I actually rated this a 4 1/2 * but since PBS 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 for the next book-Sacrifice.
The characters in this book were so easy to get into. Sick girl Shay was totally fascinating. The authors did such a great job making you see and feel what she was going through on a daily basis, I have to wonder if one of them knew someone growing up that was terminally ill. Her best friend Olivia was there through thick and thin even when Shay wasn't as good a friend back to her. And Gabriel, who we don't actually get to meet until half way through the book, was a character of contradictions, that made him so believable. As a lover of paranormal romance, this was an awesome book. As a lover of YA novels, I felt it hit the nail on the head consistently. You would think by know I'd be burnt out on vampire books but the authors have taken the oldest, most used, paranormal creature- the vampire- and penned a fresh new tale that will keep me and others up all night reading just one more chapter. I can definitely recommend this for middle school and up, though I (an adult reader) was just as hooked by this great story.

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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 didnt 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 wasnt 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 dont know if that is what they will call it) series. It wasnt 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 its a love story, yes its about vampires and yes there is a reason why their love is tainted. BUT its 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 wasnt simply laid out like most authors do, through the eyes of the main characters own words. Shays 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. Gabriels 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 dont have to wait too long.

This book is AWESOME!

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