Crave
Laura J. Burns & Melinda MetzGr 8 Up–Born with a rare untreatable blood disorder, 16-year-old Shay knows she will never lead a normal life. She has accepted her fate but longs for the day when people can look beyond her illness and see her for herself. That day comes when her stepfather, Martin, an expert in the field of leukemia research, begins giving her a new type of transfusion. The treatments give her energy, strength, and awesome visions, which stir Shay's desire to live and cause her to want more. She breaks into Martin's office and finds Gabriel, the guy from her visions, chained to a table and sets him free. Kidnapped by him and on the run from Martin, Shay finds her world turned upside down. Crave is a fast-paced, action-packed vampire thriller with an original and refreshing story line. Gabriel's life is beautifully revealed through Shay's visions, and the well-written plot conveys depth and feeling while exploring important issues like friendship, loyalty, trust, love, and betrayal. A satisfying read with a shocking cliff-hanger ending.–Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NYα(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
From BooklistFrequent collaborators Burns and Metz here combine the vampire craze with the terminally ill heroine plot device. Born with a rare blood disorder, Shay McGuire is frail, fragile, and yearns to live the life of a normal, energetic 17-year-old who pushes limits with sex and drugs, but she can barely get through a day at school. Her doctor stepfather carefully monitors her condition, while her devoted mother would literally do anything to save Shay. When a new type of transfusion causes Shay to experience vivid dreams (memories?) as a young man named Gabriel, she figures out the new blood she has been getting is from a vampire her parents are holding captive to keep her alive. She frees Gabriel, and so begins the predictable romance. It’s not great literature, but fans of Lurlene McDaniels and Twilight will lap up every drop of Shay’s fast-paced story. An abrupt ending promises this is just the beginning of what will no doubt be a popular new series. Grades 8-12. --Debbie Carton