Crave

September 6, 2010
A chronic illness shapes not only the awareness of the sufferer, but the dynamics of an entire family, a tactic cleverly used by frequent collaborators Burns and Metz to structure the plot of this vampire romance. Shay McGuire has been sick from birth with an undiagnosed blood disorder. Now 17, she longs for even enough normalcy to make it through a week of school. When her physician stepfather offers her a new kind of blood transfusion therapy, Shay is unprepared for the startling visions and unusual vitality that follow. During her spurts of energy, Shay acts out recklessly, until her mother demands a halt to the new treatment. Breaking into her stepfather's office, Shay finds a man chained to a table—a man she recognizes instantly from her visions. He is the source of her transfusions, and a vampire. Though not marketed as such, this volume is clearly first in a projected series, ending on a cliffhanger. Smoothly written and offering a thoughtful look at the very human reactions of "the Sick Girl," it's a promising entry in an overcrowded field. Ages 14–up.

November 1, 2010

Gr 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, NY

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2010
Grades 8-12 Frequent 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. Its not great literature, but fans of Lurlene McDaniels and Twilight will lap up every drop of Shays fast-paced story. An abrupt ending promises this is just the beginning of what will no doubt be a popular new series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)