Parents' Guide to

Crave, Book 1

By Carrie R. Wheadon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Just like Twilight, but set in Alaska with more swearing.

Book Tracy Wolff Fantasy 2020
Crave, Book 1 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Legacies. Jaxon gives Grace a copy of <a href=https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/"/book-reviews/twilight-the-twilight-saga-book-1">Twilight </em></a>as a present.</p> ">

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age 14+

Based on 3 parent reviews

amberswitch
amberswitch Adult
April 9, 2022
age 16+

Feels like its written for 14 year olds but with smut

Crave is one of those trashy YA novels, you read it because its so trashy its entertaining. It does have a bit of educational value with how life is like living in Alaska but there's not much else good to say about it. Its poorly written with major plot holes, and seems to be targeted at 13 and 14 year old's even though the characters are 17. It feels like the author is talking down on YA books as a whole even though this is one and the plot is a mess you've got vampires, dragons, werewolves, witches, gargoyles, necromancy, etc as the series continues it just becomes more of a mess of how much chaos can I cause in this series and all of the main characters are ridiculously overpowered. I say its written for 13 and 14 year olds but I rated it at 16+ because there are some steamy scenes and they get even more steamy in future books... For those that read smut normally this is nothing but for YA the content is really pushing the boundaries. I think its entertaining if you're in it for a laugh and not the actual plot but considering how long the series is I wouldn't recommend it.
Kristina R.
Kristina R. Adult
March 31, 2024
age 12+

I've read several reviews comparing this to the Twilight saga, and while it definitely has similarities, the writing is just better in this series. The first book deals with some deep themese and feelings including dealing with parental loss, and the beginning of a typically intense teen relationship. No sex, but definitely some sexual tension. It was a fun read and a good introduction to the series. I read it with my 14 year old, and we both thought it was a good fit for 12+.
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What's the Story?

In CRAVE, weeks after Grace's parents die in a car crash in San Diego, California, she arrives in Alaska to attend a private boarding school run by her Uncle Finn. Her cousin Macy picks her up at the airport and drives her in a snowmobile to her new home: a creepy, cool castle in the middle of nowhere. She only has moments to take in the splendor when Jaxon, the rudest, hottest, most intense boy she's ever met, corners her and tells her she's not safe at Katmere Academy and she should leave. She's almost as dizzy from that encounter as she is from the altitude sickness. Who does this boy think he is? But as strange accidents keep happening around her, she's beginning to wonder if Jaxon is right and she's really far from safe at this school that keeps far too many secrets from her. Too bad she's fallen for Jaxon and can't imagine letting him go. Heading back to San Diego may be the one thing that can save her life.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (15 ):

If you have your Sexy Vampire Novel bingo card handy, you can check off these boxes for starters -- clueless and accident-prone female hero and angsty and possessive vampire hottie. Add to that extra vampire powers (telekinesis!), shapeshifters who hate the vampires, plenty of warnings to stay away from hot vampire, checked-out male figure in girl hero's life (her uncle here), and rival love interest who's actually nice and would make a much better boyfriend. So, what's different, you're wondering. Crave is set in a creepy castle boarding school in the middle of Alaska, teens all have phones and text each other, and everyone swears a lot more.

Readers who loved Twilight will dig this book, too. Even if they're pretty mad at Grace for not figuring out her boyfriend is a vampire for more than 300 pages. That must be some kind of record, especially since Jaxon actually gives her a copy of Twilight as a gift. Readers who like a balance of fantasy world-building and romantic interludes will find the former lacking and far too many pages of Grace's many, many thoughts. Tracy Wolff is an author who churns out a lot of books and doesn't bother editing down redundancies. But vampire novels are back and will always come back, and she really needn't bother with that kind of painstaking work. Books like Crave will always have an audience.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what drives people to vampire romances like Crave. Why do you think they're so popular?

  • Jaxon is one of those brooding, possessive, angsty guys everyone warned the main character about. So why is Grace still so attracted to him? Why do these kinds of heroes show up so often in romances? Would they be good dating choices in real life?

  • Will you read the rest of the series? Will you read more vampire romances? Why or why not?

Book Details

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