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

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Paperback, 416 pages
Published April 6th 2012 by MiraInk
Available on: Amazon | Boomerang Books | Harlequin Teen | The Book Depository

Synopsis
Savannah Colbert has never known why she's so hated by the kids of the Clann. Nor can she deny her instinct to get close to Clann golden boy Tristan Coleman. Especially when she recovers from a strange illness and the attraction becomes nearly irresistible. It's as if he's a magnet, pulling her gaze, her thoughts, even her dreams. Her family has warned her to have nothing to do with him, or any members of the Clann. But when Tristan is suddenly everywhere she goes, Savannah fears she's destined to fail.

For years, Tristan has been forbidden to even speak to Savannah Colbert. Then Savannah disappears from school for a week and comes back…different, and suddenly he can't stay away. Boys seem intoxicated just from looking at her. His own family becomes stricter than ever. And Tristan has to fight his own urge to protect her, to be near her no matter the consequences….

Review
Star-crossed lovers, Savannah Colbert and Tristan Coleman makes their debut in CRAVE, where they live in a world where vampires and witches coexist. I'm sure this is enough to intrigue any paranormal fan, but does it have what it takes to charm me?

Told in alternating point of views, CRAVE gives us a better view on Savannah and Tristan's lives and their undeniable attraction to one another. The romance between Savannah and Tristan is a big plus for the story. It is something readers would eat up in a matter of seconds. It felt true and nice, albeit being not so honest as both of them held secrets from each other.

I love Savannah's character. She's a nice, helpful girl who has a great friendship with BFF Anne. Savannah tried her best to keep her promise of staying away from Tristan, but now she just can't lie to herself anymore. I sympathize Savannah's condition - it's like being the devil and the deep blue sea. And Tristan is a likeable hero, with his gorgeous appearance and kind heart, though Anne is sure that Tristan is a player and constantly warns Savannah to keep her distance.

My complaint on this novel is that there is no real action for most of the part, as a great deal of the pages are dedicated to Savannah's life - how she found out about her heritage, how she auditioned for a spot in the Charmers, how she accidentally did something peculiar in school etc. The real excitement only starts in the last 50 pages. The ending was a little anti-climatic for me, but considering it's the first book in the series, I'm sure there will be much to come in second and third books.

I'm a plot-wise reader, but even though CRAVE doesn't have much of this, the story still held my interest - thanks to the author's great writing style. It has a good flow to it, and I found myself going with the current. If you're looking for a paranormal book with a healthy dose of romance, go for CRAVE!

Rating: 3

Note of Thanks
Special thanks to Mira Ink for this complimentary copy of CRAVE!

About The Author
Melissa Darnell
Melissa Darnell is a book lover through and through. In addition to authoring a growing list of adult and YA fiction and nonfiction books on a wide assortment of topics and genres, she is also a freelance book editor, layout and cover designer, and ebook formatter with more than 75 books to her professional credit. She wrote her first story in the third grade, was first published in the sixth grade when her poem was selected for an anthology, and has since won several regional and national essay contests with prizes ranging from the complete Harry Potter collection in hardback to an actual horse with a year's worth of feed in the 1992 Ponies of America essay contest. Born in California, she grew up in East Texas and has also called the following states home at one time or another: Utah, West Virginia, Louisiana, Alabama, Kentucky, and Iowa. A former award-winning dancer with 12 years' formal training in jazz, tap, and ballet, she currently lives in South Dakota with her husband and two children, where she enjoys watching Whale Wars, UFC matches and True Blood, trying out new hair colors, designing fun stuff to sell in the virtual world of Second Life, and of course writing her latest book!

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