, but I can pick up book two easily enough I think. I think book one was largely about set up, bringing the two characters together and setting up some back story and now that we have that foundation, I'm hoping that the rest of the series will be a lot more powerful. As it was, this book really was well paced and the story is engaging enough that I found it hard to put it down. I wish the authors had done a better job of showing instead of telling, but I started to see that at the end and I'm thinking the next book will be more polished in that regard.

4.5 glittering stars(less)

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Feb 20, 2012 Ayesha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires, supernatural

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